Gestational Diabetes: Does one usually get induced?

[apelsinnka]

Girls, who has GD, were you also told that you are likely to be induced? My 37w scan is on Monday and it probably will be discussed. I understand that the main reason for induction is that babies are getting too big. My little one was very average on all the charts so far. Are the any other pros and contras? Right now I am reluctant. The babies must have a reason to stay there 40 weeks, right?

Marking place... I have test tomorrow but no idea what will happen if I have it.

Also marking place as won't be seen by consultant for a couple of weeks. Been left with so many questions!

prolificwillybreeder, I was left with so many questions and was very confused after the diagnosis, I didn't know what to do really. ended up overreducing the carbons and had to stay in hospital to get the keytons washed out, so get as much information as you can. now I think I manage it more or less well, but there is usually such a chaos during the diabetes clinic in my hospital so I need to get prepared to my next meeting!

jenga079 did you have high blood sugar or is it routine GTT, in which case you shouldn't really worry before

I was induced both times at 40 weeks. Babies were showing as normal sized and my blood sugars were controlled by diet alone.

Both births were fine, one 15 hrs from start to finish, second three and a half hours!

thank you Piffpaffpoff. Btw. did your diabetes disappear after the 2nd child?

Yes it did, although they told me the fact that I'd had it meant I had a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later life so i am trying to do what I can to decrease that risk.

Piffpaffpoff do you mind if I ask you how old you are? The reason I am so curious I was actually planning two babies but now I wonder if after each baby the risk of keeping the diabetes increases. I am 38 now

Hi,
Thought i could answer this question as i'm on number 5 but 4th diabetic pregnancy number 2 escaped it somehow..
In my hospital they generally say that if you are managing your diabetes with diet alone then you probably won't need to be induced. Obviously they will moniter the babies weight through scans every 4 weeks.
If like me you are on insulin then they will moniter the babies weight and induce at either 38/39 weeks. Luckily for me i have had two induction dates set for two previous pregnancies and they both came the day earlier by themselves.
I am currently 27 weeks and on corrective insulin so the likelyhood is that my induction date will be set for 38 weeks. Have a scan on monday to find out exactly how big he is already.
GD normally diasppears after birth, but you are at more risk later in life if not kept in check.

Hope that helps.

I was 35 and 37 when I had mine. I think age is a factor but for me it was probably due to my love of chocolate and therefore being overweight!

I had insulin controlled GD (gutted as I only weighed 9 and a half stone at 5ft 8 pre-PG and only 11 stone at the end of my PG, bloody genetics - I blame my Mother!...) and was told that all with GD are induced at our hospital, normally at 38 weeks. I was induced at 38 plus 2 and DD was born just two days before due date. The joys of being in labour for that long!

However, next time I will refuse induction which will mean that they will do an ECS (I have been reliably informed by one of the MWs...). I won't go into detail but after an awful experience and knowing that I will get GD again, I refuse to go through induction and labour again.

I believe my experience was in the minority though, you will be fine.

OP I had GD with my two youngest. I was induced with each at 38 wks. My GD was fairly severe, as in it was only controlled with insulin injections four times a day from about 17 wks. My babies never got too big, but my consultant told me that my hospital had a 'blanket policy' of induction at 38 weeks with any diabetes, because studies have shown that even with no other indicators (ie, uncontrolled blood sugars, high weight baby), the risk to the unborn baby rose sharply in weeks 38-40. My own googling seemed to confirm this so I was happy to comply.....

Maybe sorry you had a bad experience - I forgot to finish by saying that for me, induction was very quick and resulted in easy births both time.

I've been diagnosed with GD (5 weeks later than I should have been ) and I am finding out on Tuesday whether I will be induced or have to have a c-section due to shoulder dystocia as by the time I was diagnosed it was too late to take any measures to try and control baby's growth. I suspect it will be a c-section, but whatever it is will be happening at 38 weeks.

Apelsinnka- bit confused, did you drastically reduce your carb intake and needed the keytons washed out?

I have no idea what I'm meant to be doing and I'll be 30+ weeks by the time I actually see anyone!

I'm just watching my diet and not eating the sweet sugary stuff I'm craving. Eating protein with carbs and snacking on seeds and nuts and fruit.
I want coke and coco pops damn it! Stupid poly cystic ovaries!
I've put on 2 stone but it's on my bump and I'm measuring a week behind. I am so confused!

