GD first time round, what to expect second time?

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

I'll say now that I was never told I had GD, I passed the GTT with flying colours and all was fine until 38 weeks when I measured 41 weeks. I was given a blood sugar monitor and told that 7.8 was the highest reading I was 'allowed' to get. I had one incidence of 7.8 (on Christmas Day) and, on that, they induced me blah blah blah. The mw I saw for my booking in this time agreed that they should never have treated me like that and that it looked like they saw my BMI, saw my dad was diabetic and decided I would be.

That's the backstory. Now I'm 13 weeks pg and two appointments have already come through from the diabetic clinic. What can I expect from this? Will it be a bit of a chat about being careful with diet and we'll see you for the GTT later on or are they going to be on my case all the time?

I obviously don't mind being treated if I do develop GD but I rather resent being treated as if I have from the word go on no proof, which is what I suspect will happen.

Does anyone know what I'm likely to encounter?

What should happen is that you should be sent for a blood test to measure what your blood sugars have been like for the past three months, then you'll be asked to keep an eye on your blood sugar levels for a week or so and if they are high it may be a sign that you do indeed have GD.

I developed GD when having DS3. Very uncontrolled, ended up on insulin. The in my last pregnancy i saw a MW at 7 weeks who advised me to monitor my bloods for a few days, I did and they were high. I was sent to the D clinic, where i was started on metformin. Sadly i MC a few days later - in part i believe to very high BS.

I'm currently pregnant again and have just been diagnosed with diabetes as well. I'm on metformin, but it's not helping so am due to start insulin on monday.

I didn't know you were pg again. Congratulations :)

Thanks that's useful to know. I'm just still so bitter about what happened before that it's putting me on the defensive from the start.

It does sound like they were very heavy handed indeed with you, it's no wonder you're bitter and angry - i would be too. I hope you don't have to go through that again. My diabetic nurse has said that she'd like my BS's to be lower that 8, so 7.8 would be within the accepted range. At the moment though i can't seem to get them lower than about 12.

It's still very early days for me - i'm only six weeks today, but i'm hopeful that if i can get these bloody bloody sugar under control then i can go on to have a healthy pregnancy.

Your experience sounds so much like mine. I had a GTT with my 1st pregnancy 4 years ago at 28 weeks and the results came back as 7.8 so I was told I had GD. I was devastated and felt like I was treated like a bad mother for the rest of my pregnancy. At the time of the GTT, I'd been on crutches for 6 weeks as I'd broken my leg falling down the stairs (it really was an awful pregnancy - this being the final straw!!) A few weeks later, I was told by a friend who's a GP that the GTT would not have been accurate as I'd been imobile for 6 weeks and I should ask for another one to be done.
I really resented making the trip to the hospital every fortnight, with a book of results that were never over 6. My husband had to take time off work to take me as I couldn't drive due to the broken leg, and each time I was there for at least 3 hours. When I asked for a re test due to my circumstances, I was told that many women deny they have it and it was in my baby's best interests. It was hell, and I ended up with a real phobia of the hospital. On one occasion I phoned to say I wouldn't be able to make my appointment for the diabetic clinic as I had a funeral on that day (of a very dear friend) and was told I should be looking at my priorities and my baby should be put before everything!! God it was awful and felt like the worst mother in the world - even though all my results were still very low.
My beautiful dd was born on time weighing 7lbs 1 with no problems at all.

When I got pregnant this time, I remember bursting into tears with my husband saying I couldn't go through it all again. As a result of the fall when I was pregnant 1st time, I've been left with severe problems with my spine and am registered disabled. The pregnancy wasn't planned, but we were over the moon to be giving our dd a sibling. Our GP was excellent, saying he'd be there the whole way for us and sorting out painkillers that I could use, and estra physio etc. My community midwives have also been superb - when I spoke of my total fears at loads of hospital appts if they said I had GD again, they assured me I could have all my appts at home. However, they had their hands tied, and I was told I had to have consultant care due to the fact it was on my notes that I had GD in my last pregnancy. I can't even begin to imaging trying to do battle with the hospital every other Monday afternoon - this time there's no way my husband would be able to get time off work, plus I can only do it if I can have a disabled space or I can't open the car door as their spaces are so small - and surprise surprise, these are like gold dust!! And I'd have the added fun of dragging a 4 year old along! All to have some snotty midwife look at my results book, ask how I was feeling, and then tell me she'd see me in a fortnight!

