Type 1 diabetic my baby is a hippo

[Givinguph0pe]

I'm 32 weeks and my baby is already five and half pounds by estimates. She is on the 95th centile.
The thing is my hbA1c is 44 and I don't know what more I can do. Periodically I do of course have readings above 7.8 but not for any prolonged amount of time. I feel really judged by the obstretitician. They must think I'm eating lard or something.

Anyone else had a huge baby despite blood sugars being largely controlled?

Well I don't know much about diabetes but those weight estimates can be way off. Like way way off! They really can't tell till the baby is out.
If it's any comfort, DS was supposed to weight 6.5lbs at 36 weeks, he was 9lbs 2oz when he was born, big but he was also really long so didn't look tubby.
Anyway I would much rather have a big baby than a tiny fragile one, it's scary enough! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

I don't have diabetes and didn't have gestational diabetes but i had a baby on the 95.5 centile (10lb 6oz).

Labour was great and I recovered quickly. Plus like the pp said having baby that doesn't seem so small and fragile is good. My son is one month old now and wearing 6month clothes.

They told me my dd was 10lb at 40 weeks. She arrived at 41+1 weighing 8lb 11oz.

Pinch of salt!

I had gestational diabetes. My sugars were well controlled. They scanned at 39 weeks and she was estimated at 8lb14. I was induced a week later and she was 7lb8. All of the scans had her really big. I think the scans are not totally reliable!

My Dsis was told her DD would be a 10lb plus baby...she was 6lb 1oz.

Dsis had GD so closely monitored - they always said she'd be a big baby but in reality she was a diddly dot.

Don't believe the scans!!! I have type 1 diabetes and had growth scans every 2 weeks from 28 weeks. At every single one they told me ds was 90th centile or above. Last scan at 36 +5 they estimated him at 8lb 8. Ds was born less than a week later weighing 7lb 5 and exactly on 50th centile!

I had GD, induced at 38 weeks. Baby was 7,7.

Yes, scans aren't that accurate. Also some babies will just be big. How is your fasting level in the morning? Do you find exercise works for you in controlling blood sugars, could you do some more of that?

The trends are more important than the individual weight on an individual scan, whether the baby is going up the centiles or following them. You might have been on track to have a big baby even if you didn't have diabetes. You have though done a fantastic job with sugars like that though.

My DD was 9lbs7oz born at 38 weeks and my hbA1c was 32 just before then (and was only 36 when I fell pregnant).

I'm pregnant and my last hbA1c was 32 - I've already been told my baby's abdominal measurement is 97th centile and she/he will be big. I know my control is excellent although probably have too many hypos, it just feels worrying that despite this my baby is already measuring huge.

Sorry last one was 33, 32 was with DD but either way I'm damn proud!!!

32 is good going!
My morning level is usually between 3.8 and 5.0
It's been such hard work and I feel cheated that my baby is still too big.

Same, my morning reading is normally 4-5 and then I rarely have a reading above 6 during the day now (the very odd high one), I know I'm over injecting insulin but despite my hurculean effort I'm still being told my baby's abdomen is macrosomic - I had an awful birth with DD who got stuck due to her size and I've tried so hard but it seems to be repeating itself. My hbA1c is lower than my consultants who isn't even a diabetic but it just feels that it's made no difference so I know exactly how you feel!

Well done on your HbA1c!

Agree growth scans can be inaccurate. Also, some people just have biggish babies.

DD was 8.11 when born at 38 weeks. I am type 1 and my (old style scale) hBA1c was 6.2 throughout pregnancy. However I had a much nicer team, they were encouraging and felt that DD was big because DP and I are both tall, not because of something I'd messed up on.

It does sound like you are doing everything you can. The HBA1c doesn't lie! All I can suggest is you ask the team if they feel there is anything else you should be doing.

I have asked my team and they said that I'm by far the best patient they see - low blood pressure, low hb1ac, still doing regular 5km runs, very little weight gain ... They said there is nothing else I could be doing, it's just that diabetics have big babies but as my dd had shoulder dystopia I'm terrified of giving birth to another big baby. They said they would be surprised if it is less than 10lbs which is really getting me worked up.

Sorry to hijack a bit with my own rant Givinguph0pe

Following with interest! Type 1 here, 27 weeks with first baby.
Somehow have my hba1c hovering around 35, but due another one this week which I think may be a tad higher as they told me to relax control a bit as was having quite a lot of hypos/waking up low every morning.Pre-TTC the lowest I'd ever had it was 52.

Growth scan at 24 weeks was bang on 50th centile so will be really interested to see what my one next Friday at 28 weeks will be. So far I've only bought 0-3 clothes, nothing in newborn, until I see whether he's likely to be too big for them from day 1!

Crikey salty , can't believe they've told you baby is unlikely to be less than 10lbs, not very tactful.

I work in a diabetes obstetric service & see this a lot; we deliver at 38 weeks for this reason, and do growth scans at 32 & 36 weeks to identify the growth pattern, plus decide best mode of delivery.

OP, I didn't see a mention of whether you are on an insulin pump or not? This might be an option for you.