Talk to me about late onset gestational diabetes.

[haddock1976]

Aged 35, minimal weight gain, good BP, problem free pregnancy so far, I'm 38 weeks. Had a GTT at 28 weeks and result came back fine. 3 +s for glucose this morning, none for the urine test done on the Friday just gone. I had drunk 2 pints of Ribena this morning and given into an urge for a chocolate rocky road slab (the one with marshmallows, biscuit and glacé cherries) The MW took a lot of bloods inc liver function. The baby is a "good size" according to the MW, she kept saying that she was just being cautious, consultant appt booked for Friday. She didn't want to know what I'd eaten this morning. Having been rushed out the door, I've got a few questions.

What will they want to do to me to protect the baby? I'm going to cut out sugar as far as possible (not that I've eaten that much throughout the pregnancy anyway) and hope that makes a difference but I'm thinking that the glucose spike might just have been my weakness this morning

I was told I had GD at 38 weeks last time. I had also passed the GTT and had 2++ glucose in urine at 38 weeks. I was given a blood sugar monitor and tested 4x per day for the remaining two weeks (over decking Christmas!). If there were any instances over 7.8 I was to call the diabetic clinic immediately.

I also had a growth scan where they decided that dd was going to be massive. I was induced at 40 weeks exactly and she was 8lb 10oz.

They admitted at my booking in this time that it doesn't look like I had it but, ironically I am now 37 weeks and the same thing is happening again but without the instances of glucose in urine. I am being made to monitor over Christmas and having regular growth scans. I'm fairly certain the next scan on the 21st will have them decide they want to induce me again.

Tbh there's not a great deal they can do at such a late stage other than what I have said above. It's quite likely that it was your sugarfest that bumped up your glucose btw

As far as diet is concerned, they will probably advise you if there is a likelihood of GD but you have to watch white pasta, white rice, potatoes, pastry, white bread etc as well as sugar.

I had a big baby, not a murmur about GD until I went on to present myself pregnant a second time. A routine blood test showed high blood sugar but the midwife said my lunch of beans on toast would probably be to blame I had the GTT and monitored blood sugars, managed to keep them within limits by diet.

It did go haywire one week when I had a horrid flu-ey cold, midwife totally unconcerned and laid the blame for the high results firmly on the cold and said not to worry, obstetrician went mad and told me I was being admitted for observation for 48 hours. I refused to stay as had left ds1 at home with dh and had to go back in the following day to be monitored by the nurse, the implication being I was faking the results, however I was allowed to go home after being told by all the nurses that my tests were fine and the higher results were because of the infection.

For you at this stage I would say there isn't a lot to be done and I'd totally expect the rocky road to be at fault!

Thank you ladies, very reassuring

I don't really eat any refined foods, lots of potatoes though and make my own bread. Every meal is made from scratch and I don't add sugar to anything so fingers crossed it was just giving into that craving (I swear the rocky road winked at me and called my name) 90 mins before the appointment that did it, I am a might lay off the potatoes for a week or two as well.

Yes 90 minutes is about optimum time for sugar to hit your system after you've eaten. Let's hope it's something and nothing then.