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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Do I REALLY have to have a glucose test?

126 replies

StarshitTerrorise · 20/04/2012 15:47

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.

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Becaroooo · 20/04/2012 17:58

argh..wish I lived near you!!!

StarshitTerrorise · 20/04/2012 17:58

And DH is on a disciplinary wrt absences. He took today off and will have to take time off for, and in the run up to our tribunal, which they are trying to schedule before the birth.

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Becaroooo · 20/04/2012 18:03

Sad Oh god, you have a lot on your plate

McKayz · 20/04/2012 18:03

I had mine done recently at my GPs. They wanted me to go to the maternity unit at the local hospital that I couldn't get to for 9am so just had it at the GP. It ended up being a more sensitive test that the MWs do.

I only had to have it done due to DS2 being big.

Hope you get something sorted soon.

CheeseandGherkins · 20/04/2012 18:04

Thanks Lagoon. I'm over the moon to have her safely with us xx

Star where in the country are you roughly?

Becaroooo · 20/04/2012 18:06

I think 1st thing is to get onto whichever GP you want to register with asap and talk to the practise nurse...your circs are highly unusual and you need the tests and the scan, esp if dh is going away soon...best case scenario; it will put your mind (and his) at rest and get the birthing unit off your back?

StarshitTerrorise · 20/04/2012 18:09

Yes, a lot on. One day I'll write a book.

Sad

I'll figure it out I guess. The baby isn't gonna hang around after all.

Some of my annoyance stems from not being taken seriously at the start when I complained that I COULD NOT eat anything healthy, if anything as I was so bloated and full of indigestion and looking as pg in the first 8 weeks as I do now.

I reckon measurements are just of that/air and if the babe has had excess sugar it's because of my diet of chocolate and McDs that I have told every single HCP about.

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StarshitTerrorise · 20/04/2012 18:10

Roughly SW London.

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Becaroooo · 20/04/2012 18:13

Am guessing with all the stress its not a good idea to tell you to eat more fruit, fish and less sugar now??? Grin

Scans arent always accurate - I totally agree with you there BUT the blood tests are pretty accurate and thats what I would concentrate on for now.

x

CheeseandGherkins · 20/04/2012 18:16

Ah I'm in Cambridge. The scan can check placental function too though don't forget.

Want2bSupermum · 20/04/2012 18:25

My obn insisted that I do the test as risks are great if there is a problem. I didn't present any symptoms but here in the US the test is routine. I had a blood test and did the icky drink. Here I had to fast for 6 hours before. The unit I went to for testing did all glucose tests before 9am and had food there ready for eating.

When pregnant I needed to eat by 8am or I got headaches. It wasn't pleasant but as others have said, the risks associated with GD are nasty.

lotsofcheese · 20/04/2012 18:37

your circumstances sounds tough, and I can see how difficult it is for you to have the test.

what I would also say is that GTT (glucose tolerance test) is the only test used for diagnosing GDM - finger-pricking, fasting/random glucose samples & pee sticks are not suitable methods. GTT's can be done in primary care though

During the GTT you have a sugary drink 1st thing in the morning on an empty stomach - then samples taken at 120 mins (2hours) after the inital sample. If either result is withing the diagnostic range, that would be a formal diagnosis.

As well as large babies, GDM is associated with birth trauma (a particularly nasty condition called shoulder dystocia) for the mother & baby & risk of late-term intra-uterine death - for that reason births will take place in hospital & are usually induced around the 38 week mark for these reasons.

Gestational diabetes is a high-risk pregnancy so for both your sakes you need to find out one way or the other (hopefully the other!)

silverfrog · 20/04/2012 18:40

ooh, watching with interest. I am supposed to have one (due to age lottery only at this point, I have hit the magic 35, and so GTT is done). HAve yet to get appt through, but I know (given my school run etc) that I will be unlikely to be able to make the itme.

will now read thread and see what words of wisdom there are...

Longtalljosie · 20/04/2012 18:40

"if the babe has had excess sugar it's because of my diet of chocolate and McDs that I have told every single HCP about."

Well - your excess of sugar will only have affected your baby if your pancreas isn't functioning properly. Which brings us round full circle.

You could try sitters.co.uk for a local babysitter?

silverfrog · 20/04/2012 18:45

Star - I am not a million miles from you. If I can help, I will. but I can't get to you before 10.30am realistically. and would need to be away by 2.30pm.

but if that is any use, I am happy to pop over.

now to sort out how to get my GTT done...

madwomanintheattic · 20/04/2012 18:46

sitters can be funny about sn, depending where you are, but were great with me. not easy to use unknown babysitter fro kids with sn though, potentially...

hope you sort it, star. am sure you will (and oooo! on move!)

TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission · 20/04/2012 19:04

will they not give you a blood glucose monitor to use at home? That's what dxed my GD, my GTT was within normal limits Hmm

StarshitTerrorise · 20/04/2012 19:15

Dunno. I'm not there yet I don't think. I am supposed to go to a 'talk' on Monday and be given sticks to monitor.

But I have just explored my final avenue for childcare and absolutely cannot make Monday. (The Talk is in a place 2 hours away in the linked hospital to the birth unit (hitch is considerably close)

Thank you Silverfrog for your offer.

'Solutions' however, are my 'thing' so somehow I'll figure I out. Feeling a bit more positive after my fourth chocolate bar of the day!

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mathanxiety · 20/04/2012 19:17

Age increases your risk.

I had GD for my fifth baby, born when I was almost 37. I had two babies who clocked in at 8.15 and 9.4 previously, and one who was 8.9 and first was 7.5. Did the test each time, and passed, but for the fifth, came up positive. I didn't do anything differently and my pre pregnancy BMI was well within the acceptable range. DC5 ended up weighing in at 9.1, so second biggest. The measurements are not likely to be just weight or air.

I brought three DCs with me for a lot of my prenatal visits when pg with DC5, including the glucose test, which was long and started early. I brought snacks and small toys for them. They ran riot in the waiting room and all I could do was sit tight and say 'this too shall pass'. They also came to the scan in a clinic a good way from home where DC5 was checked for Downs (I opted against amnio).

I controlled the GD with a very strict diabetes diet and regular blood sugar testing throughout the day but if I hadn't been able to do that I would have had to go on to insulin injections. It really isn't something that can be ignored if it's positive, and it really is something that needs to be tested for, so please exercise your right to turn down a test very judiciously.

I had to be induced right on her due date as the placenta can lose efficiency in late pregnancy with GD and the baby can be jeopardised if not delivered at 40 weeks at the latest.

I think I can see where the health team could get the idea that you are opposed to the test and are quite gung ho about this. It is possible they would think 'where there's a will there's a way' when it comes to childcare. Did you tell them about (1) just moving house and DD having tonsils out all in the same week (2) difficulty of arranging childcare for your DD and DS? If you focused on medical aspects of the question, seemed anti-hospital, and questioned whether the test was medically necessary when they seem to think it is, then they are going to draw the conclusion they have drawn. Have you asked them about on-site childcare facilities?

Babies of mothers with GD may experience:
shoulder dystocia during delivery (home birth not a good idea)
high birth weight
respiratory distress
low blood sugar which can lead to seizures
mineral imbalances requiring intervention
jaundice
future type 2 diabetes
death

You yourself may experience:
emergency c-section
high blood pressure
pre-eclampsia and eclampsia
future type 2 diabetes

Although you are stressed up to your eyeballs, your diet of McDs and chocolate will have to change whether you have GD or not. Please try to get a handle on the stress and try not to let present problems overwhelm you to the point where you lose sight of important longer term priorities such as your own health and the health of the baby.

StarshitTerrorise · 20/04/2012 19:24

Thank you math for that very helpful post.

I want to be clear though that my stress levels are fine and nothing to do with my diet. My diet is refined foods because I literally CANNOT eat anything else. I don't know why but I get VERY ill and become unfunctionable. I only eat the crap (which I don't much fancy) because I'm worried about keeping my ketones stable and crap is at least something.

I have mentioned my diet at EVERY appointment but all that happens is they tell me to eat better.

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CheeseandGherkins · 20/04/2012 19:25

What do you actually eat? I'm a crap eater. I was on insulin at 13 weeks after a week of finger pricking.

StarshitTerrorise · 20/04/2012 19:27

Okay. Today. 2 cadbury's caramels. A packet of onion rings crisps and 12 Rennie.

Plus a glass of milk.

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CheeseandGherkins · 20/04/2012 19:31

You're not eating enough for a start and you should try cutting down on chocolate if GD is a possibility.

mathanxiety · 20/04/2012 19:31

No but stress can lead to chocolate consumption [cough] Blush. There are worse things I suppose (Wine)

When all of this settles down, please have your metabolism checked out.

StarshitTerrorise · 20/04/2012 19:37

But that's my point. If I cut out chocolate, I would have only eaten a packet of crisps today.

Of course, I 'should' eat fish or fruit instread of chocolate but then I get ill.

Having said all of that, my diet and indigestion issues do seem to be getting a bit better although I'm still vomiting at 8pm if I eat after 3pm.

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