thanks melbel. Went to the doc today, turns out they never got told I had GD!!! Go figure huh. I also checked my fasting glucose this morning, 6.3. At lunchtime was 5.7 so that was nice. I'm doing a blood test tomorrow on fasting glucose and if that's "grey" then the doc will do the 2 hour glucose challenge. I've read something on the net that says that fasting glucose can miss some people and the 2 hr should be done also. Anyone else heard that as well? (not that I want to do the 2 hr particularly, but I wanna know if I'm clear i'm REALLY clear IYKWIM!).
I got a positive test result from my GTT two days ago so I guess I have gestational diabetes. I had it in my last pg as well so not a total shock but still really disappointing. I was diet controlled last time and hoped that by being really good and sticking to my diet from the beginning I would avoid it. Unfortunately, not the case and in fact my results came back worse this time than they did in my last pg even though I weigh less, have eaten better and excercised regularly
I have an appointment with the list of specialists that I have to see next Tuesday so I will find out if I need to be diet controlled or have to go on insulin this time.
There are a few things that I am already a bit worried about - last time they induced me at 38 weeks because my baby was 'huge'. It took 3 days for labour to establish and DS was born at 38 weeks, 3 days weighing a whooping 8 pound 4 ounces (that is said very tongue in cheek - I don't think he is that huge - DD was born at 39 weeks 1 day after a spontaneous labour and only weighed 8 pound 5 ounces but she was 3cm shorter than DS). I really don't want to be induced this time - especially because I think their measurements are entirely incorrect.
I was also hoping to leave the hospital very soon after giving birth. Hospital policy here is that once I have even one shot of insulin in my pg, my baby has to go straight to special care and stays there for a few days. I really want to avoid insulin if possible. Even if the baby doesn't go to special care, both me and the baby have to be monitored for 24 hours after birth with regular blood glucose tests to ensure that everything is normal. It breaks my heart when they take blood from the baby
Anyway, that's me and where I am up to. I am so disappointed to be doing all this again (my specialist clinic appointment experiences were less than pleasant last time as well) but at least this time I have BB, so I am hoping it gets me through a bit better.
Townsvillegirl, sorry about your test results. I guess on the plus side, you've been there done that, so you know what you have ahead of you. I can completely understand your concern regarding having bub taken to special care. I had GD and was on insulin. I was on it 3 times per day for a total of 18 units at the end from memory. I was also told that the baby would be in special care for 24 hours for monitoring of blood sugar. At the last minute, before I had my c/s (he was breech so was booked in at 39wks) I was told he wouldn't be going to special care as they were full. They just as easily took his levels on the ward. His numbers were fine. They got a bit low by the 4th test, but I had next to no colostrum so we had to give him a bit of formula to get the levels up. Had he needed to, they obviously would have found a place for him in special care, but obviously it wasn't a medical necessity to have him in there (even though it is generally their policy). As for size, my DS was 7lb9oz so there goes the GD babies are huge theory out the window!
Although I was on insulin, my GD was controlled which would have contributed to DS having no problems as well. I think to have them in special care for a few days is a bit over the top to be honest. If I were you, I would really push the issue if you want bub with you and she's perfectly fine. Hopefully you wont end up on insulin though, so you wont have to worry about it.
edaj84 - i'm not sure that it's a case of being absolutely necessary, but could possibly be necessary. there are a couple of good threads re-GD stickied at the top of this forum.
i was induced on my due date - the dr asked me if i wanted to be induced at 38 weeks & i refused & mananged to hold out till the EDD. i was having weekly CTG monitoring & a check on fluid around the baby. the results were always fine. i didn't feel equipped/strong enough to push things further than my due date even though i didn't think it was necessary - i allowed myself to be overwhelmed by a medical professional who was telling me it was what i should do. part of me wishes i'd pushed for even another week but hindsight is a wonderful thing & the most important thing is that i have a healthy baby.
I was here about a year ago with GD. Ethan in nearly 1 now! and I am nearly 30 weeks with another. Belfie I remember you from last time!
Anyway I had my GTT yesterday, haven't got results yet, but they did take my bsl and they are a little on the high side so I'm expecting THE CALL. Fasting was 6.3 and two hour (asked them to do that for me for my own curiosity) was 8.2.
