Gestational diabetes - test tomorrow because of previous large babies... any thoughts?!!

[happynappies]

This is my fourth pregnancy - dd#1 was 9lb 3oz, ds was 9lb 13oz and dd#2 was 9lb 14oz. Never had any blood test results or urine sample indication of diabetes before. Was in for a 36 week scan on Monday, and was informed the unsurprising news that baby is large again (the scan was for low lying placenta, which has now moved, and because baby was breech, but now is not). I had about five minutes of my mind being at rest because these two issues had resolved, then sonographer referred me to have a test for gestational diabetes because of the previous three large babies. I've looked everything up that I can find - and am worried. I don't really understand the implications but am guessing that if the test is positive they'll want to induce me early? I want to avoid induction at all cost, would honestly rather have a C-section than be induced, had horrific experience of the drip and cascade of intervention with my first, and would not want to repeat it. Feel annoyed that nobody has ever queried these large babies before - I'm 5'7" and dh is 6'5" so whenever anyone sees dh particularly they just say, 'oh, his fault'. I guess tomorrow I could get a negative result, but in the best traditions of anxiety-stricken pregnant woman I'm googling everything and working myself into a frenzy about it all. Anyone offer any calming words of advice to help me here?

I had it with DS1, found at 30 weeks by which time i was feeling awful, they have already checked me in this pg, once at 18 weeks and will check again at 28. For me it caused headaches and extremes in temp and mood as well as fainting. I had to check my sugars 6 times a day before an after meals, and ended up on 2 clicks of insulin morning and eve. It wasn't bad at all as I'm fine with needles. I had to be induced at 38+4 but this depends on how your sugars are. Mine ended in an EMCS. I am quite likely to get it again this time although I've lost weight so may dodge it, but an planning an ELCS anyway so from a labour POV i dont mind.

I would say I didn't enjoy my induction but it wasn't horrific, and at the end of the day its safer for baby for the condition to be known than go unmonitored.

poor you... my experience sounds very similar and i am now pregnant with baby number 4. I'm 5'6 and my husband 6'2 and that was always blamed for my large babies until my third had a hypo shortly after birth. was there any indication the children that you have had had gestational diabetes? apparently cherub shaped heads, load blood sugars, very sleepy and refusal to eat for a few days after their birth are common symptoms. poor you having to deal with this now at the very end. if it is the case try to make sure you speak to your head consultant about how you would like this to end. i was offered a c section once i went into labour if my third was born after 38 weeks because they knew she was large. there was no talk of induction.

None of the babies have shown any symptoms, definitely not sleepy or refusing to eat - in fact ds fed almost constantly and didn't sleep for weeks! Reassuring to hear you were offered CS sarahrose, am not repeat not going to be induced. They've known the others were large - can't understand why they didn't do anything sooner!! But going by the actual measurements of this one, doesn't even warrant a growth scan - I go round in circles with it. Will just have to see how tomorrow goes. Interesting that you have had such a similar experience!

I can echo Sarah an say im 5"8 DP 6"3 but DS was only 7lb 3.5 oz, he was v sleepy after birth didnt want to eat and had to have his bloods done. As he wouldn't eat they kept bouncing round terms like NICU but after switching to bottle we sorted that. Im also with you re the not being induced again. I would
Rather have an ELCS. Have the hospital
Said when you will get results? I would have thought if you ha GD at a level to require intervention you would of been feeling awful by now, so maybe they are just being over cautious?

Well I don't know what awful is anymore!! I feel extremely weak and tired, but am anaemic, and have been on iron for a few weeks. Every time I tell mw about the exhaustion they just blame having three small children. I don't feel faint or anything like that. Worried because I do eat a lot of chocolate though - will that have messed around with my blood sugar levels or is that nothing to do with it?

I know for the majority it makes the majority tired and head achey, but then so does anaemia (had that too!) re chocolate, i had to be quite careful what I ate but it is on an individual basis, by the end I could feel hypos and hypers coming on, an am
Still blood sugar sensitive now. The test isnt so bad just looong

Sorry little one has now awoken and dinner prep to do. but one thing that I have found that helps and stops me eating too much chocolate. which is not great for your sugar levels (and i sympathise with anaemia i have that too) i set my alarm for every hour and eat a mouthful or two of some thing like an oatcake with cheese, yoghurt, apricots and nuts anything and it stops my sugars dipping feeling tired and craving chocolate. i but from the chemist pregaday which is an iron tablet that the doctor prescribes and i find that really helps too. good luck tomorrows

Well test was positive and I have to see diabetes me on Sunday, bit scared what they will say about induction etc, as well as all the diet info to take on board, keep crying but don't really know why!!!

Don't be sad. Everything will be all okay with the diabetes once you know what you've got to do. I got diagnosed at 28 weeks (34 now) and I am doing all I normally would - just being a bit careful with diet and using my insulin.

You'll be all okay! Xxx

Ps. You're further on than me, so not long to go! :-)

Have a google - there is a NICE document for management of diabetes in pregnancy. Print it off, have a really good read and take it with you to all appointments visibly - be well informed. You may well not need insulin at all and manage it with diet. Always be mindful that scans later in pregnancy are really not very accurate at all wrt to size of baby. There used to be some truly brilliant GD support threads knocking around on Mumsnet - have a search in the archives. Try not to worry. But I would say know your rights - sadly many hospitals will want try "manage" the condition to a major degree and I think it is important to know what NICE actually recommend. It'll be fine

I had GD when I was pg, and cried loads when I got the diagnosis! And then again when the diabetes nurse told me about the diet :( But, actually, it wasn't that bad and I think the nurse was pretty bad at explaining!

Essentially you aren't producing enough insulin which leads to lots of sugar in your blood just after you've eaten. The trick to regulating this with diet is to eat small portions (especially of carbs) more regularly. A low-GI diet is the perfect thing for controlling diabetes. Plenty of people can control GD with diet alone, in which case I think the NICE guidelines suggest induction at 40(?) weeks. If, on the other hand, you need insulin to control blood sugars, guidelines suggest induction at 38 weeks. If you don't want an induction, then regular monitoring is an alternative that you can suggest.

The other thing that happens is that baby is currently producing lots of insulin to counter the high blood sugar in your blood. But when baby is born, (s)he no longer has high blood sugar but might still be producing lots of insulin. So they monitor baby's blood sugars for a while to check that they don't have a hypo from too much insulin. This happened to my DD and she had to have a couple of small formula top ups to get her back on track. If you're planning on breastfeeding, it might be worth looking at some tips for feeding sleepy babies (kellymom has a great page that I wish I'd read before being faced with a sleepy baby who wouldn't feed).