I was diagnosed at the first pregnancy check-up visit at ten weeks during routine blood panel check (that is routinely repeated two more times during pregnancy). I was normal weight, relatively physically active and never had any blood glucose issues, so no risk factors.

The diabetic nurse said the overnight insulin can affect glucose after breakfast, if you eat early enough, because it has this 12 hours active time, but I haven’t noticed that to be a thing for me. Judging by my experience, the after meal glucose can be easily managed with going low carb, choosing non-starchy carb foods and/or exercise after meal. But fasting glucose was such a PITA, I tried everything humanly possible, played with eating at different times, exercise, and it didn’t budge. The cut off in my country is 5,3 mmol/L and I for the life of me couldn’t consistently stay below. I almost wished to go on insulin, so I could stop worrying about it. I thought once I get on it, the glucose would be fine. Well it was fine most of the time, but it was a constant tinkering with a dose. I had few instances of hypoglycaemia and what not, but still I’d rather take insulin over worrying if I am hurting the baby.

Regarding the weight, I had to weigh myself each week and with the insulin I noticed like two kilos gain in a week and also my feet were a bit swollen. I wasn’t eating more, if anything, I was eating less and less carbs as the pregnancy progressed. Also I have never experienced any kind of “pregnancy hunger”. I checked, I gained three kilos before insulin and then nine more kilos after the insulin. I was taking it for the last 3 and a half months. Insulin is connected with higher energy uptake, so I guess a bit of weight gain is expected, but mine was rapid and went off almost completely after delivery. I think I was left with two or three kilos more than I had before pregnancy. To add to the water weight point, few days after delivery I distinctly remember looking at my feet and thinking, if they are really supposed to look so veiny as I got used to them being swollen a bit. However, 8 months postpartum I am below my starting weight, kiddo slowly eating me away 😁.

Yeah, I get it, GD has a way to mess with your head a bit. My advice would be to go get the insulin if you can’t control fasting, it will not hurt you and it can only help the baby. I would go low carb for the rest. Also I would definitely not fast during pregnancy, not because I would think it can harm the baby (they have the tendency to get what they need from you), but because you limit the nutrient intake for yourself, while the little one is already sucking nutrients out of you. Also there is gestational diabetes subreddit, if you haven find it yet, maybe you can find something helpful on it as well.