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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

My obstetrician wants to do a glucose tolerance test purely because of my age (I'm 41)

49 replies

duchesse · 10/04/2009 19:10

And given that I have NO symptoms whatsoever, no family history of diabetes, and no desire to take the damned test, I am inclined to refuse it. Do you think that's reasonable?

I'm perfectly happy to take reasonable tests, and she's asked for a 34 week growth scan, but I just cannot see the point of doing this unpleasant test when there are no suggestions that I have GD. I just think the obs is being very over-cautious.

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DawnAS · 10/04/2009 20:52

Spacetrain, I hate incompetence - and how rude your MW was!!

Tee2072, I got diagnosed with GD at 28 weeks and I'm now 31 and 2 days (can you tell I'm counting the days?!). Why are they making such a fuss then?! It's really stressed me out and made me feel quite depressed. My levels are between 4.0-7.4 (highest). I'm only on 4-6 units at lunchtime, 6-8 before dinner and 3 of slow-release before bed. So not at the levels that you are yet... Although it's heading that way. They told me that the danger level was anything above 7!! Just goes to show that even the professionals have different rules!! At our 28 week scan, our baby's measurements for head and legs were on the middle line, but stomach was towards the top line. They said that's what they're watching and why I need to watch my sugar levels. But, from what you're saying, if I got a high reading just once (out of a whole week of testing four times a day), it's not going to do any damage? If that's the case I can start to relax a bit. Bloody hospitals!!

xxx

Tee2072 · 10/04/2009 20:56

dawn I have no idea why they are telling you these things. They are being way over the top with you.

Really, one high number? Is not going to make a difference!

My highest number since I was pregnant was 12.5. My doctor's reaction? 'well, it was Christmas, after all.'

Are you seeing just a mid wife or do you see a endocrinologist or other diabetes specialist? Because I think a lot of the times diabetic mid-wives have basic training and not the real knowledge they need.

A big baby is a concern, but also remember that scans are not 100% accurate for size.

samsonara · 10/04/2009 20:56

What they classify as older maternal age (over 30), is one of the criteria some places use, so I expect that is the reason why your obs wants to do it because of age.

DawnAS · 10/04/2009 21:01

Tee2072, strange you should ask that question about who I'm seeing. I see a whole load of people at the diabetic clinic every week, Diabetic Nurses, Dieticians and Obsetricians. In fact, when I last saw the Obsetrician, she said to me that my readings were fine and I didn't need insulin. 10 mins later I was in with the diabetic MWs and Nurses who told me that I needed to start insulin - so I was a little confused.

Thank you so much for your help on this, I am going to start to relax a bit now. My Mum and DH will be very grateful to you because it's really been stressing me out!!

xxx

mrsgboring · 10/04/2009 21:05

Dawn, when do you test that you have to get your bloods under 7? From reading old threads on GDM it seems that everyone has different rules on when to test and what the targets are.

Tee2072 · 10/04/2009 21:10

Any time dawn.

And I, personally, would have gone back to the OB and asked if I was told that! Your numbers sound very good to me!!

DawnAS · 10/04/2009 21:12

Hi MrsGBoring,

I have to test first thing in the morning before Breakfast, then two hours after Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. That's all.

At the moment I'm not needing any insulin before Breakfast as my levels when I wake up in the morning are generally between 4.2-4.9, but I need to have it before lunch and dinner and the amount I'm needing to keep my levels under 7 is creeping up.

The worst bit for me is that they've told me to cut down on my fruit and only to have it as part of a meal - that's what I used to snack on instead of crisps and chocolate! In their eyes, I now can't have any of it!! Doesn't make sense to me....

xxx

mrsgboring · 10/04/2009 21:14

Not all GTTs are the same - there is the 75g GTT which most people have had, and the 100g GTT which I think must be what I had, since the test lasted three hours not two. They also took blood tests every half hour, so seven in all. I don't know why they do it this way; they paid no attention to any of the numbers except for 1 and 7

If you are developing gestational diabetes, you do need to know about it. Even though I had seven blood tests, it was okay, but was wiped out for the rest of the day after it.

I tested normal/borderline by the way, for that and for a fasting blood glucose followed by a 2 hour post prandial. Have still been put on the GDM diet and blood testing regime for the last fortnight of my pregnancy and it is hell on earth, to be quite honest, but it isn't for long, and if it were for longer I could probably work out ways to make it better.

I don't think I personally could refuse a test I'd been recommended, however unnecessary I thought it was. The potential effects of uncontrolled diabetes on a baby are pretty dreadful. Some places are now testing all women routinely for GD - I guess because it can be so harmful if undiagnosed.

mrsgboring · 10/04/2009 21:20

Tee I have been very closely monitored through this pregnancy. I personally think I am only borderline GD at best and probably not even that. Nevertheless, after an 8 day course of steroids, which probably did push me into temporary diabetes, the effects on the baby were noticeable - thickened abdominal wall, acclerated growth and quite a lot too much amniotic fluid. This all developed over the course of a couple of weeks following normal glucose testing results, so I would be wary of saying that you need weeks and weeks of very high numbers to do harm - my baby was showing signs of being a bit compromised after a relatively short time and with levels that have always gone down to normal a couple of hours after eating.

