If you had GD, how did it impact you/your DC years on?

[7Worfs]

I had GD in my second pregnancy that was left untreated for nearly two months, only properly managed in the last 2-3 weeks prior to birth.

I’ve read all I could find about potential long-term impact on me and child, along with statistics about obesity and Type 2 diabetes…

If you had GD years ago, did it impact you and your child in any way? Did you follow recommended actions to reduce risk of T2 diabetes like losing all extra weight and extended breastfeeding?
Did your GD baby struggle with weight (or anything else) in any way?

Hopeful bump

DD is perfectly healthy happy 8 yr old.

Me I'm fat and unfit and quite possibly pre-diabetic or at risk of diabetes, but thats more my uncontrolled cake and chocolate consumption and being too lazy to exercise.

Thank you for replying - great to hear your DD is doing well with no lasting effects 🤗

I hope you don’t mind me saying, but please prioritise your health as you would your DC’s.
I used to wrongly think diabetes is just about controlling blood sugar, but after reading up on it I’m properly scared motivated to avoid it - it wrecks the cardiovascular system and other key body functions.

DS is 12 now and we are both absolutely fine so far🤞.

I have taken steps to keep my weight down and I have an ok bmi. I don’t think that extended breastfeeding was known to be beneficial because I was never told this. However, I breastfed until about 8 months anyway. DS’s weight is fine.

My DC is only 2 and seems fine (my tests have been fine too, my diet isn’t amazing but I wasn’t overweight or anything to start with), but I look to my friend whose child must be about 8, both my friend and her DC are healthy, well, in good shape and thriving. Again she wasn’t overweight to start with though.

Thank you for your replies, very glad children aren’t impacted 😊

The breastfeeding thing - it’s a statistical conclusion, likely to do with helping the mothers burn calories and lose some of the ‘baby weight’.

Collected data says the first 5 years post-partum are the danger zone. Risk reduces quite a lot 10 years pp.

I had GD with my first. Didn’t go detected until I was 8 months pregnant going on 9! My current midwife (I’m 16 weeks) said looking back I was completely textbook for it as I was carrying extra fluid the entire time. All is well so far with my LO!

Getting tested again on Thursday, much earlier this time!

3 out of 4 GD pregnancies twice detected at 16 weeks, once not diagnosed until 38 weeks (cock up). Children were all born tiny and are all very tall and slim, healthy weights. I am still overweight but losing it gradually, I have always been active and relatively fit though, not had any gtt tests since before Covid though although I do occasionally monitor my levels at home which give me no concerns at the moment.

DD is now nearly 5 and a healthy weight. I am still obese (developed CFS in the intervening years which didn’t help) although have lost 20lbs from my highest weight. I get my hba1c checked yearly and it has always been fine. Currently pregnant with my second child and no GD developed yet but only 14 weeks so Will get checked again in a couple of months.

Gd isn't related to diet and weight though? It's to do with hormones released by the placenta making you more insulin resistant and some women react more to this than others which is why they now screen left right and centre regardless of the usual risk factors for type 2 diabetes such as weight. As far as I'm aware that is why you are then predisposed to developing type 2 rather than solely diet and exercise and 'losing the baby weight'. I'd imagine the hormones have a lot to do with it and bf helps regulate that and WHO recommend Bf to age 3. The research around it is quite scanty in places.

DS2 is 7
he does struggle a bit with weight, eats the same as his brother who is 11 (or rather eats as his brother are ate at the same age) but he is always on the cusp of overweight. He also very very tall above 98th centile for height. I was on insulin for my GD and he weighed about 8lb 7.
his older brother is more naturally sporty and very very lean.
I am still fat. I did EBF. Last HbA1C was 33 so OK.

I had GD in both my pregnancies. Both my boys were born quite small and are now underweight at 6.5 and almost 4, but healthy and happy. I’m also slim and have yearly checks and so far no diabetes.

And I breastfed both until over 2, since you asked

Thank you all for replying 😊

@Bigmummaof2 and @riotlady fingers crossed you don’t develop GD this time around 🤞

@Lavender14 that makes sense, though post-partum weight and unhealthy lifestyle increases further the already heightened risk. I think I read this on the GD UK website. It’s really shit, even 1-2 stones into overweight category can be ‘too much’ after GD.

