Gestational diabetes

[roxy52]

Hi all,

I have GD diagnosed now for 6 weeks, am now 35 wks pregnant, and have been managing really well with diet. However, today I got a little stressed over the car having issues!!! and my sugar levels shot up. I am now concerned even more about the impact of labour - the stress raising my sugars and then causing issues for my baby. any thoughts...??

With GD I'm presuming you won't be allowed to have your baby anywhere other than hospital, that's the case here anyway.

In labour you will be more closely monitored and depending on how that goes they may want to give you a drip to balance your sugar levels. Something to do with keytones, I forget

I had GD from 20 weeks and managed it well with diet. Like you I was worried about the birth, intervention etc but in my case I just did my own bloods every hour and they were OK so we just carried on as normal. The hospital was happy with that.

The most distressing thing for me was that DD was given a bottle pretty soon after she was born - by another MW out of the room - why couldn't DH have done that by my side? And then she had to have blood samples taken from her heel every 12 hours to ensure her bloods were level. I did BF her for 9 months after that, it was the taking away I object too but didn't think to ask at the time. I was distracted by someone practicing cross stitch on my lady bits.

At your next appointment ask them for the full low down on what may or may not happen regarding your GD, then at least you have the information. But they won't let your sugars go out of control for yours or your babys health.

Good luck, I hope it all goes well and make sure someone brings you a big box of chocs in hospital for that post birth binge, you've earned it!

Thank you - luckily the baby will be born by easter!! I also wouldn't be pleased with a MW doing that out of the room - but will make sure my husband keeps an eye out for that. Thank you for the information.

Hi, I had GD diagnosed at 24 weeks, controlled through diet alone.

Although my induction failed and I ended up with a c section they had explained that if/when i went into labour they would monitor blood sugar levels through out and if any problems arose they would use drips to regulate b/s levels so you won't have to worry about it.

I would also strongly recommend like slimyak asking for exact information on what your hospitals policies are for GD labour...i could never get definite information out of mine and felt i had no control over things.

DS had 3 tests over 24 hours after birth on his b/s levels, the middle one was a bit low/high (i forget which!) and had I not have expressed colustrum in the weeks prior to my induction and taken it to hospital with me he would have had to have formula, so would recommend expressing a few drops of colustrum each night into a small pot and keeping in the freezer ready for when you go in, label it with one of your stickers and they should store it for you until your baby is born. I took a pitiful 3 ml in with me but it was enough.

Hope everything goes well for you, and pack a bar of dairy milk in your labour bag ... i did and it was the best thing i have ever tasted!

Many thanks, will get going with the breast pump - anything to help. I can't wait for that 1st taste of chocolate!!!