I had my gtt yesterday,god I thought I was going to throw up! They said mw gets results in a few days but I'm seeing her tomorrow. Also have growth scan tomorrow,due to my bmi. Baby was measuring average until last time at 28 weeks when he appeared to be a whopper. I'm dreading them telling me he weighs 10lb (unlikely I know!). My mum has diabetes so I'm increased risk of gd & my sugar was high last mw visit so only just been tested. One specialist told me at 18 weeks most bmi mothers have cs,when I asked mw she said that's rubbish. I am mainly concerned about recovery after cs.

I think policies vary from hospital to hospital.

I am insulin controlled (4 times daily, dosage increasing constantly) and although they have told me they won't let me go past my due date (I am fine with that) it's really a case of waiting to see what happens. Baby is measuring a bit bigger than average (approx. 4lb 3oz at 31+1 yesterday) but not huge and I feel confident birthweight is unlikely to be a problem as I have delivered 9 and 10lb babies without tearing or stitches. I want to avoid c-section at all costs and they know that and support me in it.

I have been told that placental problems are most likely to occur after 36 weeks, so they will monitor me more closely from then and for that reason delivery could be any time after 36 weeks, assuming no other problems before then.

I went into labour naturally at 38 weeks with DC2 and 37 weeks with DC3, so I am hoping that I will go into labour at term but 'early' IYSWIM with this baby.

it does vary. I had GD with DS1 and this time (both very well controlled with diet). Scans with both were / are average and blood readings are fine but they still induced DS1 (ended in CS) and won;t let me go over for DS2 but will have to ELCS this time if it doesn't kick off naturally as they won't induce for a VBAC due to the risk of scar rupture. If all your scans are fine and the blood readings are good I would try to hold out for a little bit beyond due date if you can and not be railroaded down the hospital policy route. They should do what is right for YOU and your circumstances, not the generic policy. I still feel cross in hindsight about DS1 because had they left me alone, he might have been born naturally and I wouldn't now be dealing with VBAC issues.

Piffpaffpoff thanks for sharing!

MaybeTomorrow in my hospital they told me that women also usually get induced but then they also wanted to put me on insulin or tablets after one week of diet and I refused and it works now and I feel good and the 33 weeks scan was good. My sister and two friends all managed till week 40 with diets and no induction but one was private and two others in germany...

Trixie, if you want to try a vbac then they can induce you but not the normal way i.e no pitocin. I would ask them if they could do a sweep a couple of times first. I had a c-section with my first then natural the next 3.

MooMooFarm thank you for the reply. the higher risk of still birth in 38-40 is a huge factor to consider. I will read about it. It's just mine is diet controlled and was diagnosed in 31st week, while I suspect I had it from at least 25

DirtyBit I am also very annoyed that I was given GTT in the 31st week, despite the family history (which I suspect nobody paid any attention to !) + it took them 3 weeks to get GTT organised after there was high sugar in blood already. However, my baby looked average weight on the 33w scan. I am having another 37w on Monday and I am keeping my fingers crossed. did they measure your average sugar level for the last 3 months before diagnosis? HSAC? Mine was 5.8%, they tell me it's good but I am very suspicios... I was really tired and thirsty etc Jan-Mar

prolificwillybreeder I did over-reduce my carbs, my keytons in urine were 4+, which is quite bad and means that I and my baby were getting dehydrated. They made me go immidiately eat a sandwich, told me to drink a lot and left overnight in the hospital on the "dripping" machine to get the keytons washed out. As a result I was given the keyton urine measurement stripes (btw they are sold w/o prescription in Boots for £3). Now I measure both sugar and keytons. I drink a lot when I feel thirsty. My understanding is that I should eat at least 200g low-GTI carbs a day (bear in mind that most of the "good ones" have 50-60% carbs in them), so some pita bread, pasta, wild rice, german pumpernickel bread, lentils, buckwheat, lots of bananas, I found nice sweet yogurts which I can eat. And I walk for several hrs a day or do twice as much house work (my house is shining :) ) I am still not very sure whether I do the right thing but I was very scared after that night in the hospital.

midori1999 what placental problems are you talking about?? which appear after 36 weeks??? I am 36+ now