Experiences post birth with Gestational Diabetes

[oliversmummy26]

Hello,

just wondering what peoples experiences are post birth after having GD in pregnancy?

I've recently been diagnosed, and am controlling my blood sugars well during the day, but have some high fasting bloods, so on 1 metformin at night.

Consultant has agreed to ELCS (due to previous EMCS and the GD) at 39 weeks. But I'm wondering what will happen after the birth. I know baby will be tested for his blood sugars to rule out hypoglycemia, but wondering if this will mean we'll end up on the transitional care ward rather than postnatal ward and if we will have to stay in longer depending on how he does?

With my first I was only in for 1 night after EMCS, so hoping for the same again, but wondering if this will prolong our hospital stay...I have a fairly clingy 5 year old at home and would like to be able to give him some idea of how long mummy will be in hospital for..

Will speak to my consultant when I see her next, but that won't be until end of July at 34 weeks for my next growth scan..

Sorry OP, no experience but I am bumping for you. I didnt have GD with my first pregnancy but this time around my midwife did say that my blood test was a bit high in sugar, so I am anticipating that it is a possibility and have been booked a GTT.

Hope you get some helpful replies soon, and best if luck!

Thanks cherriess
When is your GTT booked for?

I didn't have a CS so that's slightly different, but we were just on the normal postnatal ward and the nurses just came round regularly to do baby's blood sugar (heel pricks) and I did my own with the normal kit. Luckily everything was fine for both of us so we were out as soon as the 24 hr monitoring had finished!

I'm sure they'll tell you the specific policy with your hospital trust, I think for ours, baby had to pass 3 blood sugar tests in a row (I think done every few hours) so she was cleared earlier, and it was 24 hrs for me

Sorry just thought of something else, sorry for all the posts! If you're planning on breastfeeding, they might advise top up feeds with formula depending on how long/well the baby is feeding - so worth taking some formula in case it's needed (obviously no issues if you're planning to formula feed anyway!)

I agree, baby needs three ok blood sugars then home. With dc2 I was very high (20!) and he was slightly low at our first check so they kept me down in the delivery ward for the first 12hrs or so. That way the could guarantee one-to-one midwife care. They have dc2 a massive formula too up and his next sugar was fine (mine were back to normal after a few days). They said that if the formula hadn't helped he would need to go to SCBU for glucose drip.

Dc3 was 6 weeks premature and more severely hypoglycaemic. He was in NICU and did have a glucose drip until his blood sugars stabilised.

The hospital provided the formula for dc2 as it was medically indicated but check your hospital's policy.
I also had some pre-expressed colostrum with me but the consultant preferred to give a massive formula top up by bottle as well as the 15ml or so colostrum I'd brought in.

Thanks ladies.

As DS1 was on the large side (9lb13) he had to go through the heel pricks tests in hospital too, they topped him up with formula as he wasn't getting enough from me initially to raise his blood sugar. I wasn't keen on that at all, so am going to be harvesting colostrum to try and avoid the formula, but happy to take it if it's what baby needs...

Hi i am on baby 3 and have had GD with all babies.

1st baby was born at 2:28am
Saturday morning natural delivery. The midwife would test babies bloods after each feed for 3 feeds. I was home the Sunday afternoon.

2nd baby was born at 6pm Friday night by emergency c section. Midwife done all feeds due to me still being numb from section and to let me sleep. They did 3 blood tests after 3 feeds baby was fine and i was home for the Sunday afternoon again.

3rd baby i am being sectioned in 5 wks due to GD however they are estimating baby will be normal size and probs home quickly again.

For me i have been tested 8 wks after each pregnancy and bloods have went back to normal. Just seems to be something with my body as none of my babies have been big. 1st born was 7lbs 4oz and 2nd baby was 7lbs 12 oz

Hope everything goes well for you and baby.

Thanks Pip that's really useful..DS had to have 3 consecutive good results, so hoping this will be the same (different hospital) and we can go home fairly quickly. Really hoping for just 1 night in hospital, but I guess we will just have to see how we go. Good luck for your section in 5 weeks - how exciting!

Think that is just the standard the 3 bloods as my friend is in England and she was same with her little one. Hopefully will be. Yip 5 wks on Thurs 1 wk after my little boys 4th bday so I'm just happy I'm not took in then. Just hope goes quickly so I can get rid of the sickness and pain x

you'll also get a 6 week check after birth to make sure the GD has gone. my midwife was certain I'd be type 2 as I was diagnosed so early but I was clear. just remember that you should be treated every year as you have a higher chance of developing type 2. can't quite remember the stats but its something like 30% do in five years.

also remember that instead of a gtt if you are breastfeeding... you don't want to have to fast... you can request an habc1 test at twelve weeks pp... you do not have to fast for this test and it'll give you a reading of your sugars over the previous 12. weeks. good luck

*tested every year

I had GD with my second pregnancy, it was absolutely fine. He fed well immediately , heel pricks were fine and out in two days after an EMCS and pph.