Gestational diabetes - misdiagnosis?

[Ellie78]

Hi all

I am a self-confessed lurker but would really appreciate any help or advice from anyone who has any experience. It is a bit long and boring so sorry...
We had a scan at 32 weeks before Christmas due to low lying placenta. All fine with the placenta now but baby showed as being large in both head and tummy measurement. I was asked to go back and do a glucose tolerance test a few days later.
In the mean time I came down with flu but managed to drag myself out of bed to do the test, which came back as high at 8.6. Was then given the testing kit etc and had a few days where I had some more high readings. It all now seems to be under control with some minor diet changes and I have had 4 days of normal readings. The thing is this also coincides with me getting over the flu. Saw my regular midwife today who said she would be surprised if I hadn't been affected by the illness, and also that my bump is measuring 2 weeks under and baby doesn't feel that big.
So, I guess basically what I am asking is does anyone know if the high glucose levels could have been down to my being Ill? The doctors and midwives seem to have differing opinions.
Obviously I will do whatever I need to to get baby out safely but I had a home birth with my first and was hoping to do so again. Just wondering if it is worth asking for a second opinion.
Thanks to anyone who has managed to read this through!

[Petalouda]

I have no personal/medical experience to offer, but there was a gestational diabetes thread, and someone said that they'd been diagnosed with GD whilst they had a cold/flu, and that since then they hadn't had any dodgy readings despite the xmas excesses.

So you could be on to something.

It might be worth asking to repeat the GTT. I was able to have mine at my local mat unit, they just sent the bloods off to the hospital.

Good luck with it!

[llareggub]

I did have GD during my pregnancy and I was told that having flu/infections can raise blood sugar. The specialist diabetes nurse told me but as she turned out to be pretty incompetent all round, you may wish to ignore her view.

However, I did record raised blood sugar when ill.

If you've managed to control the GD with diet then that is great. It doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have it.

My DS2 was born and weighed on the 50th centile. My tummy didn't measure "big" and neither did he on the scans, so you can't really go on what your MW says. I'd also add that most of the MWs I came into contact with knew nothing about GD, as there was a specialist team dealing with it.

[cupcakebakerer]

I have type one diabetes and know that blood sugars are raised by illness. Not sure if that applies to the 'normal' population though.

[Ellie78]

Thanks all
I am being realistic in that I know it is 99% likely that I do have it I just want to be sure before I give in completely to the idea of a hospital induction. I should have added that I have no family history of diabetes, had a 7lb 3oz baby first time round and was actually 2 stone lighter when I got pregnant this time than with my first...guess it is just a bit frustrating!
Trouble is no one seems to know what the effects of illness are on a non-diabetic persons glucose levels.
Will look up that old thread petalouda - thanks.

[paddypoopants]

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at around 32 weeks after a somewhat badly conducted gtt test. When I went to see the specialists at the hospital my glucose readings were normal and continued to be until I gave birth at 41 weeks. One of the obstetric consultants told me that I may not have had gd but that the hormones that mask insulin were at their peak at around 32 weeks and then they wane so it may be that that was why I failed the gtt ( and the fact the nurse couldn't tell the time and took my blood 25 mins early).
I was about 33 weeks when I saw the specialists and they told me not to bother redoing the test because I was so close to the birth.
That was a mistake - because I was labelled diabetic I was basically over medicalised. They were very keen to induce me and the large diabetic baby they kept saying I would have turned out to be 6lbs 11 oz but midwives kept sticking needles in him to check his blood glucose for no reason the day after he was born (his reading was perfectly normal after birth so he was not diabetic).
So you might want to think about getting the gtt redone when you are better. If you pass it you can still keep checking your bloods yourself to make sure they don't go high again.

[llareggub]

The reason they do the heel prick test the day after is because babies born to mothers with GD can sometimes suffer low blood sugar post-birth. It isn't unnecessary at all.

As it happens, my baby was fine post-birth too. If I was ever to have another baby I'd be more vocal about the constant monitoring, which I think inhibited the birth. I had to stay in one position which was just awful by the end.

[Catsmamma]

I had GD and was monitoring bloods and controlling it nicely with diet


I got a stinking cold and my reading were all over the place, which coincided with an ante natal appointment

Obstetrician went mad and wanted to keep me in over night for monitoring, I had ds1 at home with a sitter and refused, but promised to go back for monitoring the next day, which I did and the nurse there just rolled her eyes and said it was the cold, causing the dodgy readings

I was home at teatime!

[Ellie78]

I guess my fear is that they will insist on inducing me and it will all be over medicalised. Not helped by the fact that everyone I know who has been induced has had a nightmare! Understand that the experts have to treat any abnormalities as GD to be on the safe side but I am just not convinced.
paddy they obviously let you go to 41 weeks, did you have to fight them on it and did you go into labour naturally?
Think I will ask about another GTT and see how the scan goes at 36 weeks. Interestingly had a 'higher' GI breakfast this morning and levels still fine. In fact my DH's were much higher than mine!

[Ellie78]

Just an update for anyone who might be interested. I had a repeat GTT today after seeing the consultant and it came back normal! Everyone seems very shocked by this - the midwives said they were going to have a meeting about me! But just goes to show illness can really affect your glucose levels after all

[trixie123]

Ellie thanks, thats worth knowing. I had GD with DS and have it again now but the GTT was barely over the limit and all my readings have been fine. Ds's birth was induced and ended in CS and was an overmedicalised, unpleasant experience so I am being much more vocal this time about acting on my specific situation and not just being treated along the policy lines. Will bear this little bit of info in mind! Hope all goes well for you

[Ellie78]

Thanks trixie, and good luck to you too. Definitely worth sticking to your guns to get what you want