I've decided to decline the GD test...tell me I'm not crazy?!

[skybie]

I passed both my GD tests, and ended up getting GD AFTER 28 weeks with izzy which was undiagnosed and i then developed Type 1 diabetes, so please be careful. My placenta failed because of my diabetes,and now Jack's gone. it can happen if u have undiagnosed GD. dnt mean to scare u but whats so hard about going and getting a blood test done?
If you're looking for reassurance with ur decision then u clearly arent 100% happy with it

[damprye]

If you are worried you may have made a wrong call, you could always get a test kit yourself. They are about $50 or you could just borrow a friends from time to time if you know anyone that has one. Most kits come with more than one needle so you don't have to worry about getting something as long as it gets changed before and after each time you use it if you decide to go the friend route HTH

[*TripleJ*]

ummmm 74kg pre preg sounds awesome to me i am the same height as u and i was 67kg pre DS preg and i gained 25kg so u are fine i didnt have GD for either so i seriously would only be worried if u feel crappy

[Traveller]

Completely understand your decision. The test is pretty unpleasant and the risks of a false positive (and negative affects on your birth choices) are there. There are also benefits of having the test, and all you can do is weigh up the risks and benefits that mean the most to you.

[Lady-bug]

You're definitely not crazy. I have declined it this pregnancy. I just don't see what the benefit is of it. I believe I would 'know' if I had it, I would feel it within myself, and like you say diet and excercise has a lot to do with it. So if I suspected I had it I would address those issues first and go from there.
From what I have read of your posts you seem to be very in tune with your body. Go with your gut feeling, if you don't need the test don't have it.

There are always going to be people who believe you should have it and people who believe you don't need to. If you haven't already I would highly recommend reading some of Dr. Sarah J. Buckley's stuff, she has some great info about this!

[PumpkinZulu]

I'm not on top of all your reasons PZ but I imagine it's because a positive result would impact on your birthing choices because you'd be labelled high risk. I think labelling someone high risk just because they have GD is sheer lunacy so I can understand that you'd be deterred from taking the test I don't see how someone who manages their GD and keeps their blood sugars down is any higher risk than anyone else.

I had it in my second pregnancy and yes, it's totally random who gets it and who doesn't. I think that you will physically have a bit of an idea that you have it as I felt like I'd been hit by a truck until I got on the insulin (I could only manage mine with diet, not with exercise because I was basically in a wheelchair because of SPD).

So ... carry on doing what you're doing and if you feel dodgy then it's never too late to take the test (as far as I know).

Yep that was the deciding factor for me, the high risk. I feel like so long as I modify my diet a bit and keep being active, I'm doing something positive. I believe that if I wasn't slightly over my BMI I would not have been offered to even do the test, as I'm 20 and otherwise healthy Hmm need to start looking at lower GI foods, might start a new thread for that one...

[KarenM]

I was in the same situation as you - didn't really see the need to do it as this is bub #3 and I haven't had any problems before and pretty low risk. A few weeks ago when I was about 29 weeks I was feeling really weird so thought I should maybe do it just in case. GD test came back fine but they did find my iron was down to 4 (from 30 at 12 weeks) so in a way I am glad I did it as I would not want to be approaching labour with such low iron. I am of the 'less-is-more' thinking also when it comes to testing in pregnancy and like you have done my research, but I knew in myself that something wasn't quite right so it was the right decision for me in retrospect.

[Harriet]

The midwife told me that while every test is offered - they are not always compulsary.
After I was offered the GD test, I came in to work and was told by my horrified collegues that I MUST have the test.
I think we live in a society where tests and intervention are the norm... people don't even think to question why they are being offered the test in the first place.
Have you discussed it with the midwife? I think it sounds like you have made the right decision for you - through looking after yourself and Isla through diet and exercise

[HotI]

My 2 cents worth - nope not crazy. If I were in your situation, I would have declined too. You are the best person to judge your unique risk factors and symtpoms. (Interesting, my hospital won't give me the option of declining....)

