Support thread for those diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes

[HighFibreDiet]

Hi, it seems there are a few of us around and I wondered if you wanted to start a support thread? There seemed to be a good thread going through 2010 but I can't find one running at the moment.

My due date is 17 July. I took the OGTT at 30 weeks (not realising that the best time for diagnosis is supposed to be 24-28 weeks). I was only diagnosed last week, given my blood glucose monitor on Thursday and have been trying to tweak my diet to bring down the readings since then. Seeing my midwife today and have to phone in my readings next week to see what they make of them!

My main problem seems to be the fasting blood sugars and the endocrinologist I saw on Thursday said if I couldn't keep them consistently down, I would go on insulin, with 'no negotiation'.

Would love to hear from other pg women with GD, or those who have been through it before. I'd also like to compare how the antenatal 'care' varies with country, as I am in Australia and it seems extremely strict over here (e.g. my fasting blood sugar levels have to be under 5.0 mmol/l).

Looking forward to getting some responses

Hi - not been on here for a while. I hope everyone is doing ok.

Am 38+1 now and been for check-up today. I am still managing my glucose by diet alone - so that is great.

I had a trace (all fine)

and a fluid check - which was on the 'low side' - what is low at this stage? It was 7.6.

so the Doc did an internal to see what stage I am at - just incase they do need to induce (still 3cm long cervix with only a fingertip dilation)

They decided to repeat it all next Monday
Am so crampy and sore now - I guess thats just the internal

Have you had fluid checks? what happened?

Hi Eviepoo - good to hear you're still hanging in there!

Don't know about the fluid. They always check it when I have a scan & have always said mine is ok - but never given any actual figures, so don't know what is 'ok'! Guess they will just keep an eye on it for you then!

Well only tomorrow to get through then induction on Thurs! I might be wrong but doesn't feel like this baby will turn up any time soon of it's own accord! Been told to increase breakfast insulin again this morning, although that seems like a waste of time for the one day before I get induced anyway....

Hi, oooh good luck for induction 3kidsnobump.
I googled aparently it's only bad if it reduces below 5. It does reduce naturally as PG comes to end. But I think because mine was 14.2 on 30 Jun then 7.6 yesterday that is quite a drop for 5 weeks?

MrsZB how was your appointment?

Eviepoo Hope things start naturally for you soon!

3kidsnobump Very best of luck for the induction tomorrow, I hope it all goes well.

I had an appt yesterday which turned into a bit of a mammoth session! I had monitoring, then consultant, then bloods etc and I was there for 3 hours in total!

My consultant asked whether I had had more thoughts about labour and I explained that I just seem to go round in circles. My next appt is when I am 37 weeks and he said 'well, we need to have some sort of plan by then ...' But I asked if it was to be a section, when this would be and he said at 38 weeks! So it seemed a bit much to only have a weeks notice so I said maybe we should make a plan now.

So the upshot is I am booked in for a section at 38 weeks, I will needto have steriods which I was surprised about (have posted about this in childbirth) and annoyingly apparently it can send blood sugars loopy so I will have to stay in hospital for the 2 days prior to the section which I would rather not...

I was very emotional yesterday and cried all over the midwife who booked me in for the section but feeling ok today and sort of glad to at least know the plan. And also at least I now have 3 weeks to check with myself that this is the best plan, but I think it is really.

The alternative is either trying an induction at 38 weeks with just the drip and my waters being broken but I just have a strong sense I would end up with a section anyway.

Sorry for the essay!!

Right well off for induction this morning! Feeling starving already - probably just because I know I can't eat anything!

Will let you all know when I'm back - just hoping it doesn't take too long!

