To think 7lb 12 is not “a big baby”?

[MrSpock]

I’ve just found out I’ve been booked for a GTT test. This was out of the blue and no one had told me about this. Rang the hospital and was told it was because of “previous big baby”. My son was 7lb 12...

I have no history of GD (I had the test last time because of extra water), I have a BMI of 20.7, I’ve gained no weight so far and have no reason to think I’d have it.

I also hate blood tests and have HG so I’ll probably end up being sick.

Is it just me or is this a really strange reason to refer someone?

There's probably no harm going for the test but you might want to question the necessity. You sound the same height and build as me. My first baby weighed 9lb8 but there was no suggestion of GD or extra checks with my second pregnancy.

I weighed 7 lb, 14 oz at birth and was thus considered a big baby. Most people have expressed that belief as well when it's come up. Also people frequently comment on how amusing it is that such a big baby grew up into such a small person.

So yes I'd consider 7 lb, 12 oz big. I consider any over 7.5 big.

RatRolyPoly even though in that pregnancy, I didn’t have it as I was tested? So he obviously wasn’t large due to diabetes as that wasn’t present.

He also wasn’t a “fat” baby, he was a skinny thing but quite long!

I was the same MrSpock, I had a "big baby" with the first, was tested several times and it was always negative. Still had to get tested when my next baby was big too.

I was told it's because it's a sliding scale; you can almost have GD one pregnancy but not quite (resulting in big baby) and then tip over into having it full-blown in the next pregnancy (also big baby). I really don't know if that's accurate but it made sense to me.

Yeah I just checked the adjusted charts for preterm. 3.52kg is more than 1SD over average so that plus extra water plus you being small may be why.

Ds was born at 38.2 and was just over 6lb.

If you can, have the test. The risk of GD just from a twin pregnancy is a little less than double in itself.

In the area I live in GTT are standard. I think they're a good idea and I didn't take it personally.

We can’t really give advice, OP - clearly you don’t want to do the test, but at the same time it’s been recommended by your medical team. I think the best thing to do is either do the test, to be on the safe side, or if you really can’t face it, ask your doctor for a second view.

I’m going to go for it but question the necessity and ask if it’s possible to test my sugars at the appointments instead.

RatRolyPoly that makes sense, I can see that.

Good luck! Hopefully there will be an alternative; the test is truly grim.

This is a twin pregnancy

This is your reason. I suspect they got muddled up. But with twins your chance is much higher of getting GDM. Especially if you've had excess waters before....sorry but I'd be getting it done! Afraid twin pregnancies are much more medically managed and considered very 'high risk'.

I'd talk to the MW about it - but I think they are in some areas testing more and more women.

I had GTT test with all three pg due to family history - no problems - never any signs but all my DC were over 9 lb mark and I've had people, including hcp, subsequently insist I must have had it ( - my Mum's family have large babies and large placentas that then trek down percentile charts)

"MrSpock

He also wasn’t a “fat” baby, he was a skinny thing but quite long!"

I was very long as well, as our daughter is as well (she weighed 6 lb, 13 oz). Every time someone in the family comments that she may grow up to be tall I remind them how unlikely that is based on my birth length and I'm 5'2 now.

Leigha mine is still very tall but I was tall until about 15 then stopped growing and everyone caught up, and I’m now very average heighted

Ask for a HbA1c instead if you really want to avoid being sick, although you'll still need to have bloods taken for that either way.

I had GD with my first, born 39 weeks at 7lb10oz, second no GD 39 weeks at 8lb3oz, third with T2D 36 weeks 8lb6oz!.

I think that routine GTTs are a step forward in antenatal care and I would personally prefer to be sick for a day and have the test than avoid it and possibly develop complications.

Do talk to your consultant about any way they can check on your BS if you feel you can't do the GTT.

I have found once you have it on your file that you were tested once for GD then they will automatically test you again. You had extra waters on the last baby which is symptomatic of GD. You are at a higher risk of GD on your next pregnancy if even if you didn't have it the first time round. Sometimes they talk about a "big baby" with GD and its not just that the baby weighs a lot but that their abdomen circumference is larger than it should be an shows that the baby was not tolerating it well if you had an issue with sugars. So you can have a normal weight baby but one who has a larger abdomen and that coupled with the extra waters would lead them to think you may have been having an issue and may present itself differently on this pregnancy. They dont make you do the test for sh*its and giggles, its worth it. They may tell you to change your diet a bit to make sure you never fully develop GD, its nothing to do with your weight either. Women with PCOS are also susceptible to GD. I have had it in 3 pregnancies, first one diet controlled, second needed metformin for the last 6 weeks of pregnancy and on metformin and monitor for the whole 3rd pregnancy. 3rd baby had a lot of issues with low blood sugars after birth. Its worth doing the test and knowing you and baby are ok.

Takfujimoto is that just one blood test?

I’ll ask for that instead. It’s the bloods combined with the drink that i think will have me vomiting, one on its own I could deal with.

You might just get an HCA for the test (I did both times) so I'd ask to see a midwife to make sure you really need it.

Mine were actually just done by phlebotomy as trying to get blood out of me ain't easy (so, y'know, the four rounds of IVF were fun, cos they don't involve ANY blood tests) so I had to push to see a MW on the day.

You have my sympathies - it's a horrid test. And I didn't have HG to worry about.

Oh and my DDs were 7lb 12oz and 7lb 11oz respectively. That is not a big baby.

I don't think people mean "fat" when they say "big baby".

Just like I don't think they mean "underweight" when people say our baby is "small" or "dainty". I'm not bothered by the small baby comments but my husband is. I think he interprets it as people implying there's something wrong with her.

I stopped growing at about 5. 😂

I think twin pregnancies are a risk factor. I’ve just been refered to have one at 33 weeks as I keep showing gluscose in my urine. No risk factors. However I showed glucose in urine for every test in my last pregnancy and no one ever batted an eyelid! I just don’t understand why they don’t screen everyone as apparently lots and lots of people have it who have no risk factors.

Significantly elevated risk with a twin pregnancy: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19340713/

It is not a fun test - I had HG and I understand why you don’t fancy it. But I’d definitely do it.

Agree with Bowlofbabelfish - your risk nearly doubles.

What are they doing to help you with your lack of weight gain? You need to eat well and rest well. Large babies were not a problem in my twins group

melamin nothing :( been told “you’ll catch up” but I don’t think I will, I never gained much with DS1 and struggle with this.