Gestational diabetes ignored?! Help :(

[firsttimemumtobe122]

I went into the anti natal assessment unit yesterday afternoon after feeling really dizzy, racing heart and out of it since the day before. They did my blood sugars and found I was hypoglycaemic, the midwife was really concerned as I had eaten carbs and chocolate before I went into hospital, and said it was so lucky she did a finger prick test instead of the blood test (she had accidentally missed the tube for blood glucose) as my level was so low already that if we waited any longer for blood results instead it would have been really bad, she said this is gestational diabetes. I then had to wait for the other blood tests to come back, the midwife gave me a glucose drink and sandwich at 4:30pm to bring my blood sugar up which worked.

It appeared they did a staff change at 5pm and from 5pm until 11:30pm nobody came to see me, I was in a freezing room with no blanket and I started getting really dizzy and hungry again and wasn’t checked on once. I asked at 8:30pm what was happening and told doctors were doing change over.

A doctor then eventually saw me at 11:30pm and insisted I was dizzy because I was nauseous and vomiting, and unable to eat - I insisted this was not the case at all and that I am completely fine in that sense and that’s the first it has been mentioned. She said she was going to prescribe me anti sickness, I said I don’t need it I am already on ondansetron daily I am not currently sick. She prescribed me cyclizine anyway when I am already on ondansetron and it’s working fine. She also said my iron was very low and gave me iron tablets. So I left a cyclizine prescription (which I clearly did not require as my notes say I am on ondansetron and I told her this) and iron tablets, said I needed my glucose testing and if I wanted to just call them about it or my GP and didnt give me any advice 🤔 she also mentioned I was 17 weeks when I am 21+5! I was so exhausted and upset by this point I just wanted to go home.

I just can’t believe any of this happened, I feel like I’m in a prank TV show or something. My partner picked me up and i just burst into tears in the car. I have to give birth in this hospital and I’m just terrified now if I’m honest.

I don't know what I should do next, I still am struggling with the dizziness etc that I went in with initially.

How stressful for you! Speak to your midwife about what happened and request the GD blood test (Think this is HBA1C, but they will know!). Better to get it checked and confirmed and your midwife will be able to help with that x

Please bear in mind that low iron can also give you symptoms of racing heart rate, feeling spaced out, etc... but yes, tell your midwife what the poster above said!!

GD doesn't give you low blood sugars, so I'm not quite sure why your midwife said that. I think you need to talk to your regular midwife for a better explanation and possibly referral to consultant clinic if your symptoms continue.

GD gives you high blood sugar levels so that doesn't add up and the MW and doctors should be looking at why your sugars would be so low.

I agree with the others gestational diabetes give you high sugars. It only gives you low sugars if you're on a treatment like insulin!

Wow I'm sorry you had such a confusing experience. As other posters have said, gestational diabetes makes your blood sugar high not low (unless you are on insulin which could induce a hypo). Do you remember what the level was by any chance?

Can you call your midwife tomorrow, explain what happened and if you are worried then ask to have the glucose tolerance test?

Did they check your iron levels as that can cause dizziness?

Thanks everyone. Very confusing stuff, will call the midwife in the morning to try and get to the bottom of it. Took my iron pill this morning and I do feel like a completely different person to yesterday which is good. My blood sugar was 3.8 mmol and after glucose drink was 6.8. My iron was 98 I think from looking at my notes.

98 sounds like a haemoglobin result. Slightly low, nothing disastrous. Take the tablets with vit c (can be oj or food containing vit c) for better absorption. I always take with food too as it can cause upset tummy.

And the constipation I get from iron tablets is unreal, so increase fibre and water!!

That is so horrible. I can't imagine how you must be feeling. I have no advice but I am here for a handhold and hope you feel better really soon!!