3kidsnobump best of luck with your induction. I'm sorry to hear you're not feeling very positive about it so I hope it exceeds expectations.
I'm feeling a bit naive about this whole process as it's my first baby so it's worrying to hear about traumatic past experiences.
I guess you can only plan for the best and keep an open mind as others have cautioned.
MrsZB sounds like the section might work for you this time, if that's what you finally decide. I'm surprised they would only give you a week's notice.
My midwife has told me that the decision about the birth will be jointly decided by herself and me and that we would need a consultant to approve the birthing centre if that seems best but this would only be a 'hoop jumping' exercise so he/she can tick a box, rather than a consultation.
I'm actually pretty happy about this and feeling more and more like I want as few medical interventions as possible since my sugars have so far been quite manageable with diet and exercise.
Hi EviePoo good to hear from you as well and glad the pregnancy is progressing well. Sounds like the fluid levels are not too much to worry about.
I read that your body is constantly replacing the amniotic fluid so shouldn't be too much of a problem, particularly as you're so close now.
Do let us know what they decide about induction and why. I'd rather not be induced but guess I will have to wait and see.

34 weeks now and counting....

Update! Baby girl born 6pm Friday. All ok and back from hospital - will come back and update about the birth when i get afew more minutes!

Yeay - congratualations 3kidsnobump

Right - time for a bit more info!

Got to hospital for induction at 7:30am and hadn't eaten anything as instructed! Arrived to be told they were very busy so didn't know when they would be able to start anything off, oh and that they didn't know why I had been told to starve?! Spent the whole day waiting around, and eventually at 5:30am on Friday morning they started things off.

Think I must have been fairly close to naturally going into labour anyway as having reasonable contractions when they monitored before doing the prostin. Only took 1 lot, started having strong pain just after lunch and Georgia was born at 6pm - so totally about 12 hours from start to finish - not too bad really!

At 7lb 1oz she is my smallest baby out of the 4! She had low sugar levels on her first test, but the next 2 were ok so we were allowed home after 24 hours. Just a word of warning to anyone who is very keen to breastfeed - they ended up giving her formular soon after birth to get her sugar levels up, which hadn't really been mentioned before hand, and was a bit out of the blue, as everything is usually so 'pro' breastfeeding - I was a bit surprised and thought they would have told me about this before.

Everything seems to be ok now - I just have to have another GTT in 6 weeks, so fingers crossed that will be ok. Other strange thing is I thought I would want lots of really bad food that I haven't been able to eat for the last few months, but strangely enough I have been still wanting more of the healthier stuff!

Fantastic news 3kidsnobump (4kids now), you must be sooo happy. Ridiculous about the fasting but I'm guessing at least you got to eat in the lead up to the birth.

I had heard about the formula thing before but good to be reminded as I am definitely going to put NO FORMULA on my birthplan (okay, I might have to be a little flexible but I want them to at least ask). My midwife has told me about collostrum harvesting from week 36 but apparently it only works about 50% of the time so my other plan is no drugs that might discourage her from latching on and feeding straight way and skin to skin contact asap.
Glad to hear you are enjoying your new little addition, must be so lovely.

I was sure I would crave cakes and ice cream too! The women in my NCT group were talking about 'push presents' as in diamonds and I said all I want is cake. (I think push presents are a bit ridiculous anyways, one more way to commodify yet another aspect of our lives).
But maybe I'll just want apples! I tried two squares of diabetic chocolate today and it was very unsatisfying I have to say.

How many weeks were you again? I need to go back over the posts to see.

In other news I am in test strip bounty land. I managed to switch surgeries recently and my new GP prescribed me 2*50 test strips (plus I managed to get a box from the dietician) so hopefully no more test strip worries for me.

So glad I have found this thread.

Just had results of GTT and they are high so diabetes person is going to be in touch.

Had quite a few tears as not only scared about the baby and myself but also means I need to revisit the hell hole I gave birth in last time. It seems also certain that my birthing centre and calm non intervention labour is slipping away

oh dear sleepvader please try not to worry (harder said than done I know), the diabetes doctors I have seen have been nice. The dietician was ace, she told me exactly what was going to make my bloods higher, this means I have been able to manage on diet alone.
I know you may need some medication but they will help you.

