Please can someone help, I'm in absolute panic (GD related)

[bunny85]

Hi all,

I posted recently having been diagnosed with GD at 15 weeks (am 16 weeks today). I was convinced that my booking in bloods showed normal glucose levels, therefore I thought that the GD has developed in the past month. Today I found out they actually never checked my blood glucose back then. So that means I've had a high blood sugar for 16 weeks now (I'm sure it's undiagnosed diabetes in the first place). My readings are very high (13.9 after meal). My question is, could these weeks of constant high blood sugar have harmed my baby's development (included long term effects)? I'll be 17 weeks by the time I'll be seen and hopefully given a treatment. So 17 weeks of constant high blood glucose... When everything has been developing the most... Please what do you think? I know stress only makes blood sugar go high but I can't help it, it just feels awful...

My GD was diagnosed at 28 weeks but my urine tests had been showing glucose for a longer so I think the issue had been there for a while. As soon as I was diagnosed I stuck very strictly to the GD diet but still ended up needing insulin to keep
my fasting sugars down. I was induced at 38 weeks, DS was only 6lb 3oz (everyone kept telling me GD = massive baby) and apart from some issues with low blood sugar (probably because of his size, early induction and long labour) he was fine. He's now a very healthy 19 month old.

I remember how scary it was having GD but just stick to the diet, monitor your blood sugars and speak
to your midwife if you're worried about your levels. Hopefully your diabetes midwife will be as helpful as mine was! Best of luck and try to enjoy your pregnancy

I'm not too sure about early diagnosis as my GTT test is not until 28 weeks. They haven't done bloods on me since my first midwife appointment so in theory if I do have GD I could of had it the whole time. Some woman don't even find out until they are around 26 weeks!

As far as I know if you do have it they just make you keep an eye on your diet and monitor baby to make sure they are not going to be too big when you give birth. This is much further into the pregnancy though so I imagine at 16 weeks they should just be telling you to watch your diet.

When is your 16 week midwife appointment?

I was diagnosed late with it - 20-something weeks. I was older, having twins and had parent with type2 so it was hospital error - should have been earlier.

Anyway, they kept eye on sizes of course, especially my little girl, but I managed to control it with super strict diet and both twins (born 36 weeks) fine. They kept us in a few days longer as her sugar levels (or insulin, or whatever it is in the baby) were a bit off, but fine after those few days. She had to keep getting pin prick tests in her feet during those days, poor thing, but once back home all fine.

I was pissed off hospital hadn't tested earlier, but all worked out fine!

Best of luck to you. The diet is harsh but made me super slim after babies born!

My friend was 36 weeks when they eventually diagnosed her gd! I know it's worrying but try not to panic my friends little girl is fine, they induced her at 38 weeks

I was diagnosed at 28 weeks, but I think I was gd for a while. I was induced at 36+4 (due to other circumstances) and my DS was 6lb 14oz, so a good weight for his age. his blood sugars were fine when born. I had been very strict with my diet which I think helped.

I'm pg again now and I'm sure will have the test earlier this time, but I started the diet as soon as I found out I was pg.

I'm sure you will be fine, just speak to your diabetes team when you see them with all your concerns.

Try not to panic, some people have GD without knowing and go on to have healthy babies.

I was diagnosed at 26 weeks (now 32), despite having high BMI and diabetes on both sides of my family. I've no idea if I had it before then but was drinking and peeing more (apparently symptoms).

I had another scan last week and baby is doing fine. There's a really helpful group on FB that I've found invaluable for advice called Gestational Diabetes UK Mums.

I wasn't diagnosed until 28 weeks, (they used to test much later), diet up until then had been appalling, total sugar junkie, controlled it fine post diagnosis with diet alone, ds normal weight, normal birth.

Didn't even get it in pg2.

Thank you very much everyone for your kind responses.

Of course what you are saying is 100% right, but I think that most of you developed GD around 24-26 weeks and then were subsequently diagnosed (from what I read that's the most common time of developing it). Whereas my sugar levels have been so high during the first trimester and the most critical stages of development... Most likely I even had diabetes before which wasn't diagnosed (I have a very strong family history). I'm sure that women who develop it in the third trimester have healthy babies. In my case I'm scared of damage that could have been done early on... I read it may lead to birth defects..

I got tested at 10 weeks and failed 1 of the 3 criteria and only scraped a pass on the other 2. I was tested again at 15 weeks and had the same result... At twenty weeks I failed 2 and officially had GD. And now I'm 28 weeks and my baby is absolutely fine with no markers of GD impact so I'd say ask for a scan and see what it shows. If the baby is measuring within normal ranges and you monitor your diet etc you'll all be fine.

I think that's a fairly early GD diagnosis so try not to worry too much.
They will probably want to keep an eye on the size of the baby and maybe even induce at 38 weeks. They've always said my babies will be off the scale huge but it's never happened so far!
I use insulin and get on fine with it. If you can get the sugars down by changing your diet then you might not need meds. I can't eat a lot of (any) carbs in one sitting. Small, frequent meals work better for me but everyone is different x

Thank you both. I've got a specialist appt next week, and meanwhile a friend of mine who has diabetes gave me her spare glucose meter, and I'm measuring at home and already understood which foods work or don't work for me. I'm sure one way or another it can be controlled from now on. I'm just petrified of the damage that could have been done...