Glucose Drip

[yaimee]

Hi everyone,
Has anyone out there given birth while on a glucose drip? I'm particularly interested in those who had one because they were diagnosed as gestationally diabetic, rather than those who were diabetic before their pregnancy began, although it would be nice to hear from anyone really.
I'm wanting to know how able you were to move around during labour and how the drip affected your birth. Also, whether you think the drip was really necessary!
Thanks!

Hi there,

I was gestationally diabetic....why are you going on a drip? Ask your specialist obstetrician because as far as I know, they only worry about your sugars going too high, your pancreas is underacting, not over acting, so you won't end up hypo-glaecemic during labour. I took in snacks that kept me going without being carb-tastic, like small bananas, mini cheddars and the like. They told me to eat what I wanted, but funnily enough, after 16 hours labour, I didn't have the stomach for food!!
There is a risk that too much sugar in the blood can push the baby's pancreas too hard and be over-acting at birth, and result in a drop. Especially a risk if you're breast-feeding. This happened to me and dd, she ended up being whisked to special care for two days and being pumped full of formula to bring her blood sugars back to normal, but breast-feeding succeeded with a bit of extra perserverance and dd fine within hours. My friend gave birth in the next room, both induced because of gestational diabetes, she didn't have a drip either, and her dd was absolutely fine after birth. In both cases, our diabetes left and we spent the next two days feasting...marvellous!!
Wishing you all the best with it, and make sure you take a list of questions to see diabetic team so you don't forget (what with baby brain) to ask the important questions xxx

Also, was very much hooked up to monitors. Hospital policy to monitor induced labours, I was fed up lying there like some mooing cow for 8 hours BUT they detected a heart-rate drop and saved my dd with a nice and quick caesarian...so do what they tell you, they know their stuff, and you will be fine too. Moving around was over-rated, the gas and air is not...superb stuff x

PPs...are you diet or insulin controlled??? If it's insulin, then what I have just said may be totally irrelevant to you, sorry :(

I had a fluid drip. As had been vomiting for about 24 hours.

once in i didn't really notice the drip except when i wanted to get naked! I had to have some help to get clothes off. I was pretty mobile although i arrived at a little over 9cms and DS was born in few hours of arriving.

I didn't get to use the birth pool not sure if because of drip or the fact i was 9+cm.
as joined the club said ask questions before hand too.

I had gestational diabetes, and was on insulin for it by the end of the pregnancy.

They warned me I may have to have a glucose/ insulin drip, but I didn't need it either. Went for induction at 38 weeks, and had my baby within 12 hours. No issues with the sugar levels during labour. I guess maybe it depends how long your labour takes, I suppose if it took a few days rather than hours, then sugar levels may become more of an issue?

When I was going in for my induction they had told me to fast from the night before, which I discovered when I got to hospital was the wrong info! So consequently had took no snacks with me, and kept having to send DH round to the hospital canteen to fetch suitable things to eat - which was quite annoying! Anyway I had a really straight forward induction. Baby had low blood sugar to start with but this soon improved and we went home the next day.

Good luck and hope your birth goes well!

Hi, I had GD (insulin controlled) and when I got to active labour was attached to a sliding scale drip (glucose/insulin) that the mw could adjust as necessary, I had finger prick blood tests every hour or so. As I was induced I had the glucose drip in one hand and the induction drip/ fluids in the other. I was still able to change positions on the bed with a bi of help from DH and mw so I didn't get tangled up but was unable to move off the bed. Hope this helps

I have T1 diabetes. I didn't give birth on a drip as I asked for a cs in the end. However, when we discussed the birth before the cs was agreed, I was told I could manage my own blood sugars, with hourly blood tests minimum and as long as my blood sugars did not go above 10, I would not need a drip. I would not have needed a drip for lows as long as I was able to treat them myself and was not getting upset about them. I was told that the drip would have a long tube so I could move about.

Having said that, I doubt I would have been able to keep my blood sugars under 10 for hours on end, while in pain and under stress. I have also heard that in hospital they are VERY keen to get diabetics on a drip asap, so what I was told might not have actually happened. I can't really comment though because, as I said, I didn't do labour at all in the end.

Just to add, was also told that if syntocin (sp?) became nessecary during the induction process, I would go on a glucose drip as well. Apparently, it is unlikely I could have managed my blood sugars well enough with syntocin coursing through me and 'once you're on a drip anyway, you might as well have the other drip'.