Just been reading a few posts and wanted to add my 2c worth.
Induction - From what I understand there are a couple of factors for dr preferring inductions. One being a higher chance of bigger babies (growth scans can be 20% out too, that can be on the higher side, or like me on the lower side). PLus there is also a chance of the placenta failing if you go on insulin. I was on insulin for about 8 weeks (low amounts about 11's I think) and my placenta looked great.
Special Care - I know that each hospital is different but nothing was mentioned to me about it being policy to go there at my hospital. I was induced with gels at 8pm, waters broke at 12.30am and Ethan was born without complications at 1.47am. The nurses asked me to check my levels during labor, rather difficult to do wiht contractions coming one on top of the other and it was 6.5 so they were happy.
Ethan stayed with us for most of the night. He did go withthe nurses to have his bsls done and for a couple of hours as he was a little unsettled and I needed sleep. Other than that we were all set th bath him the next morning and be home by lunchtime. Nurses check Ethan's temp before his bath and it was a little low, so checked bsl and yep down a little so they suggested that we stay in one more night and monitor them, and all being well could go home the next morning. He stayed with us the entire time except for having his bsls done (which one of us went with them for anyway), and yep we were home around lunch on day 2. Just my little story.
My question is - Has anyone had to have an insulin drip during labor? I knew nothing of this my entire pg. No one mentioned anything to me about it until I actually arrived at the hospital for my induction. Apparently they were meant to organise it at my last app, which I had cancelled (was going to a big hositpal an hour away and as far as they told be was just going to have a look at my levels,adjust insulin if needed and on my way. Levels were fine so I cancelled).
No one has mentioned anything again this time so far either. I will try to remember to ask about it next time, but just wanted to know if anyone had had it and why do we need it.
Hi Becci - sorry don't know much about the insulin drip during labour but I was reading about it as a general way of managing diabetes yesterday (I received my NDSS new member package and they had info about insulin in there). Apparently a drip is a common way to administer insulin. Sorry don't know much more about it than that.
Thanks for your response Megan. It's nice to not feel so alone with all of this.
As far as induction goes - I don't think it is always necessary. It needs to be assessed on each individual level. I was induced at 38 weeks in my last pg because I had a 'large' baby (DS was born weighing 3.8kg) and they are already trying to get me prepared for having an induction this time as well. I don't believe it was necessary for me last time. I had the gel inserted on Tuesday night and started having contractions straight away. When they did an internal on Wednesday morning, they concluded that my uterus was irritated by teh gel and therefore contracting but they weren't the type that caused dialation. They inserted more gel. They allowed me to go on like that for another day before finally breaking my waters. That got labour started and DS was born 48 hours after I had the first gel inserted. I would really like to avoid going through all that again. Especially since i don't think DS was unusually large. I haven't made any decisions this time as far as induction goes because I want to wait and see the baby's measurements and see how my GD goes, but I don't trust my endocrinologist and I have no other choice but him so I am just waiting to see what happens.
Well, my sugars have been fairly unmanageable so far this time. I have only been monitoring BSL so far (I had my first appointment a week ago and have my next one in a weeks time). They are not hugely sky rocketed, but I am getting readings around 8 one and a half to two hours after eating. I have been really careful with my diet and nothing seems to be helping. I am a bit worried that I am going to end up on insulin. I weigh about 5kg less than I did this time last pg and was hoping that being a lower weight would mean that my BSL was a bit better. Unfortunately, it is higher and diet is not doing the trick. I think it must just be the hormones. Damn!
I am also getting a bit sick of people feeling sorry for me. I even got a big sympathetic speech from the midwife at the hospital that told me I was GD again. I felt like I was consoling her in the end. My family (not DH and the kids but extended family) have also been too sympathetic. They keep reminding me of all the things I can't eat. Seriously, it doesn't bother me. I think about all the things I can have and how I can enjoy them and I really don't mind. I do mind having to constantly convince people that I am ok with it all. I am going on holidays in a couple of weeks and they keep telling me it is so hard to eat really healthily on holidays. I don't agree. I think it just takes planning and I wish they would stop being so discouraging. I don't have a choice. This is what I have to do to have a healthy baby, it is not a big deal. Anyway, that is my vent for the moment.
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