Help - I'm worried about the consequences of my impaired GTT test

[surfingjojo]

Can anyone help or advise me (33+2 - first baby) and pretty upset/confused

I had an impaired result on my GTT test a couple of weeks ago (4.4 & 8.8) - I've been monitoring blood sugar levels for two weeks which have all been well under the recommended levels. I've had a growth scan which showed baby measurements were perfect for dates - I'm not measuring big for dates nor do I have any excess amniotic fluid. My blood pressure also continues to be good

I was booked for a birth at my local midwife led birthing unit by my choice, as I wanted to have as natural birth as I could, being able to move around and avoid as much intervention as possible. I also had a lovely midwife who was the only person I had seen all through my pregnancy up to now.

However now I've been told by the main hospital that even though my glucose levels are fine & baby is fine I'm now classed as a 'high risk' case & so can't give birth at the birth centre & have to transfer my ante natal care to the main hospital where I've now been three times & not even seen the same person twice. I will have to give birth in the consultant led delivery unit and will be scanned again at 37 weeks for them to decide whether I will be induced at 38 or 40 weeks with everything that entails - continual monitoring/ drip/ epidural/ increased risk of intervention etc.

This whole senario fills me with utter dread and I'm so upset about it - I just feel like I'm on a conveyor belt that means because I've have one bad result they'll treat me in a certain way, because it's their protocol, rather than because it's best for me or my baby.

I was feeling quite empowered by my birth choices and looking forward to the birth up until this happened, now I feel scared & helpless.

Anybody else experienced this situation ?

thanks in advance for advice

Jojo

PS. I do appreciate that if I have any problems with blood sugar levels or the 37 week growth scan that indicate a risk I'll do exactly what they advise, but my problem is that they will still take the same course of action even if no further problems occour purely because I'm now labelled in a particular way.

[dilbertina]

Hi Jojo, Not the same situation as you but I failed a GTT with first pregnancy at 30ish weeks (quite spectacularly failed actually - since my fasting was too high to even be allowed to drink the lucozade - they made me sit down while they got insulin from the pharmacy!) It turned out I'd developed Type1 diabetes and had to go on insulin immediately. In your case however your test result looks pretty marginal.(Is the 8.8 a 1 or 2 hour read?)

So I would have thought you could argue for either: repeat GTT to see if really a problem, or continue plans for birthing centre until 37 week scan and then move if large for dates etc. Can you talk to your old midwife about how upset this is making you and see if she can pull any strings? (no-one likes to see a pregnant women cry!) Alternatively have you been allocated a diabetes nurse to discuss this with? You should always be able to get hold of the diabetes nurse between appointments, and in my limited experience they're very approachable and supportive.

If it does end up that you will need to be in hospital this doesn't mean you cannot have a positive birth experience,albeit not exactly as you'd planned. Incidentally I was "allowed" to go to full-term with both my pregnancies despite far worse blood sugars than I'm sure you're getting. Since they weren't shifting I was then induced, I did have epidurals but gave birth naturally (no stitches either time - yay!). Both are perfectly healthy and were normal size & weight.

[surfingjojo]

Thank you for the words of wisdom Dilbertina - it's so good to hear that even with having to take the insulin - you went on to have a positive birth experience. I'm sure I'm panicking too much - so I have booked an appointment to see my old midwife on Monday so hopefully she can help me sort my head out a bit.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Jojoxxx