Ep. 6: Your levels, IRL

Once you’ve been told to start testing your blood sugar, it can sound straightforward on paper - a few checks a day, log the numbers, done. But in reality? It often feels a lot messier. Between remembering to test, finding the right timing around meals, and navigating the occasional confusing reading, this part of gestational diabetes can quickly become overwhelming.

In this episode, Celia is joined again by Melissa Tait - a credentialed diabetes educator and clinical nurse specialist with over 15 years’ experience supporting people with diabetes. Together, they walk through what testing your blood sugar levels actually looks like day-to-day, beyond the instructions.

Melissa shares practical tips to make testing easier, explains the “why” behind common recommendations, and clears up some of the small (but stressful) questions that tend to come up - like when to retest, what to do if you forget, and why numbers don’t always behave the way you expect.

This conversation is grounded, reassuring, and designed to help you feel more confident navigating testing in real life.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• What tends to surprise people most when they start testing
• How to think about testing as part of your daily routine
• The difference between finger pricking and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs)
• Practical tips to make finger pricking easier and less painful
• How to get a better blood sample (and what might affect your reading)
• Why clean, dry hands matter more than you think
• When it makes sense to retest and when it doesn’t
• Why readings can vary slightly (even between fingers)
• How to time your post-meal tests (and a common myth about this)
• What to do if you test earlier or later than planned
• When to take your fasting reading (and why timing matters)
• What changes if you’re using a CGM instead of finger pricks
• Why CGM and finger prick readings can differ
• How to spot patterns vs one-off readings
• The importance of notes, context, and communicating with your care team

Resources & links mentioned:

• Melissa Tait → click here
• Melissa on Instagram → @diabetes_educator_mel
• Connections Nerang → click here

About the guest

Melissa Tait is a credentialed diabetes educator and clinical nurse specialist with over 15 years of experience supporting people living with diabetes across Australia. She works across hospital, community and telehealth settings and is also a lecturer in diabetes education. Melissa supports people of all ages and stages - from young children to older adults - and has extensive experience guiding women through gestational diabetes with both clinical expertise and compassionate care. She is passionate about education, myth-busting, and helping women feel confident in understanding their bodies.

Transcript

This transcript was auto-generated and lightly edited for clarity.

Celia (00:27)
Today we're moving into the practical side of testing your blood sugar levels - not just the instructions you're given, but how testing actually plays out day to day. Routines aren't perfect, and things can feel a bit messier than expected.

We’re also unpacking some of the common questions and scenarios that can cause confusion or stress along the way. I'm really glad to welcome back Melissa Tait. Melissa is a credentialed diabetes educator and clinical nurse specialist with over 15 years’ experience supporting people with diabetes.

Melissa, thank you so much for joining me again.

Melissa Tait (00:57)
Thanks for having me - excited to be back and do some myth busting.

Celia (01:00)
Yes, me too. When someone first starts testing their blood sugar in pregnancy, what do you notice tends to surprise them the most?

Melissa Tait (01:10)
It’s a lot of work. Even just saying to someone, “We need to check blood glucose levels four times a day,” - that’s quite an impact on day-to-day living. Especially when you’re pregnant, or you’ve got toddlers or little people you’re looking after, you’re working, or you’re unwell. So yes, it really does impact daily life.

Celia (01:33)
Yeah, that’s so true. The actual act of it might not take long, but it’s the preparation, finding the time, and remembering to do it.

So how do you encourage people to think about it?

Melissa Tait (01:45)
We break it up into different sections of the day - almost like a daily routine. That can make it easier to picture what it looks like in real life.

So you wake up in the morning and check your fasting level, then test two hours after each main meal - after breakfast, lunch, and dinner - to see the impact of food or activity on your blood glucose levels.

Celia (02:11)
Can you talk us through the two main ways of getting blood sugar readings - finger pricking and continuous glucose monitors?

Melissa Tait (02:21)
Blood glucose monitoring has traditionally been done through finger pricking - four times a day to get those key markers.

We’ve been doing that for a long time. More recently, continuous or flash glucose monitoring has come onto the market, and it’s been a bit of a game changer - particularly for people with type 1 diabetes or those using insulin pumps.

With a sensor, it sits on the arm and measures glucose in the interstitial fluid - and I can never say that word properly, even after all these years.

Celia (03:03)
I don’t even know what it is, so that’s okay.

Melissa Tait (03:07)
There’s a tiny wire - about the width of a couple of strands of hair - sitting under the skin, reading glucose levels in that fluid.

You get trends, readings every few minutes, and arrows showing whether levels are rising, steady, or dropping.

With gestational diabetes, we don’t see as much use of continuous monitoring - mainly because of cost. Sensors can be up to $95 for two weeks, and over a pregnancy that adds up.

Hopefully, in the near future, we’ll see more access to this technology for everyone.

Celia (04:02)
That would be great.

