Do I have pre-diabetes?

[Vindawoo]

Hi, I wondered if anyone could put my mind at ease?

I had my booking appointment quite late and got the results from my bloods today. They took something called a HBA1C and the result is 5.9

The student midwife said this was 'not great on its own but actually okay with the guidelines'. She wasn't very clear. I have text my midwife to confirm and no answer yet.

Is this pre diabetic? Google not really my friend here, but seems to suggest a level of 5.8 to 6 is pre diabetic and where the response to glucose is already compromised?

I'm a bit shocked as I've awful, horrific sickness and I've been only having diluted juice and crackers for weeks now. I'm so unwell with it

Lost my last pregnancy so worried about this one.

Thanks so much if you can advise at all

Are you overweight? HBAC1 is usually expressed as a higher number though. 5.9 sounds like a blood glucose. But even if that it is borderline at worst. Losing weight, reducing carbohydrates, drinking more water, exercise can all help lower it.

www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/hba1c Below 42(6) is ok.

I am a bit overweight yes. Unfortunately it crept up since it's distributed well all over and I don't 'look' fat. But I am!

I have been eating less than 600/700 cals a day for about 7 weeks now so I was surprised it would even be borderline since I've not been eating anything of note to start with

Maybe that is too low calorie intake? Especially if you are pregnant.

@LIZS Indeed it is but it's the very best I can do. I have HG sickness and I'm lucky I'm not in hospital on a drip (like DS's pregnancy)

But your body may react by converting fat to sugar. Perhaps call mw again and ask for advice.

If it's a HbA1c then it's borderline. It represents an average of the last 3 months so either you've been borderline diabetic for a while or your blood glucose is pretty bad at the minute.

They'll probably do a fasting glucose or a glucose tolerance test, depending on what your trust are offering at the moment.

You may end up with a diagnosis of gestational diabetes. This isn't the same as type 2 diabetes and will go away after you deliver

You’ve been eating less than 700 calories a day during pregnancy? Is this because you’re so nauseous or are you intentionally starving yourself? Please don’t do that if so!

@Youdiditanyway OP has said several times she has extreme sickness/HG

@Youdiditanyway

You’ve been eating less than 700 calories a day during pregnancy? Is this because you’re so nauseous or are you intentionally starving yourself? Please don’t do that if so!

As I say, extreme vomiting and feeling sick

It's just awful. The bloods were taken at 8 weeks pregnant so I would've thought they're actually indicating pre pregnancy me and not necessarily gestational diabetes because it would've built up to that borderline number over time? And 4.5 weeks before that, I would've not been pregnant? If that makes sense

Just asked a gp colleague who says it translates to approx 38, so would be perfectly fine, but ask them to explain it to you, and resist Dr Google!