Gestational diabetes and induction

[AllThatJazz92]

Hello all, just looking for some insight. I am currently 36+4 weeks, diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 28 weeks and have a growth scan on Wednesday. I am not on medication and it is diet controlled although it has been a lot of trial and error so some high readings, the highest being around 9. My fasting sugars are always less than 5. I just wondered is it inevitable that I will be induced as I know this tends to happen for those with gestational diabetes. Just would like to be prepared if this is generally the case!

Hi, I had GD and was on metformin x3 daily.
I was induced at 38 weeks. DS wasn't showing as being big but my GD consultant said with GD they like to get the babies out a lot 38 or 39 weeks as baby could grow in that time and get a lot bigger.
My induction wasn't a horror story.
Are you worried about it?

To add DS was born at 38+3 weighing 7lb 2oz 🥰 so not big at all

Ya I'm a bit nervous, it's my first pregnancy so feel quite anxious and have heard inductions make labour more intense more quickly..just would also like to know if it will be happening in the next week/week and half so i can be somewhat mentally prepared

In all 3 of my pregnancies they were due to induce at 38 weeks on the dot due to the GD. Two had to come earlier than that though for reasons not related to the GD. So I would plan on a 38 week induction if I was you. Hope it goes well

I had GD with ds. I had fortnightly growth scans and was all set for a natural, full term vaginal birth, NOT an induction . Ended up having a caesarean 2 days before his due date for reasons totally unrelated to the GD . So induction isn’t necessarily inevitable.

I had GD in my second pregnancy. Sugars all controlled by diet so booked in for an induction on my due date but DS came 3 days before that, weighing 7lb 13oz

I had GD in my first and second pregnancies. It was diet controlled in both and growth scans were normal (not showing large babies). I was told I wouldn’t be ‘allowed’ to go beyond 40 weeks.

First pregnancy I was induced at 39 weeks due to reduced movements (not GD). Induction was ok - very medical and not the birth I’d hoped for but not awful. Baby 7lb 10oz.

Second pregnancy I did everything I could to avoid induction and gave birth spontaneously at 38+4. Baby 7lb 14oz.

If I had had GD again this pregnancy (I don’t) then I would have been pushing for expectant monitoring rather than induction unless there were any signs that baby wasn’t happy or the placenta wasn’t functioning as well as it should. You don’t have to agree to induction. Also, if your GD is diet controlled and well-controlled, if everything else is fine then they should ‘let’ you go to 40 weeks.

My one recommendation would be to harvest and freeze some colostrum before birth (ask your MW for syringes) and take it with you to the hospital when you go into labour. Both my babies had low blood sugar at birth - I didn’t have any frozen colostrum with my first and she took ages to get back to a normal level. My second, I gave him a few syringes within a few hours of birth and he perked up quickly and was much quicker to feed and return to normal blood glucose levels.

Sorry that was such an essay!

I was diagnosed with possible GD at 34 weeks with DS2, all easily diet controlled and all fasting numbers well under 5. It was recommended that I book an induction for my due date and I agreed, but I didn’t feel forced into it. I agreed that it was the safest choice. But DS came at 38+6 and weighed 7 lb 11. So while I found the diagnosis and having to monitor my bloods and change my diet stressful at first, in the long run it wasn’t too bad and I found all the consultants and nurses I spoke to very positive and helpful. I’m also finding it much easier to lose the baby weight than I did with DS1!

The NICE guidelines for diet controlled GD are induction at 40+6.

From my experience it didn't make it go more quickly but then again I didn't have to have the hormone drip I think it is.

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes but was able to stay diet controlled and my ds was born naturally at 40+5 (the day before my induction as the guidelines state you are 'allowed' to go to 40+6) weighing a healthy 6lb14! There's no reason you will be induced early if your diabetes stays managed well- I was told even if I ended up on metformin I could still go over by 6 days.

Also, this was 11 weeks ago so those guidelines are the current ones as far as I know although I'm not sure if different trusts operate differently.

I had GD with DD, stayed diet controlled. My trust's policy is to induce at 40+5, however I went for a growth scan at 39 weeks and her abdomen had grown significantly and was off the scale so they offered me induction the same day (because there was a slot). She was an average 7lb 14oz.

I'm currently 15 weeks, I have a GTT next week (and 28 weeks if this one is negative) and hoping not to have GD this time!