Do I REALLY have to have a glucose test?

[StarshitTerrorise]

BMI is 31 and baby measuring big for dates. 35cm at 33 weeks.

How reliable is the test? How necessary is it?

Birthing unit insisting.

It's reliable. Measuring the glucose level in your blood is very simple, many diabetics do it several times a day. Can I ask why you wouldn't want to?

I can't get to the appointment in their appointment times.

I would accept an extremely high level of risk before I got anywhere near agreeing to a hospital birth.

It's very reliable, I would have it it's only a couple of hours out of your day (although the drink is gross) For what it's worth I had no signs of GD apart from a family history and I tested positive and ended up on insulin (extreme case I know) GD can be dangerous for your baby so best to get it checked

I suppose I am just wondering what the point of it is anyway?

I'd do it. Gestational diabetes is not something to mess around with, for both your sakes.

Because people with gestational diabetes do tend to have larger babies. So they test your glucose levels to see if you have GD and then treat you appropriately.

They don't do random tests just for the hell of it to piss you off.

My dd2 was stillborn at 37 weeks and gestational diabetes went undiagnosed with her. New hospital thought it was that what caused it. Dd3 recently induced at 34 weeks spent 2 weeks in scbu but at least alive, due to unstable GD. Want to risk that?

www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Gestational-Diabetes.htm Here. Read up on it.

It's not a couple of hours out of my life. My particular circumstances mean it is a full day, with potentially disastrous consequences for either/both my children plus at least £100 in child care.

I can't see how the hospital can force you to have any tests you really don't want....can they??

X posted with you, ok you don't want a hospital birth but GD is a high risk to you and your baby in labour ESP if you end up insulin controlled I needed to be on an insulin/glucose drip in labour and had my blood sugar checked regularly my DS then had to have blood sugar tests for the first few days to make sure his sugar levels didn't crash, despite being well managed by the hospital he only narrowly avoided scbu. Not trying to scare you but please reconsider just in case

The point is stillbirth. It's not worth the risk

I suppose my confusion is that my last pregnancy was identical but the criteria was different then. Everything was fine.

No they can't force you, the final decision is yours as with any medical procedure

Ok - I assume the birth centre want you to have the test because your baby is measuring big and they are concerned for the outcome of the delivery. Their staffing levels and skill set is not set up to cope with higher risk labours. A labour where a baby is bigger than expected can potentially be difficult and require emergency assistance. I assume the birth centre is midwife only? If they don't feel they can deliver your baby safely then they won't accept you as a planned patient.

So - from their point of view yes it's necessary. From your point of view - nobody can compel you to have a test but your baby is measuring big and whilst I am not a fan of over medicalising pregnancy I think in your case I would want a bit more information about this. I understand you don't want a hospital birth - but I'm sure you do want a safe birth and sometimes we need more information to make that happen.

Can you not get to your Gp surgery and get them to do it? If it is really impossible get them to give you a blood glucose monitor or buy one or borrow one and get your GP/midwife or nurse can show you how to use it properly. Then if there is a problem it will show up and they can deal with it from there. If you were diagnosed with GD that would be the first thing they would do anyway.

If you do have gestational diabetes, you may really need to reconsider having a non-hospital birth so that you can be helped immediately if anything does go wrong.

Yes. Northerlurker. I would want the information even if I subsequently chose to homebirth with it (likely if birth centre chuck me out).

Not planning to put my baby at risk unnecessarily. But I have no other indications. It is my 3rd. And last babies were big for dates and I've always had a BMI of 31 and it never came up before.

Increased age increases the risk factor.

My stillborn daughter was my 4th child. The others were fine... Means nothing.

I'm 36. Hmmm

I'd have given anything on earth to avoid her death if I had the chance

Oh and I'm 33 now, happened 16 months ago.

I'm sorry Cheese. I can see why my question must upset you. My first hospital birth was mismanaged causing my son's disability. It's just about getting the information together and then considering the best path.

Starshit, if the nhs have changed their criteria it is because research has found out that applying those criteria affects outcomes. they don't do this stuff just to victimise you, they do it because they want mothers and babies to deliver safe and well.

there's no money available in the Do Stuff For The Hell Of It kitty.