do you have to have the GD check?

[Mumma2three]

They said I had it the first time, I was 175cm tall and 70 kilos, so still right in the middle of healthy weight range when not pregnant. Anyway, I had to ***** my finger 4 times a day and monitor what I ate. I dont' believe I had it at all, as not once when I did the ***** test, was I even slightly above AVERAGE let alone high.
Second time they said the first test was high, so I went for second test and they poked and prodded me (think I had three needles in one hand, 2 in other, and both arms as they couldn't get a good vein.......) and I was fine.
I have been debating whether to have it this time. Both my babies were full term and weighed 3.3 kilos so absolutely no risk of being big (which is one of main concerns of GD). So not sure if I will. Good to hear people's opinions, I think I might avoid it this time. xoxo

[Junglemum]

I'm not sure how much family history or, 'how you feel' plays into the GD equation........ a lean, fit girlfriend of mine, with a good diet and no prior history family history of any type of diabetes, ended up getting GD with her second pregnancy. She modified her diet and gave birth to a beautiful 10lb baby boy.

But as people have pointed out, you don't have to have the test at all. When i had it first time i had the drink, went away, then went back an hour later foor the blood sample. I know there is a GTT and a GCT which take different amounts of time. But i am pretty sure the basic one only takes an hour. Although different pathology places prob have different protocols. If you wanted to have it done and time was an issue, you could ring around a few pathology places and find someone that does the hour test.

Totally up to you.

[sunshine_sieben]

Risk factors for GD:
- have a family history of gestational diabetes (ie mother, grandmother or sister had it)
- you have previously given birth to a large baby (weighing over 4.5kg/9lb 14)
- you have previously had a stillbirth
- are overweight or obese
- have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Symptoms of GD:
- increased thirst
- needing to urinate frequently
- tiredness
but these are all common in pregnancy anyway.

GD isn't an immediate threat to your or your baby but if not managed it incresaes the risk of things like:
- Pre-eclampsia
- Premature Delivery
- Having too much amniotic fluid
- a big baby
- c/s delivery
- low blood sugar in the baby after birth
- jaundice in the newborn
- congenital problems of the baby like heart defect
- slightly increased risk of stillbirth or neonatal death

My friend had a 9lb baby girl. when she later talked to an OB (not the one she saw for her birth) and he found out she didn't have the GD test and gave birth to a 9lber, he said: "Such a huge baby, I'm sure you actually had GD, you should have had the test,..."
WTH??? 9lb isn't that huuuge? She's tall, so is her husband. What a strange thing to say.

Saša

[LaDeeDa]

my DF was 12lbs...... no GD there.....

OMG 12lbs - can I book in for the stork now?????

[sunshine_sieben]

12 lb????? That's amazing!

[LaDeeDa]

MIL is 6'1, FI; 6ft and DF is nearly 6'5'

poor little dee = 5'3 ...

[sunshine_sieben]

I think you should consider renaming peanut and calling him/her coconut...

My SIL is TINY. She's Phillipino. My brother is 1.95m (sorry, not up with feet and inches). My mum is 1.72m, Dad is 1.83m, but SIL is 1.50m. Even with high heels she barely reaches his shoulder. Her son was 3.2kg, so quite big for her size. Unfortunately I can't report about a trouble free natural birth here, he ended up pushing onto her kidneys and they were impaired. The noticed at 38 weeks. She had a healthy baby boy a couple of day later, born through the sunroof (they were worried she wasn't strong enough for an induced labour, due to the impaired kidney function).
But, her mother had 4 children, all over 3kg, all born naturally, no drugs or intervention. Her father was just as tiny as the rest of them, so it seems that big babies run in her family and are not necessarily caused by my family's size.
Nt sure why I'm telling, you... just found it interesting.

Good luck with your birth DD!

Saša

[snowchickie79]

Just wanted to say that although the risk factors outline who may be more prone to GD, these are not always the case. I fit absolutely none of the risk factors and I got GD. I've always been active and a healthy eater, and within my recommended BMI, if not on the low side and I still got GD. Alot of it has to do with how your body and placenta deals with the extra work load from baby.

I considered not having the GD test as I was sick of tests (and had been through CVS) and because I didn't fit any of the risk factors, but as it goes I had GD so I was glad it was picked up..

It's an easy test and takes an hour to do so I would say best to rule it out...

[Antheia]

My friend had a 9lb baby girl. when she later talked to an OB (not the one she saw for her birth) and he found out she didn't have the GD test and gave birth to a 9lber, he said: "Such a huge baby, I'm sure you actually had GD, you should have had the test,..."
WTH??? 9lb isn't that huuuge? She's tall, so is her husband. What a strange thing to say.

Sa?a

That really gets under my nose. I have never had GD and have birthed a 9.5lb and a 9lb baby. Yet doctors still ask me if i am sure i didn't have GD. Grr! I was born 9lb myself and back then they thought something was really wrong with me. Repeat sugar tests every few hours and my mum never got to see me until i was 2 days old! Oh but they never took it into account that i was 3 weeks late.