@FlamingoSocks hopefully puberty will regulate your DS’s hormones.
Mine are both boys too. DS1 (nearly 4yo) is tall and lean, and always was. DS2 (6mo) is tall and chubby… I keep telling myself DS1 was a lean baby because tongue-tie made for inefficient BF, but we’ll see…

I had GD with baby number 2 and 3. Pregnancy 1 and then twin Pregnancy i never had it.

I was never over weight to begin with and still not.
Both kids one aged 17 and other 12 are healthy and both slim and active no weight issues at all.

It was strange tho as i had gd with baby 3 i then fell Pregnant very quickly after with my twins and didn't have it, i jept being asked if u had lost alot of weight between but i hadn't so god knows

@Muddlebubble that is really interesting - GD with your middle pregnancies, and not with the last twin one, which on paper had the highest chance of GD.

I had GD with DD2. Managed with diet (very very low carb). DD did have low sugars when she was born and I had to express colostrum to get them up.

I EBF and she put on weight very rapidly as a baby. I never thought that might be to do with GD, perhaps it was? My milk was yellow for ages and we joked I made butter. She has slimmed down now by age 7, she is a sturdy build but it’s 100% muscle as she is very sporty and strong. She’s short but so am I.

Me, I’ve never been overweight (GD test was due to PCOS) and I’m still not. Didn’t gain much baby weight with DD2 probably due to the very low carb diet and then EBF did the rest. I am trying to keep to low carb (or at least low GI carb) although it’s harder in the winter. I follow Glucose Goddess on Insta who has good tips for keeping blood sugar spikes at bay. Also doing a lot more exercise now the DC are older.

Has everyone been having their Hba1c tests annually? I think I’ve only had one since DD was born…

My GD baby is now 3 and is still as skinny as anything.

Had GD with my second almost 30 years ago. Fine for years. In the past few years the GP practice have undertaken blood tests annually to check blood sugars. Prior to that there wasn't any monitoring. I was diagnosed pre diabetic two years ago, lost four pounds in weight and last year was considered ok. Annual check is due next month so let's see what that brings. I have put on weigh over the past few years, my BMI is just over 25. Being menopausal has made weight/fat move to my middle which isn't great, still a size 12 though. I vaguely remember reading somewhere not so long ago that having GD gives you a 50% chance of being type 2 around and after menopause, also that the child of a GD pregnancy has a greater disposition to becoming diabetic in later life too. I think the message is if your GD goes after birth you need to watch your weight as you get older to prevent getting Type 2.

@minipie I was told I’ll need annual checks, in fact already had mine a month ago (at 5 months pp) because my GP has staggered them for all patients in order to manage them better.
They didn’t tell me exact results, just that I’m within normal range, so far…

Remind your GP, they really should be on top of this.

@Cherubimbum thank you, that’s quite the longitudinal contribution!
That’s my understanding too, once we’ve had GD we are ‘marked’, and even a mere stone overweight can put us too close to T2. I’ve still got quite a lot to lose.

I had GD diagnosed at about 16 weeks. Diet controlled until birth. DD was on the small-medium size (less than 7lb) and is now 98th %ile for height and 93rd for weight. Looks beautifully in proportion. I intended to breastfeed for a year for both our benefits and we've ended up still going! So far I'm testing ok for type 2 but my Mum developed it in her late 50's and I'm overweight so I think it's probably inevitable I'll develop it at some point. I figure at least with a GD history they're keeping an eye on me so it won't go undetected for years like it does with some people.

@7Worfs You are right. I think that there is a much greater awareness now than when I had GD of the long term effects both on mother and baby, which is great. I think they have also joined the dots between hormonal changes in pregnancy and hormonal changes during menopause as being a fairly major contributary factors.

After being tested six weeks postpartum to see if the GD has had 'gone away' it was only mentioned in passing to be aware that being overweight in middle age might bring on T2, now it seems the medical profession is much more aware.

I had it but am only 5 months post partum ! Diet controlled, it was bloody hard but I didn't put on another pound for the rest of my pregnancy.
I'm now 1.5 stone heavier than i was pre pregnancy, i don't even eat that bad and I try and walk everywhere but I just can't seem to shift it so far !
I read that if you don't look after your diet after GD pregnancy then it's not if but when you develop type 2...