Leonie, and those that know about glucose testing in pg!

[StarshitTerrorise]

Here is my unintended emotional vampire thread. Please help if you can

Yes, but you might have had GD and so might Star. Seeing medical enquiry in this context as an accusation and a battle that needs a fuck off to get rid of it is pretty reckless and probably unhelpful. You didn't have GD but she might-how would you feel if she took your militant fuck off medics advice and something terrible happened?

Yeah, clearly supporting going for a GD test is the same as being a eugenics advocate .

Star, the quickest easiest solution is just have the GTT test done.... with suitable accommodations for your circumstances. Fasting test, glucose load, repeat test exactly x min later, both samples to lab, phone patient with results.

The blood taker, equipment, forms etc are sited in the antenatal clinic for convenience and economy, but theres no technical reason not to take the samples at home or a local clinic unless you live in the Antarctic and the lab is so far away that the samples would go funny before they were processed. It's only hospital usual-care systems which mean a day's child care.

I didn't need gtt in the latest pregnancy, but had some complications which could have been logistically nightmarish. When i told the community midwife and day assessment unit about ds1 and the family's overall needs they made sure I got the right treatments with minimal messing-about.

TBH, I agree with lougle about the risks. Plus, handled tactfully, you can become known (in the new local health sector) as "Star, the reasonable, sensible mum, unfortunately messed about by Herts". Which may come in handy at a later date.

And if it's a fraction high, then you can ask the midwife to confer with consultant about how best to establish whether it's a 'true' positive or not, because with your situation you can't risk either a) a preventable complication which would mean a stay on the post-natal ward nor b) unnecessary intervention for a non-problem

Thanks Leonie and everyone.

There is just nothing I can do in the short term about getting a GTT done, and I cannot make the talk appointment they have made for me for a group talk about GD with strip collection on Monday. I'm not being difficult. There is just no solution except to take my DD half way across London post operation when I have been told to keep her in for 10 days due to very serious dangers of infection.

I have just bought a monitor and will take fasting and after meal readings every day until I can figure out how to arrange and access the GTT/talk etc. if they still insist when they have the readings. So at least there will be data/monitoring. They were going to give me strips anyway so I'm doing what they want just without the talk etc.

I'll call the diabetic midwife on Mon morning to explain why I can't make the talk and ask if she has any opinion on how often I measure and when with the machine and first opportunity I'll register with a GP and add a letter asking to see community mw ASAP.

I will explain why I am declining the growth scan (which I am). I suspect one of their reasons for insisting on one is that the details of my 20 week one is missing from my notes, but with effort they should be retrieved easily enough.

I have read a lot now about the risks associated with GD. I might change my mind as I learn more but I can't see why they would prevent either a mlu or a home birth provided certain precautions are taken.

But thank you so much everyone for helping me work through this. I'm not sure I can gain a reputation for 'doing as I'm told' with this, but hopefully I can explain myself and still come across as sensible rather than irresponsible and gung ho!

Leonie, my glucose levels for random bloods during pg and my readings today are fine. I suspect it's just a matter of satisfying the mw.

Wrt home birth, I do know quite a lot wrt the issues and the risks associated with GD are ones that I believe for MY BABY and ME are safer to be dealt with in a home environment than a hospital. I believe I can argue that one pretty well if/when the time comes. I know it won't be an easy battle but it's one I'll be confident in.

Star, I don't know quite what to say, except that at the end of the day, the only person you have to satisfy is yourself.

Not quite the same, but I stuck religiously to the food/care advices when pregnant with DD1. My reasoning? A) I've always felt that no matter how 'small' the risk, it's 100% if it happens to you. B) I know that I am the sort of person who would rigorously examine my conduct and my decisions to see if I could be in any way responsible if something did go wrong.

I admit, I am quite interventionist (for myself). I pulled the plug on DD1's pregnancy when they scanned me at 39+6 and declared her small for dates. They said they didn't want me to go too far over, so would have me in at the weekend. I said 'I'm here...induce me now'.

