Megan with all type of diabetes there are risks to the baby. The risks are not so much these days with better monitoring techniques etc but a lot of obstetricians are stuck in the conservative better out than in policy. Rare risks include placental degradation without warning as with diabetes everything develops earlier and therefore gets to the point of degrading earlier....it used to be a significant risk but now with CTG, regular ultrasounds it is something that can be better managed. Also there is a risk of macrosomia if th diabetes is uncontrolled.....macrosomia doesnt just mean a big baby, it means a disproportionally big baby....one with a much larger stomach than head. This means you birth the head part all hunky dorey but then baby gets stuck.....big issues can occur. Again this was a real risk in the past but not so much these days if you are well monitored. And then again the opposite can occur where you get growth retardation due to excessive sugar levels impeding the circulation of important growth nutrients through the placenta...this is more an issue with long standing diabetics whose general circualtion can be impaired not so much GD'ers.
So you can see why some OBs take a conservative approach especially around the 38 week mark.......you are lucky to have found an Ob who is more up with the play on modern monitoring techniques and focussed on the reality of these small risks rather than the hype that surrounds them.
You hear stories all the time (and i have seen some posted here in the news sections) about women who have birthed like 15lb babies and it says in the article that the woman had GD. This invokes fear in a lot of people espesh those who are pregnant themselves. the reality is that those women would have had to have had uncontrolled, severe GD and been uncompliant to treatment plans in order to grow such a big baby with such health issues. People like the responsible ones I see on these forums are doing the right thing by minimising the risks and monitoring things etc and they have all gone on to have healthy happy babies whether induced early or gone to term.
If your doctor wants to induce and you are not happy with that then i would ask a lot of questions about the why they want that....push for regular monitoring etc if you think it is just the GD that is influencing their decision.....but if you are happy to be induced then thats okay too....at least all the testing and injecting will be over!!!
I hope this makes sense...was just trying to answer megans questions and it has turned into a bit of a ramble!
Thanks for all that info mel I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something with regards to how my situation is being dealt with. Obviously I would prefer to go into labour spontaneously, but not at any risk to the baby. The OB and endo are both really happy with how things have gone, I was diagnosed early and it's been well controlled (bsl average at 5.4) which I guess is why he is happy to let me go with the extra monitoring at 38w rather than being induced then. Still a bit of a way to go until then, and anything can happen but I just needed to be clear that I didn't have any other reason to question him, and there were no other risks I hadn't been made aware of.
Myson, a big fatty boomba baby....when I had my 4d scan the lady told me he had really chubby cheeks and they're the first words that came to mind!! lol I'm hoping it's not a sign!
Megan, my Dr told me that because of the GD there wouldn't be any way that she'd let me go past 40 weeks because of the deterioration of the placenta and size of bubs.... At my scan at 33w 3d bubs was measuring 13 days ahead at nearly 6lb..... On Tues bubs was only 6 days ahead at 7lbs 13oz....... And now with the high BP she's concerned that the nutrients aren't getting across the placenta to bubs which is why she's looking at inducing me next week...... But if it stays down, which it has for the last 3 days without meds I'm hoping that I'll be left to go into labour naturally, unless I go over the 40 week mark.....
I think alot depends on your Dr, and the monitoring they have available to them...... Mine has everything available, which is why she has only said she's looking at inducing, it's not quite a definate yet......
Thanks Vanessa. I'll be happy to go with the extra monitoring from 38w and see how things go from there. I have been told over and over by my DE, OB and midwife that if my levels are controlled then there should be no effect on the placenta and I would be treated like any other woman, but the extra monitoring will be available (which obviously I would take). Then I keep seeing women (at the hospital I go to with private OB's - I'm public) where they have been induced as early as 34wks because they have GD and these women had not had any growth scans, or other monitoring. The fact they had a GD diagnosis was enough for the OB to induce early. I guess I should be happy my dr is not booking me in for an induction next week, but hearing of 2 women I know being induced at 34w with controlled GD has had me in a bit of a panic.
Megan, I would be worried if they are happy to induce at 34 weeks too.... That is a little too early for my liking, just my opinion though...... Bubs lungs aren't fully developed until 38 weeks, and there isn't enough surfactant in the lungs prior to that to make an easy start to life...... This is why my doc is hanging off til next week anyway.....
If your levels are good, I'm sure that you'll be fine, I think it is more if you are looking like you are gonna go past 40 weeks that they'll make the decision to induce...... Or if you get a secondary condition like me.... GD does put us at higher risk of having hypertension, which they want to prevent from developing into preeclampsia....... So I think a lot will also depend on what your BP does in the last few weeks...... Mine had been great until last Tues when it went up, then down, then up again on the weekend..... Now it is down again and we are playing the game of wait and see.....
thats what I thought too. The DE couldn't believe it when the ladies told her, and surprise surprise they both had the same OB. I couldn't imagine going along with a decision like that without good reason, but some people put all their trust in their OB and go along with whatever they decide without fully understanding the situation and possible issues that could arise. But, everyone is different, and I am just the sort of person who would question it, and until the DE said something to them, it didn't occur to these two ladies that it may not be necessary.
