Late Pregnancy And Diabetes

debnlee_2

hi everybody im hoping that you nice people can help put my mind at rest, im 34 wks pregnant due on 15th dec. its baby number 3, up untill now everything has been fine except the baby measuring a bit bigger then it should be the last few times ive been to see the midwife. daughter num one was only 6lb 6 born at 37.5wks daughter num 2 was 8lb.8 born at 41.5 wks. im a bit of bigger girl now then when i was with the other two so this baby being measured larger didnt seem anything out the ordinary we just though it would be bigger because im bigger!!
anyway ive been to the m/w this morning my urine was normal never showed anything up, my blood pressure was normal, but the baby has measured even bigger much more then would have been expected at 31wks he measured at 2200 grams about 4lb 12 then today ( only 3wks later) hes measuring at 3200g about 7lb 1. the midwife seemed rather worried and phoned the hospital there and then to make me an appointment at the hospital for a gtt next week, she says this is to test for diabetes they take my blood give me some lucazade to drink then test it after i will be there for a few hours apparently.can anybody shed any light on this test, have you had it done? im really worried now i know it might not be anything other then a big baby but im concerned if i have got gestational diabetes , what it will mean how will it affect my pregnancy, birth and baby? ive tried to read up on this morning on the net but everything is so hard to understand im just not taking it all in. can anyone help please? thanks in advance

Krystaltips

Hiya, I had a GTT when having my DD. Think I had it at 28 weeks though... You basically turn up at the hospital with an empty stomach. They take your blood then give you a sugary solution.. Then your blood gets tested after an hour and then about another hour.. It is to see how well you break the sugar down.

TBH, if there was no sugar in your urine I wouldn't of thought there would be a big panic... Sometimes measurements don't accurately track a baby, I was scanned at 36 weeks with DD and she was completely off the charts, at 38 weeks she was back within normal range. The sonographer just said 'Oh, whoever did it last time probably made an error' and that was that... DD was born 2 weeks later weighing 8lb15oz

I really would try not to worry, there's nothing you can change right now... Go for the test, if it comes back fine then it's just 3 hours out of your day... If it comes back showing you have GD then they will talk you through everything at the hospital there and then... And it's only for a few more weeks and you will have your bouncing baby!

nottslass_2

Right,first thing stop worrying,I had gestational diabetes with ds now 6,was diagnosed at 26 weeks because they routinely tested me, as my first pregnancy produced a 9.2lb whopper (ouch) Looking back, I think that I probably had gestational diabetes in my first pregnancy but it went undiagnosed.

Anyway,after I was diagnosed I was very closely monitored,and had to attend the hospital every week ,they arranged for me to see a dietitian who advised me on what to eat, other than that all I had to do was test my blood sugar levels before and after every meal,fortunately I did not need insulin.

I was induced as soon as I got to 40 weeks,as my blood sugar levels were starting to rise and I probably would have had to start on insulin had I not been to term.

Apparently mothers with diabetes can carry twice as much fluid,so I got very large at the end,and when my waters went its safe to say there was more than a trickle !!

During the birth my blood sugar levels were monitored carefully and afterwords I had to remain in hospital overnight to they could test that the babies blood sugar levels were stable,everything was OK and I was allowed home the next day.

At my 6 week check I had another GTT and was given the all clear,and advised to have a check every year for the next 5 years as there is a 50% chance of developing diabetes. I was advised to watch my weight and take regular exercise,as these were the best things to do to prevent it.


If you have any more questions I'll do my best to help.

Good luck

sarymclary

Hi,

Oooh, you're baby is due on my birthday! Congratulations!!

I had this test with my 2nd baby because I measured so much bigger with him.

My 1st baby was 7lb 9oz at 41.3wks. I was absolutely huge with my 2nd baby, but hadn't gained much weight myself (in fact I lost 2st during the pregnancy). The test is taken because gestational diabetes does create larger babies due to the higher levels of sugar in the mother's blood, which can prove more difficult to deliver, or need a caesarean for, it can mean you have more amniotic fluid too.

I had to have the blood test, plus an MRI scan to see if my pelvis was going to be large enough to deliver. I'm only 5ft tall, with size 3 feet, which were a factor in the consultant's worry.

My diabetes test came back fine. I had to have my labour induced at 40.4wks, as they didn't think they could risk the baby getting any bigger. I was expecting this huge porker of a baby to pop out! As it turned out, it was the easiest delivery of all of my 4 babies (despite losing contractions during latter part of stage 2 of delivery), and yes he was big at 9lb (biggest baby born in my family), but he wasn't a chubby baby at all, he was just very long! There was also a huge amount of amniotic fluid (it was like a scene out of Hawaii 5'O when they went)! He has always been much taller than all my other children, and at 2 was as tall as his older brother who was 4!

Have a look here: http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/diabetes_in_pregnancy.html

My sister had gestational diabetes in her 3rd pregnancy, and with all her pregnancies suffered with oedema (swelling & fluid retention). She just had to keep an eye on her diet, and was more regularly checked by her midwife at antenatal checkups to ensure her blood sugar levels stayed stable. Her son was a bit jaundiced at birth, but was otherwise fine. My 3rd son was born with jaundice, but without there having been any diabetes present.

It's much safer to have the test, and find out if you have gestational diabetes, because you will get more regular check ups, and they will take extra precautions for you and your baby, so it's got to be a good thing.

Hope that helps, but if you need more information, ring your midwife.

Js_Other_Half

i had the Glucose Tolerance Test at 29 weeks which showed I had gestational diabetes - despite no symptoms. My consultant has all of his patients with PCOS tested for it as it's more common in that group.

Anyway, monitored at dietician clinic every week or two, and saw a consultant 3 times in last trimester. Ds born by section at 40 + 2 weighing 7lb 5oz.