On a positive side it does mean you get lots more check-ups including scans, (every week in the last month) so you KNOW your LO is fine. I find that bit quite reassuring.

The doctor knows I would like as normal a delivery as possible - and the doctor agrees with me - I had a spontaneous vaginal delivery at 40+10 with my DD. They want me to be as close to that as possible (albeit it was 12 years ago). They gave me an internal at 38+1 to find cervix still long and not dilated. I got one at 39+1 to find there had been no change (and yes that started to make me nervous). So the doc said ok lets wait til 40+1 - check again and make an induction for prior to 41w. They are trying to give me time to make it as easy as possible for normal delivery. (I am now 39+4 and yesterday and today I am sure I am having little bits of show...maybe I am actually starting to efface and dilate)

Please talk to your doctors about your fears etc. I think your doctor will help you through them. Mine is needing an emcs and I was panicing that baby was huge as bump soooo big and fluid is quite low. The sonographers don't 'measure big babies' as apparantly they are healthy but doc asked for measurements and baby is just over 50th centile so not huge at all and therefore I started to get less panicy.

I haven't even started worrying about how long I will stay in afterwards (I need blood thinners for 6 weeks due to risk of DVT...I will be taught to inject myself - but I am envisioning a good couple of days as hospital). Thats the worry for after delivery.

What gestation are you at now?

Thank you so much. Reassuring but so much to think about. Im 29 weeks now so the main thing is to get my diet sorted. Not easy when im still being sick!

Just need to get my head around having to go to hospital. I cried when we were there for early scans. Im still having flashbacks to the dangerous unsafe care-well lack of it 4 years ago.

Hi Sleepevader,
Welcome to the forum. I joined a few weeks ago when I got my high GTT results back and was booked in to see the diabetes midwife. Similarly I was really upset and shocked and felt like my planned birth centre non-medicalised birth had completely flown out the window. I hope you didn't do what I did and google gestational diabetes only to send myself into a panic looking at all the risks.
What they don't tell you is that the risks are associated with non-controlled sugars and now that you have the diagnosis you can get the support to regulate them, often with just diet alone.

Not that I don't have my ups and downs but overall I feel the diagnosis was a good thing as I am eating way healthier than I have before and the doctors are keeping a close eye on baby, who is fine and at healthy growth.

It sometimes depends on your midwife but something mine pointed out is that ultimately the birth plan and where I have the baby is up to me. The consultants and midwives can advise on risks but then you get to decide where you give birth based on an informed assessment of risk and where you will feel most comfortable.
Sorry to hear about your earlier bad experiences though and I can see why that compounds the fears.

I've got another growth scan this afternoon so am hoping all goes well and looking forward to seeing baby again (I'm at 35 weeks).

Sorry to hijack.Ive got a seperate thread open in pregnancy as ive got glucose and ketones and only 14w+5. I dont want to stamp all over this thread, could anyone with a bit of an idea of what might be causing this wander over to my thread and advise me. Thank you

Hello everyone.

Have updated my name now! Sprite I was 38+2 when she was born. Quick question though - (as you seem to know more about it than me!) - does having GD cause problems with breast feeding? Just asking as I had a nightmare with this, and we have ended up going onto bottles now, where she seems really settled! She just wanted to feed every 10 mins before that which just wasn't possible with 4 kids.

Fingers crossed Eviepoo that things happen naturally soon. Although if you do need to be induced it might not be that bad - mine actually went relatively smoothly! (much better than I had thought it would!)

Doctorswife I had glucose at various times, never had ketones, so can't advise about that.

34kidsnobump Many, many congratulations!!! Delighted for you and glad to hear the induction wasn't too bad.

Welcome sleepevader and sorry to hear you are feeling so upset. It is hard to get your head around and can be a totall PITA at times but you will get into a routine and you should be well supported at your hospital. Please shout with any questions.

