Bad news

[PregnantKate]

Im currently on Glibmenamide (or howver you spell it) for my gestational diabetes but after sspeaking with my specialist midwife today - she feels its not agreeing with me.

I have to go and see her on Thursday where I will be put on insulin. I didnt want this - I was hoping just diet change would be enough to control it but its not

 

[caroluk]

Hiya Kate,

I had to use insulin 3x daily when diagnosed with GD started off with 8 units and at 37 eeks wason 80units each time and i was totally freaked at the idea at first but it is what's best for the baby in the long run.

I actually found it very easy to use the insulin pen and it didn't hurt at all and i injected into my tummy as i dd get a sting when trying my thighs.

My GD wasn't diagnosed till 28 weeks so i had little time to get my blood sugars in control and seemed like everything i ate sent them high.

I had an amazing planned c section at 37wks+4 as along with GD i had severe SPD and baby was very big, Alex as born weighing a bumper 10lbs 4oz required SCBU for 48 hours as his sugar levels where 1.4 when he was born - they regulated him very quickly and just kept him there an extra 24 hours to kee heir eye on him ( they loved having a cuddle with him as big babies are rare in scbu )

How many weeks are you ?

I suspect i had GD in my 2nd pregnancy too but was never tested - Looking back i had many symptoms but knew nohing then and Christopher was 10lbs 4oz at 42wks hence why i was tested inmy 3rd pregnancy.

It does seem daunting at first having to use insulin but just told myself i was short ter only and the best for both of us.

Carol x

 

[willogs]

Kate

I had GD and used insulin from about 24 weeks, I know it was the best for me and my baby and god knows what would have happened without it? It is scary at first but the sooner you can accept it and understand its benefits the quicker it becomes part of the pregnancy. Ben was born 4 weeks early and weighed 8lb12oz, thank god I did not go any further, ow! I am now insulin dependant which has also been a shock and a life change but I know my boy was worth it!!!!

 

[PregnantKate]

Thank you so much

I was 29 weeks when I was diagnosed. This is my second baby.

Im so fed up I really am. I cant get my head around this diabetes stuff and I also have SPD making day to day life hard work.

Im hoping and preying they get baby out sooner rather then later. I had a growth scan at 32 weeks and baby was already 4lb 12oz with a head circumference of 31cm :shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[caroluk]

Hiya

I found my SPD more horrendous to deal with than the diabetes but yes having both is the pits BUT one good thing BOTH should disappear once baby is here. My SPD was gone almost immediately and 12 weeks after delivery my GTTest came back okay.

I was pregnant again 5 months later and treated immediately for GD insulin again etc but heartbreaking lost our baby girl at 18 weeks into the pregnancy 6 weeks later GTTest came back impaired- thus being GTTested again in Sept this year 12 months after and i am now type 2 diabetic.

The info i was given when pregnant was to eat carbs with every meal, my sugar level was never under 7.5 within an hour ad i had many hypos which were horrible and left me feeling upset an tearful on a regular basis.

I wish i had a magic wand for you - but it will get better! Hang on in there not long to go now and a scrumdidliumptious baby will be worth all of this :wink:

And growth scans can be out considerably either way - at 36 weeks they said Alex was 8lbs 3oz he was born 10 days later at 10lbs 4oz on the flip side a friend of mine was told to expect a 10lber and gave birth to a 6lbs 5oz baby .

A section was advised for me due to previous big baby Christopher ( now 15yrs ) causing pelvic dislocation plus the diabetes they wanted me to be on a siding scale of insulin during the birth.

I was terrified lol but in all honesty it was the most amazing experience of my life so far.

Carol xx

 

[Bubsy Malone]

Hi guys, My best friend had her 30 week appt with the midwife yesterday and she was told she had a lot of sugar in her urine test. They told her to go to our local hospital and have a blood test done asap, but she was stuck in all day today waiting for our local council to do a repair on her house so didn't manage to get there. They didn't give her any information about what to do in the meantime and she is really scared. Luckily, I was able to tell her a lot of what I have read on this forum, which seemed to help her come to terms with it and calmed her down a bit. This is her third baby, but with a new partner and this baby seems to be a lot bigger than her other two. Is there any advice anyone who has had GD can offer her? She doesn't know anyone who has had it and is feeling a bit isolated. Thanks,
B

 

[efaitch]

Hiya,

I haven't been on for a while, but I have diabetes (type II) and am pregnant (for the second time within a year!).

Anyway, I was diet control prior to my daughter being born - I was put onto metformin at first, then insulin (novorapid at first, then insulatard towards the end).

I found that it was easier to control my changing BG levels during my pregnancy with the insulin than relying on tablets alone.

I know that the aim is to have less medication and to control your GD with as little medication as possible. However, my view is that it's very hard to get your BG under control when the goal posts are constantly changing - your insulin requirements are increasing on a day to day/week to week basis and you know what? To me, keeping my BG levels as near to normal as possible for my baby's sake is more important than being upset about what medication I'm taking to get those results (just re-read that and it sounds harsh - I'm not being harsh, just putting it into perspective ).

I understand how hard it is to get to grips with taking medication as well as monitoring your BG levels, but it's for a greater good iyswim?

I have recently been changed from Insulatard to Glargine as I kept hypo-ing during the night on the Insulatard.

I've noticed that changing my insulin has had an impact on my BG levels (for the better) after an initial blip in getting the dosage right. Again though, I know that this dosage will increase within the next few weeks as the baby grows and develops.

As for diabetes and big babies - my daughter was born and was 6lb 12oz, so not a big baby at all. At 32 weeks, there are 8 weeks to term - at this stage of pregnancy, your baby will put on about 1/2lb per week, which would mean a baby of around 8lbs at term - which is seemingly about average these days.

Re: the friend with GD - diet is a big concern with GD. Basically, the only advice I would give is to make sure to follow information given from the diabetic consultants and ensure she attends her antenatal appoinments. I see an obstetrician and a diabetologist at my antenatal appointments and they then discuss any issues that I have - and of course, treatment.

Biggest tip that I can give about controlling GD, whether diet or medication based is to skip the sugary drinks! They metabolise in a different way to food and raise BG levels very rapidly.

Sorry for the essay .

Fiona

 

[RoseLin]

I so wish you folks would bother to write what SPD is at least once in a discussion.

Doesnt it matter to you that so many people will have no idea what ytou are talking about???

 

[Dennis]

Roselin,
Please don't criticise the people who post on this forum. They are not health care professionals and they are not paid to answer people's questions. They are just ordinary folks, like you, who want to help others by sharing their experience or knowledge. I didn't know what SPD is either - so I simply Googled it and got the answer immediately. Is that too much to ask?

 

[sugarless sue]

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/pregnancyandb ... 41,00.html

 

[caroluk]

SPD to put it simply is when the pelvis starts to seperate during pregnancy causing mild to severe pain- it's not diabetes related hense why we probably don't go into detail.

Carol x