Let’s talk about finger pricking using a glucometer. For someone new to it, what are the basics that make testing easier or more accurate?

Melissa Tait (04:16)
You’ll have a glucometer, a lancet device to prick your finger, and test strips.

The key is consistency - same routine each time. Clean hands, the right depth on the lancet, and getting a good drop of blood.

You don’t need to sanitise - that can actually affect the sample.

Celia (04:45)
So soap and water is fine, but avoid hand sanitiser or alcohol wipes?

Melissa Tait (04:53)
Exactly. Hand sanitiser can affect results, especially if your hands are still wet - it can dilute the sample.

We also want to avoid contamination - things like food residue, moisturiser, or oils. You don’t want to be measuring jam from your toast instead of your blood sugar.

Soap and water is fine - just make sure your hands are dry.

Celia (05:15)
That actually happened to me the other morning. I had a really high reading, retested after washing my hands, and it turned out to be moisturiser from the night before. Huge relief.

Melissa Tait (05:40)
Great troubleshooting.

Also make sure your test strips are in date, and not exposed to heat or humidity - so don’t leave them in the car.

Celia (05:57)
Noted. I’ve definitely done that before.

It can also be hard to get blood flow sometimes - any tips?

Melissa Tait (06:13)
Yes - you can adjust the depth on your lancet device depending on your skin. If you’ve got tougher fingers, you might need a deeper setting.

Testing on the side of the finger is usually less painful than the pad, because there are fewer nerve endings.

And it’s important to change your lancet regularly - ideally each time, but at least every few uses, otherwise it gets blunt and more painful.

Celia (07:37)
Okay… definitely overdue to change mine.

Melissa Tait (07:46)
Also, holding pressure on the finger after pricking can help the blood come out. Some people warm their hands or rub them to improve blood flow.

Celia (08:08)
I’ve heard that too.

What about the idea of a “sacrificial finger”?

Melissa Tait (08:32)
That’s more of a preference. I’d actually recommend rotating fingers - share the love - so you don’t end up with soreness or calluses in one spot.

Celia (09:11)
What situations call for a retest? Like my random high number before.

Melissa Tait (09:18)
If a number is out of pattern for you, it’s reasonable to retest.

But we don’t want people testing three or four times each time - that can increase stress. If you’re concerned about patterns, it’s important to talk to your care team.

Celia (10:09)
Why can readings vary between fingers?

Melissa Tait (10:27)
They can vary slightly - blood glucose levels are constantly changing, and small differences in samples can occur.

But large differences would be a reason to check your technique or equipment.

Celia (11:04)
So it’s more about looking at patterns, not individual readings.

Melissa Tait (11:13)
Exactly. We don’t want people chasing a “perfect” number - that can be exhausting.

Celia (11:43)
Timing-wise - when we say two hours after a meal, is that from the first bite?

Melissa Tait (11:54)
Yes, from the start of the meal. That’s a common myth.

Celia (13:05)
What if you test early or late?

Melissa Tait (13:24)
Life happens. If it’s occasional, just make a note. That context helps your care team understand what’s going on.

Celia (13:47)
What about fasting levels - when should those be taken?

Melissa Tait (14:03)
Ideally soon after waking. If you wait too long, your body may start releasing stored glucose, which can affect the reading.

So wake up, go to the bathroom, then test before starting your day.

Celia (15:02)
What if you wake earlier than expected?

Melissa Tait (15:24)
You can test then and make a note. If it’s a one-off, it’s just context. If it’s happening regularly, that’s something to discuss with your team.

Celia (16:16)
That seems to be the theme - patterns over one-offs.

Let’s talk about CGMs again - how does the routine differ?

Melissa Tait (16:43)
You still need to record key times - fasting and post-meal - but you don’t have the finger pricks.

You get a lot more data, including trend arrows, which can be helpful - but also overwhelming.

Celia (17:36)
So no escaping the paperwork.

Melissa Tait (17:38)
Some systems link to apps, but it depends on what works for you and your care team.

Celia (17:55)
Why do CGM and finger prick readings sometimes differ?

Melissa Tait (18:16)
They’re measuring glucose in different places - interstitial fluid versus blood - so there can be a slight lag.

If something doesn’t feel right, “when in doubt, get your meter out.”

Celia (19:21)
That’s a good line.

Melissa Tait (19:25)
They’re both accurate, but if symptoms don’t match the reading, it’s best to double-check.

Celia (19:54)
What’s the one thing you’d want someone to take away from this?

Melissa Tait (20:00)
You’ve done nothing wrong to develop gestational diabetes. Your body is doing amazing things - it’s just a bit harder to manage those pregnancy hormones.

And it’s very manageable with the right support.

Celia (20:24)
Thank you so much - it’s been great to chat again. I always feel like I learn so much from these conversations.

Melissa Tait (20:33)
Me too - thanks for having me. I love what you’re doing.

Celia (20:42)
Thank you.