Tee2072 · 10/04/2009 21:23

Well, you are the only person I have ever heard of that has had a reaction that fast, mrsboring and I used to post on a board for Diabetic mummies. You must be the exception that proves the rules. Of course, you also said it was over a couple of weeks. Not after one high number, which is what dawn seems to be worried about.

And still, I maintain that one high number will not do any harm. And my Endo agrees with this.

DawnAS · 10/04/2009 21:41

Tee2072 and Mrsgboring,

I have my 32 week growth scan on Thursday next week, so I'll see what comes back.

Thanks both for your input though. It's been really helpful.

Have a lovely Easter Weekend!!

mrsgboring · 10/04/2009 22:21

Sure, Tee, I can't imagine one high number is going to have any bearing at all - I wasn't really commenting on that. Was just advising caution because you were implying problems take weeks and weeks to develop. While I do feel uniquely cursed with pregnancy problems at the moment, I don't think I can be the only one ever to have deteriorated so fast. And I'm carrying a lot of guilt about it, so not inclined to let myself think there's any possiblility of straying.

My history is such that I'm extremely jumpy about all of this.

Thanks, Dawn. Have a lovely Easter weekend yourself. After this is all over I'm going to eat so many Easter eggs it's not true.

Tee2072 · 11/04/2009 07:10

Have a lovely Easter, Dawn and do let us know how the scan goes!

Podrick · 11/04/2009 08:06

Hospitals do seem to take different views about this to some extent. My local teaching hospital went nuts about my borderline GD whereas the hospital I chose for the birth treated my pregnancy as completely normal.

My baby was just fine!

Jackaroo · 11/04/2009 10:17

Barring SpaceTrain's unhelpful experience (MW obviously lived in the 50's?).. I just wanted to point out that here in Australia it is done for all women, as it seems it is in Belgium.

The reference to it is actually in the doc. provided by Tree - last para. of page 77. which calls for a systematic approach.

I fervently queried having it done, and my obs. explained these new findings. He said that if they just went by who the doctor thought was a reasonable candidate they missed an awful lot of women.

I also dreaded it, after a horrible childhood experience of being made to drink glucose for tests... but actually it was completely fine, and really not a big deal. Of course if I find that I dont' have GD, then I'll be ticked off

Astrophe · 11/04/2009 10:36

Was just about to say the same Jackaroo - in Aus it is routine at 28 weeks and its not loads of fun, but not a big deal at all. I have never fasted before it - MW just said eat normaly and nothing extremely sugary.

treedelivery · 11/04/2009 11:06

mrsgboring - gutted for you mate. You are not alone though - people do go into rapid onset so you are not alone. Hope it all runs a bit more smoothly and mundanely from now on.

mrsgboring · 11/04/2009 12:42

treedelivery, thank you. I've managed to shout and scream my way into Clinic next Friday so I can find out if all this torture is making any improvements to the baby or not.

DawnAS · 11/04/2009 18:30

Hi All,

Hoping Tee2072 might be on to give me some advice, or anyone else who has to use insulin through PG...

I mentioned that it's our First Wedding Anniversary tomorrow and we're going out for a meal, which will be three courses and will include a dessert...

Well today, as a treat while we were out shopping, we went to BurgerKing for lunch. I had a Whopper Meal (with diet drink), so that was a burger and medium fries. Well anticipating the bun and fries would raise my sugar levels, I took 8 units of insulin beforehand (the most I've taken up to now for any meal is 7).

Bearing in mind that was only one course and my bloods came back as 7.6 (I was told 7 was the max I should let them get to - eek), I'm not sure how many units to take tomorrow evening when I am having three courses. When I spoke to the Diabetic Nurse on Thursday, she recommended 9-10, but clearly that's not going to be enough.

Bearing in mind the desserts are generally crumbles, pies etc with cream, they are all going to have a lot of sugar. She did suggest waiting until after I've had my starter and main meal before injecting the insulin, so I know at least what I've had for the first two courses. So, if I decided to have (for example) Tempura Prawns with chilli dip, Steak or Burger with chips and a dessert, how many units would be about right. This is the problem, it's so inconsistent and difficult to judge...

Sorry for the waffle ladies but there was some really helpful people on here yesterday and this whole insulin lark is very new to me...

xxx

Stayingsunnygirl · 11/04/2009 19:13

I was overweight when pregnant (still am ) and my doctor wanted me to have a glucose tolerance test - funnily enough it was only mentioned after I'd said I wanted a home birth - so I think he was hoping it would come back positive for gestational diabetes, and he'd be able to use that as a reason to advise against the home birth.

However, as all my urine tests were coming back negative for glucose, I refused the gtt, had a healthy pregnancy, a longish but fine labour, and a healthy baby who weighed in at just over 7lb.

DawnAS · 12/04/2009 11:03

Bump

mrsgboring · 12/04/2009 12:21

Dawn I think you'd be better off starting a new thread with your question - this one has gone waaaay off topic as it is.

DawnAS · 12/04/2009 13:29

Hi MrsGboring,

I have done, thank you. Did think this morning that my question might not get picked up on this thread...

Thank you, Happy Easter!!

Original poster

duchesse · 20/06/2009 20:20

Got the results yesterday

fasting 4.5
one hour after lucozade 8
one hour later 5.7

Safe to say am not diabetic...

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