I pulled the plug on DD2's pregnancy when she stopped growing at 35 weeks. They didn't know why, they didn't seem to be that interested in finding out why, but couldn't reassure me that she would be ok if left. Only that they had 'seen worse'. I told them that if they couldn't tell me why and couldn't tell me she would be ok, then I wanted her out. NOW. The registrar said no, the Consultant said that I was perfectly justified in my reasoning, and induced me the next morning.

I pulled the plug on DD3's pregnancy. Slowing growth, low amniotic fluid, general sense that all was not well. She was induced at 38+6.

DD's 2&3 were either or situations. Either could have been justified. I was confident that I responded well to induction (DD1 was a 4 hour labour from an unfavourable cervix with no syntocin).

The thing that has stayed with me, is that during DD1's diagnostic process, the first thing I was asked about was my pregnancy. I was asked if I had done anything, taken anything, eaten anything which wasn't usually recommended. I could say no.

I'm not saying don't investigate. But, there comes a time when I wonder if you need to battle so much, so much of the time? If it had been me, and it was genuinely impossible, I would instinctively be asking to postpone, not trying to change the system to match my expectations.

Lougle, thank you for your post. I think you misunderstand though. I AM postponing (except the scan). But doing more than that in monitoring what thy are concerned about in the interim, until I can rearrange, - just in case.

I have reason to believe that the management of DS' birth triggered his autism and would not be able to live with myself if I put myself in a position of a likely repeat. Long before I found out about his disability I had researched extensively birth practices, protocols, policies and outcomes as i was suffering PTSD.

It isn't about my 'rights' above all else. It is about believing that this baby has a likely genetic predisposition for ASD and reducing those factors that might trigger it. It is also about weighing up those with the consequences of potential GD (and other things) for the baby. Only DH and I can balance the risks.

I was shredded giving birth to my dd, which could have been avoided if I'd had intervention at that stage, but I didn't mind being ripped for the sake of a gentle, peaceful and calm delivery. Unless that was made absolutely clear to the midwife they woukd most likely instinctively intervene to save my fanjo. My birth plan stated 'no coaching and no touching'. I was simply trying to avoid the escalation of panic and commotion and the overriding of my birth instincts that occurred during Ds' birth.

I just can't believe that a process and hormone triggers that has given me 5 years of PTSD cannot have had at least some affect on Ds' brain too.

Star, thanks for clarifying; I can see that there are lots of complex factors which are working together. Aren't there always in our world?

I hope that you can find a balance that will give you peace in these last few weeks. You have so much on your plate in so many ways, you need something to give, so that you don't.

Bottom line is that they will not want a freebirthing mother. At the end of the day, their options are "accommodate this expectant mother's peculiar and individual circumstances" or "have mother deliver without midwifery support at home".

Do pace yourself though. You've got a lot of intense stuff to be doing in the next few weeks.

Yes, thank you Lougle, and Leonie.

It does all sound quite mad at the moment but in someways none of is as bad as it seems. It's kind of like your perspectives all adjust and a high drama level becomes a normal level. If I'm honest I think I'm through the worst logistically now that we're moved and Ds is settled in his school. Having met the very friendly mothers of his class mates I realise I am not alone in the craziness. A number have their own quite mad stories. I find that helpful.

Now I've obsessively found a 'solution' to the latest problem it doesn't feel like much of one any more and I can get on with things.

I think the hardest thing about seeking solutions on here and in rl is that most of the normal sensible solutions and advice have to be answered with a 'yeah but' which makes me look and feel difficult and stubborn and I suspect reduces the willingness of people to help. I can understand that. It must be immensely frustrating.

Having said that I have had lots of lovely PMs from mners who have offered to travel considerable distances to help with childcare. which is lovely but makes 'yeah but' 10 times worse.