Nothing to report from me really! Fed up of it all and finding as I get further on I have to be even more restrictive :( Slowly getting my head around having a planned section... That's about it really!

Hi 4kids from what I understand about GD and breastfeeding, GD can affect your ability to product milk early on (though there's a natural delay anyways) and this is compounded by the fact that GD babies can sometimes be hypo when they're born and need to be fed straight away to get their sugars up. Which is why my midwife suggested trying to express colostrum from week 36, although this is not always successful.

I don't know if it affects how regularly they want to feed but every ten minutes seems a lot.

So glad to hear your induction went smoothly.

Back from scan yesterday and apparently she already weighs over 6lbs. Given that I have another five weeks to go this seems big, but I guess we'll see. She also has a bit of a tummy and 'dimpled knees' as the sonographer put it. (I was delighted, how cute!) Slight concern about the tummy but last time they said it was nothing to worry about.

Am wondering now if I might have to be induced if she gets too big. I think I was about 8 pounds when I was born so as long as she doesn't put on too much weight in coming weeks might be okay.
Doctorswife please don't feel like you're hijacking and you're welcome to join. I really haven't figured out how to navigate different threads but will give it a try.

Thank you all. I have been struggling today as I feel faint and shaky. Think its my body getting used to no sugar.

Am now looking into colostrum harvesting as really want BF to be a sucess.

Hi guys, it's my due date today. I thought I'd have had my LO by now. My readings are mostly fine. Yesterday I went back to bed and consequently had a late lunch when I checked my sugar before lunch it was 3.8 and I was shaking. So yeah getting the balance right can be hard.

My pelvis is so achey now. and when I turn over or move it kind of clicks. I think thats a sign babies head is well in there pushing it apart.

I just have my fingers crossed that when I go to hospital tomorrow for the check-up that they say my body is gearing up and my cervix is actually effaced and started to dilate. It will make the induction process so much easier.

Not sure which day they will induce...but Doc said it will be before I am 41w - so before next Sunday then.

Eviepoo sending you labour vibes and hoping things start soon for you.

Sprite21 My baby was estimated to be 5 13 oz at 33 weeks and I have another growth scan on Tuesday when I will be 37 weeks so am really curious to see how much it has grown since then. I am then booked for my section at 38 weeks so will be able to see how accurate they were! It feels big though ...!! I know all growth rates will be different but might give you an idea. Also though, I am pretty sure that the reason they prefer to get GD babies out early is due to the risk of placental failure rather than because they are worried about the baby growing big? I think that's right anyway. There are positive stories in the childbirth forum about women giving birth naturally to big babies.

With regards to the breastfeeding I have heard that it can take longer for your milk to come in if you have GD. But I have also been told by my consultant and also an NCT BF counsellor that that isn't necessarily true. I have been given some syringes by my hospital and I do plan to express colustrum in advance.

There is some information here about it: www.nhsayrshireandarran.com/view_item.aspx?item_id=4412

I haven't been able to find muchmore than that.

I had the experience with my DS where he did have formula in the hospital as I couldn't get him latched on (not GD then) and once we got home we got past it and I breastfed for a long time. So, I have decided not to stress too much about the possibility of formula being given but what I have done is put in my birth plan a) breastfeeding is very important to me b) I understand that the baby may need some formula if their blood sugars are low but please can the only a minimum amount be given and can it be given by either cup or syringe by me or my DH.

That feels right to me to manage it but not to overly worry about it as the risks of very low blood sugar in a baby can be v serious.

I am doing ok although my levels are a bit more hit and miss at this late stage. I have my head round having a planned section (with a secret hope that I will go into labour this week naturally!!!) and am looking forward to meeting our baby.

Wow, Eviepoo how exciting that it is your due date. Mine is exactly a month later and can scarcely believe the time may actually arrive. Sounds like a good sign that the baby's head is engaged and I hope things progress smoothly and (relatively) quickly. So good luck at the checkup!