When I saw the consultant this time at 20 weeks, she wanted to know why I hadn't yet had a GTT. I said that I was having it done at 28 weeks with the community midwives but she got really pissy, saying because I'd had diabetes before I should have had one done at 16 weeks. She said I had to have it done asap, but when I explained I was off on holiday for 3 weeks the next day to Florida, she was really pissy!!!! My 20 scan showed the baby was totally in proportion for gestation but she wasn't interested.

I left the appt crying wondering what the hell I was going to do. Managed to get hold of our community midwife that afternoon who told me to go and have a fantastic holiday and she'd do it when we got back. So, I had it done at 24 weeks and it came back all clear. Hooray. I thought that was it now and I could relax and enjoy my pregnancy. I should be so lucky. Apparantly I have to have the test done again at 28 weeks due to previously having GD (!)

For God's sake, leave me alone!!! Don't get me wrong, if I had GD, then I'd do everything to protect my DC, but I haven't got it!!! I've already been warned by the community midwives that the consultant - who I'm due to see again at 34 weeks, is likely to try to tell me I need to be induced at 38 weeks. As it happens, due to my disability, I will need a ELCS anyway so that's irrelevant.

Just realised how long my post is - sorry if I've sent you to sleep, but just hope you have more luck than me with the system. Good luck xx

Goodness cate, you poor thing :( That sounds horrendous. But it illustrates the fact that once they've made their mind up, no matter how flimsy the evidence, you're fighting a losing battle. Once they have you, there's no escape. I was 'lucky' in that my GD was 'diagnosed' at 38 weeks and so there was little opportunity for them to drag me in every week. The flipside of that was that it all happened so quickly that when they said they wanted to induce me at 40 weeks and no way was I allowed to go over, I was so shellshocked that I didn't fight it.

DD was 8.10 on her due date. So big enough but still within the average range.

I'm not so much worried about the appointments etc, although I could do without being dragged on the scales like a prize bull and tutted at but I do worry about being forced into a 37 or 38 week induction and again being forced into formula feeding. I'm still dealing with the depression and fall out from that first experience.

As I said, if I genuinely do develop GD then of course I'll take the advice and do what's best for dc. But I want to see the proof this time. I want them to look me in the eye and say "you have GD. We know because of this, this and this."

I hope yours works out for the best. Have they said what will happen if your 28 week GTT is clear?

Why would they force you into formula feeding, Gwendoline?

If, and it's a big if, you do have GD, then theres no reason that you can't breastfeed. You could even express colostrum prior to the birth and freeze that and then give that to baby.

It's a long story but basically there was absolutely no bf support, and I mean none whatsoever. Not even a 30 second crash course. I was left to my own devices and no one came when I called for help, I couldn't get dd to latch on at all. So one mw pretty much threw a cup at me and a leaflet on expressing and left the room. By this stage, about 18 hours after birth I was beside myself and couldnt get the hang of that either. Said mw came back in, said "I see you've decided not to bother" and brought in some formula telling me I had to give it to her if I didn't want to be ill. Which of course I didn't.

There is loads more but ultimately every time I mentioned bf the mws told me not to worry about it, formula was fine. I was on mn back then but not as aware of the support available as I would be now.

Interestingly, when I had my booking in this time, there was a big article on the noticeboard about the importance of bf for babies of mothers with GD. So we'll see...

Sorry, that was longer than I expected!

If I didn't want dd to be ill, that is.

They haven't said anything about what would happen if I was clear at 28 weeks - think they're just assuming that I will have GD. I said to my DH last night it's almost like they want me to have it and if I don't have it at 28 weeks then they'll want to test again a few weeks later!! Aaaargh! Guess we'll have to wait and see eh?
Hope your tests come back clear - and if they don't, hope you don't have the same hospital witches that we seem to have :)