WOW 34 weeks sounds way to early, means special care for the little bubba. I dont think id be happy with my OB if he wanted to take her out that early for no other reason than Gest Diabetes.
I have had ongoing issues with BP as well thats why he is happy if i get to 38 weeks, sugars levels have been very hard as the preg has progressed to keep under control.
Im very happy to get her out at 38 weeks, its been a tough couple of weeks, think it will be the best thing for me and bub. Im sure if sugars were better and BP good he would let me keep going.
Thats scary that there are docs out there that would take a baby out at 34 weeks for no good reason!
myson, megan, kellbell, V21 - thank you so much for your kind words and support snowchickie - oh don't be silly you're far from upsetting me! i can't thank you enough for the information and kind kind words at such "trying" times for me!
34 weeks! i'm freaking out!! but i agree too. it does sound too early. baby may also have to be put in an incubator! from what i understand, my hospital's policy doesnt allow delivering babies under 38 weeks (they'll be transferred to public hospitals), perhaps that's the reason why mine has suggested inducing/caesarean at 38 weeks intead? am not too sure abt it.
so i went to see the endo for the first time 2 days ago and he gave me a choice either tablets (Metformin) or insulin injections. tablets for me, of course i don't know why he gave me 2 options to choose from. from what i heard/read of, tablets are usually not suitable for pregnancies. apparently he said that idea has been outdated and now they're finding tablets are safe for pregnancies. anyway, i found out he's a qualified ob as well so i guess he knows what he's talking about. is all endo a qualified ob too? i've not heard many GD controlling with tablets, either.
so right now i'm on Metformin (1 tablet before bed first 3 days, then increase to 2 tablets before bed). am looking out for any side-effects. will keep you posted
hope you don't mind me jumping in but i just got the call to tell me that i have GD. i had my long GTT on wed. i'm only 23 weeks but the last ob i saw referred me straight for the long test. i'm actually totally gutted. at the test i could see that my fasting BS levels were within the normal range (well, i think so - it was under 6) but obviously the other results weren't so good.
they've told me i have to go to a group session on tuesday & then another appt the following tues where they'll be able to decide from my readings during the week whether or not i need insulin. i'm comfortable with the idea of diabetes in general - there's a family history of late onset type 2 on my mum's side & DP's mum has type 1 & so does a close friend. so it's not the testing, eating or potential of insulin that's freaking me out (although would obviously love to avoid the need to inject myself!)...it's just that i had my heart so set on a natural birth and now i feel like the chance is slipping away. i really, really don't want to be induced & would like to avoid a c-sect unless absolutely necessary.
plus i hate group things i'm so not a joiner!
okay, now i've had my mini meltdown (i figure better than having a sook in the middle of the office!) i'll have to go back & read the rest of this thread.
Sorry to intrude on your thread...don't really belong here!
I had gd with ds1 that I was on 4 high dose insulin shot s a day and was still uncontrolled and was induced @ 37w Noah was born 9pd 4.5 anyway this time i had a couple of 2hr gtt's 1 at 18w and 1 at 28w passed both with flying colours so no gd!!
Anyway my mum is a diabetic so on occasion i've used her test kit to reassure me and yesterday she popped round after work and I had a level of 3.7 about 3hrs before this i had 3rows of caramel filled chocolate, as well as a cheese and bacon roll and had been drinking cordial in the meantime I actually thought maybe her machine was broken because i felt fine! So although this was reassuring that i don't have gd is it actually possible that my level was so low but i felt fine??? anyone know??
I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something with regards to how my situation is being dealt with. Obviously I would prefer to go into labour spontaneously, but not at any risk to the baby. The OB and endo are both really happy with how things have gone, I was diagnosed early and it's been well controlled (bsl average at 5.4) which I guess is why he is happy to let me go with the extra monitoring at 38w rather than being induced then. Still a bit of a way to go until then, and anything can happen but I just needed to be clear that I didn't have any other reason to question him, and there were no other risks I hadn't been made aware of.
a big fatty boomba baby....when I had my 4d scan the lady told me he had really chubby cheeks and they're the first words that came to mind!! lol I'm hoping it's not a sign!
And now with the high BP she's concerned that the nutrients aren't getting across the placenta to bubs which is why she's looking at inducing me next week...... But if it stays down, which it has for the last 3 days without meds I'm hoping that I'll be left to go into labour naturally, unless I go over the 40 week mark.....
Now it is down again and we are playing the game of wait and see.....
I actually thought maybe her machine was broken because i felt fine! So although this was reassuring that i don't have gd is it actually possible that my level was so low but i felt fine??? anyone know??
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