My midwife is very laid back which is great in many ways but no mention of induction yet and I just don't want it to be sprung on me as in 'oh, next week come in for an induction.'

MrsZB in many ways it must be a relief to know when/where it's going to happen, but yes, an early surprise would be great.
Thanks for the info about breast feeding and GD and induction. I hadn't heard anything about the risk of placental failure so I'll be sure to ask about it next appointment.

Will be really interested to hear how big your baby has gotten. Your birth plan sounds very sensible. Secretly I suspect they may not even read mine and it will just be wishful thinking on my part but we'll see.

Do update us on the scan if you get a chance.

Thank you for this thread. Learning so much. I have had a busy day meeting specialist midwife and getting used to my prick sticks as my DP has named them. Growth scan next week.

Induction mentioned at 38 wks - just worried that if they do induce me and it doesnt work it means a c section

Hello all, how are you all doing? MrsZB - how was scan? Sprite* how you feeling?

Yesterday I had my obs/diabetes check-up again.
It okay, the internal = well on a postive note did not hurt as much, however proved that I haven't thinned much more :(

I am going in tomorrow evening and getting the pessary, doc said for me to expect it to be in for 24 hours (and yes I have to stay in - I asked :(). Then the next step is 3 lots of the gel 6 hours apart (if needed). Then plan is to break my waters (as long as I have dilated by pessary or gel). Then last option is the drip if contractions don't start.

They have said that at any point - any of that may trigger active labour but I am thinking the worst then anything else is a positive....so worst case is doc reckons by Sunday. (best case I go in labour myself today! come on baby!!). I know that trying to start things off slowly and gently is better for me, I'm just dreading being in hospital for ages.

All going well I will only be in for a day or two afterwards to get my blood thining injections sorted out (as soon as I can do them I will be allowed home).
So I am going to check and re-pack my hospital bag as I think I will need some more stuff, (only 1 outfit and 2 PJ's in there) might not take more but leave extras out for DH to bring if needed. I need to pack snacks! After tomorrow it may be next week before I am online.I so hope there is more good news by then.

I have been looking at it as practically as I can, I know I wanted to stay at home until well into labour (like I did with DD) and I know I am likely to get fed up in hospital but at least we can plan for the week. DH can arrange to be off work in advance and I've arranged for my sister to sleep here a couple of nights so that DD is fine for school (sis can get to work form here no problem).

Today I am going to go book shopping with sis (to have something for in hospital) and I will potter round today and tomorrow just making sure everything is okay for DD and DH while I am away. (not that I am worried DH is brilliant - as I go away for work a few times a year he is used to handling everything, but I would prefer for DH to be with me as much as possible).

sleepvader CS is also my worry. I am not even thinking about that possibility yet.
The original plan was to induce last week, however as I showed no signs of cervical thinning, baby was fine (and importantly not so big (I've never had any estimated weights, they don't do them here, but baby is only just over 50th centile aparently)) doc thought it was fine to leave me another week before induction, the closer I am to labouring myself the better the process will be for me they said. In additon I had a spontaneous normal delivery with DD (albeit 12 years ago ad I was 40w+10). So the doctor knows there is more chance of a normal delivery once labour gets started.
So I would say play it by ear, they will keep a close eye on you and if there is no urgency to induce at 38w you can always ask them to wait another week. Explain your worry of CS and say you would prefer t wait until your are closer to labouring yourself. Hey you may be lucky and be like my sister who was 3cm at 38w. I'm hoping you all are!! It's so disheartening to go in 3 weeks in a row to hear your cervix is not thinning at all.

I just wrote an essay as usual...sorry guys

Hi eviepoo. sounds like you are getting things organised and ready 4 your stay in hospital.

Have you tried anything to bring labour on? Im hoping to find a reflexoglist who Will see me at 37 weeks. My partner services Will be required every other day from 37 weeks. I even going to beg my midwife for a sweep if she can!!

In one way i can see why a planned date would be less hassle. I have an older dc too.