You always have the option of declining! It's your body, your choice.

[Roryrory]

i would worry if you did have it and it was undiagnosed, the risks you had put yourself and bub under?

As Skybie has said the risks can be quite extreme, but when I was in the situation of being told if I had the test and FAILED it I would be booted from the Sunshine Hospital Home Birth Program I elected to have the test "off line" (ie: I got a referral from a random GP and did not tell the hossy the results, even tho they turned out fine).

I did a lot of research into GD and on one view it is a "cure in search of a disease". That is, its questionable whether a positive reading on a test will necessarily be an indicator for the myriad of risks it is associated with. One of the big "risks" is a large baby, but from my reading it appears that this translates into scalpel-happy OBs wanting to perform a c-section "in case" the baby is big (and anyone who has bee on BB as long as you have PZ knows that small women can birth big babies and vice versa).

Like the others I don't know all your reasoning for declining the test but it is one of those choices you have to make and be comfortable with as a birthing woman. Motherhood is a constant balancing of risk and benefit.

ETA: Just realised you posted at the same time as me - are you on the sunshine program PZ???

[PumpkinZulu]

Yep Rory...I know you were, as soon as I joined I read your birth story lol. Yep, the reasons you stated are my reasons. Not worried about a big bub, I don't eat a whole lot of sugar and stuff to contribute to a bigger bub (as GD causes sugar to go through the placenta and makes bubs big). I *really* like the idea of having an 'offline' test, that way I do not risk losing my spot, but if I *did* have GD, I could re-evaluate my position.

[skybie]

its insulin tht makes a baby bigger not sugar, because insulin is a growth hormone.
the high risk factor of having GD isnt laughable as someone mentioned earlier, it is a high risk factor, theres a higher rate of still births in diabetic mothers than non diabetic mothers. My placenta didnt even make it to 38 weeks!

theres every chance you wont have Gd, yet given you're already technically 'overweight' i would think that that would be a factor, your body is already working harder to maintain your insulin levels, add onto that pregnancy which requires double the amount of insulin your non pregnant body needs.
yes some pople manage with diet and excersize but even the healthiest and fitest of mothers can end up on insulin, its not always something your body can control

[YoYo]

According to Singapore ob, I was 'borderline' gd. When I got to oz and showed them my results, they said I had gd. I, like you weighed about the same pre preg, ate well, actually lost weight BUT diabetes runs in my family so I thought better be safe than sorry and follow through testing myself after every meal in oz to prove that I just had to watch my diet.

I never once felt labelled, or thought of it negatively anyway, and dd came out a nice teeny 6lb 13oz and no trouble since.

It's up to you what you choose, but for me, it was nothing to write home about.


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[Roryrory]

PZ maybe go with the off line test then? Because there were legitimate risks (though small) I wanted to know for myself whether I had GD. I felt I would be in control and could make my call from there.

[skybie]

i have about 4 glucose monitors if u want me to send you one

[Cassius2]

yeah i reckon if you arent comfy with the decision 100% go for an offline test; that way you know if you are dealing with anything IYKWIM and can maybe keep on top of any possible anxiety that might come from NOT knowing ITMS.

[PumpkinZulu]

Thanks so much for the info guys, I think the offline test is a good idea for me to consider, not now as it still stresses me too much, but maybe in a week or two, as it's something that is sitting there in the back of my mind, though small, it is taunting me a tad.

Skye, I'd really appreciate that! What are they exactly, how are they used?

ETA I'm aware that sugar doesn't cause diabtetes...my understanding of GD and the reason for me cutting down on sugars is, as I understood it, the body passes excess sugar (glucose from the breaking down of foods, especially high GI foods) onto the bub through the placenta with GD, causing bub to grow fatser and bigger?

[DANNIIM]

I think there is a huge misconseption around diabetes in general that it is caused by too much sugar. As others have said if your happy with your decission thats good but you gotta be prepared for consequences that may arise and i think maybe to air on the side of caution take Skybie's offer of a glucose monitor.

Best of luck PZ