Gestational Diabetes and baby is small?

[nadds1590]

Hi everyone,
I am really looking for some inspiration, advice, guidance, experience - anything you can offer really. I was diagnosed with GD after having the glucose tolerance test at 31 weeks. It made me so depressed and upset, I felt like I had failed myself and my baby. I am 5"1 and normal sized but because I am of South Asian origin, I was tested. I don't even have history of diabetes in my family and was borderline for the test. Up until that point, I felt healthy, happy and positive about labour. Since diagnosis, I have been monitoring my blood sugar levels and "controlling" my diet. I say that because I haven't drastically changed it, mainly just taken treats out. My numbers have been low and normal these past few weeks and today I had an appt with the consultant. At my last midwife appt, my midwife was quite positive about everything and said that if my numbers were fine I could probably give birth at the midwife led unit near my house. Today though, my bump was measuring a bit small apparently, and they have booked me in for a growth scan and will make a plan about labour after that. Consultant said that if things change with my numbers/growth isn't great then I may have to be induced which I really really don't want to happen. Many people I know have been induced and have struggled through labour, had additional drugs and assistance for the birth. I am quite a calm, relaxed person - I do lots of yoga and meditation and I really wanted to have a positive birthing experience, but now I feel that that is all in jeopardy. I am worried now that the scan will corroborate what they have said today and that they will want me to book in to be induced. How can I fight this? Has anyone been in a similar situation and refused induction/had a positive labour experience at the end? I don't even feel like I have the diabetes, I feel as though they are just being overly cautious and not thinking of how it will affect the experience and my ability to stay relaxed to make labour easier. This is my first baby and I just want things to be as relaxed and happy as possible. Please help!!

In the kindest way possible, they're really not thinking about the birth "experience" they are only thinking about the safest delivery possible. If after your growth scan, babies growth seems normal and on track, induction might not be the safest option, spontaneous labour might be and if it's the safest option, they will recommend that. If induction is recommended it will be because it's safest for baby, in their medical opinions.

Best of luck

Check out gestationaldiabetes.co.uk

Loads of great advice on there and lots of things explained. GD babies always being bigger is a common misconception - its also a side effect that babies can be small for gestational age as diabetes can make your placenta less efficient.

As the PP said, it’s really a case of what is safest for your baby when it comes to their recommendation to induce etc. Maybe check out the NICE guidelines too - if your growth scan shows everything is normal and you stay diet controlled the guidelines suggest no need to induce before 40+6. After that the risk of placental failure seems to increase and most trusts are keen to get the baby out before this....

I mean this as kindly as possible but labour and birth is incredibly unpredictable at the best of times and lots of people don't have the birth they might have chosen for all sorts of reasons.

I would strongly caution against becoming to wedded to a particular birth plan because that can, in itself, become an issue if that plan has to change. My view is that you are most likely to feel positive about your birth after the event if you go into it with an open mind and try to be flexible in your approach to it.

It might all yet be fine and you can try for the birth you hope for but if, for medical reasons, you can't have quite what you were hoping for it can still be a positive a joyful experience. However, I suspect you might find it easier to view a different experience positively if you are not comparing it to your imagined and anticipated "ideal" experience.

Best of luck OP.

I had gestational diabetes and my baby was small and I was induced for these reasons alone at 40w+1day. The birth experience was all right actually. I started contractions within hours, I chose to have epidural and they were a bit slow to give it to me, so I relied on gas&air for a few hours. In the end, about 12 hours after induction, the baby is delivered vaginally, without any further intervention. My baby's birth weight was under the 10th percentile, but he has no health problems. I recovered well - no diabetes and back to pre-pregnancy weight naturally within a year.
The diagnosis of gestational diabetes made me anxious as well. If it's to happen again in future pregnancies, I would be more calm and would happily go for an induction again.