Home birth NHS and gestational diabetes

[Tiger89]

Hi everyone looking for some advice this is my first baby 😊 UK nhs

I'm currently 28wks+4 and was diagnosed with 'borderline' gd at 26weeks I went in for a fasting blood test after fasting from 12 till 8am (no glucose test due to covid) and came back 5.1 which was told was the cut off for gd I last ate around half 10 quarter to 11 cause i was up meeting deadlines says you should fats for 8 to 10 hours os unsure if botched🙄 they told me this borderline and I would be diet controlled. Now I wasn't totally convinced for almost two weeks I have been recording now and I haven't went over the target once, my fasting blood sugars rnage from 4.1 to 4.6 every day and I haven't changed my diet because it was pretty good beforehand, I had hypermesis for 4 months and when I was eating normally again was so conscious of a healthy diet and being active (although I am aware hormones can cause gd). So far no issues. I went for a growth scan this week she is 1.2kg just under the 90th percentile line told this was fine no concerns. My partner and I are totally set on a home birth and I haven't stopped researching this, I have been referred to the home birth team by my. Community midwife however I feel like she wasn't most enthusiastic about doing so. She did explain some risks to me that I already knew including measuring baby's bms after birth which can be done at home. My worry is I will be fobbed off or over medicalised due to having this gd diagnosis. I won't be bullied or coerced into something I'm not happy with and I feel because it's my first baby this happens (not all staff are like this I know however working in the medical field I see it happen by 'professionals' all the time). Did any of you have gd and have to push for home birth so far this is the only 'risk' I've had.

I planned for a home birth, then got GD mine was also borderline at diagnosis, and was diet controlled. It did get much worse throughout the pregnancy though.

I still planned for a home birth up until near the end, then decided to switch to a hospital birth. The reasons that led to me changing my mind were the size of my baby (he was measuring very large), and the fact that his growth slowed.

In the end it was the right decision for me as I needed an emergency c-section and then had a horrendous PPH.

There is no reason why you absolutely can’t have a home birth - if you stay diet controlled and your baby is measuring within normal parameters, it’s still a safe option for you. GD births are a higher risk, but the risk is still low. It’s absolutely your choice as to whether or not you’re happy to take it.

I do think it’s sensible to prepare for plan b as well, however. By all means continue to plan for a home birth, but also consider what your preferences would be if it’s not possible or you change your mind about it.

What are your readings like after eating? You sound quite dismissive of a GD diagnosis but there are real risks with it and the health care providers have a duty to make you aware these.

Like the previous poster, I also had a PPH after the birth of my DS (second child, first GD pregnancy) and I think having GD does increase the risk of it happening. I was diet controlled the whole time, the same with my current pregnancy and I'm due tomorrow.

That being said, there are plenty of women who have GD who do have home births. Have you joined the Gestational Diabetes group on facebook? There are lots of ladies on there who have either had one or are planning one.

Also, as you probably already know, GD is progressive so you may find your blood sugars rise as your pregnancy progresses.