Hi, im new.

[GD Mummy]

Hi *waves*

My name is Victoria, im currently pregnant with baby girl No3 and in January i had a high reading after having my GTT done. I was given equipment to monitor my blood sugars, i had another GTT 4 weeks later and again i had high readings again, even thou my sugar levels at home were always under 7, 2 hours after eating. Sods law really.

The Diabetic doctor on Wednesday put me on Metformin as i was trying to keep my sugars under control with diet alone but the levels were gradually getting higher after eating. I started on 1 tablet (500mg) once a day, i have upped the to 2 tablets in a morning and 2 in the evening.. is this ok??

I have had growth scans and this 1 is roughly measuring 4lb 11oz at 31 weeks.

I am getting very stressed as my 2nd daughter died in 2007 (full term stillbirth) and im very worried that GD will make this one sick or worse.

Victoria xx

 

[sugarless sue]

Hi Victoria,welcome to the forum.I'm sure that some knowledgeable person in GD will be along to answer your question.In the meantime please have a good read around the forum.

 

[FindingNemo]

Hi Victoria, welcome to the site!

I am a student midwife so have some knowledge, but there are also some qualified midwifes on here with far greater knowledge and experince than I!

Firstly I am sorry to hear that your baby daughter was stillborn, that must have been a very difficult experince and it is only natural that it will impact upon your worries and concerns for this pregnancy.

Did you have GD last time? You don't say you did, so I assume not, huge apologies if I have misunderstood. Metformin, whilst is not a new drug in treating diabetes has only just started being used in pregnancy. Women on metformin with pre-existing diabetes were taken off oral anti-diabetics and put on insulin during pregnancy as its safety as unknown. I actually know very little about the use of metformin in diabetes and have yet to care for a woman on this regime. I have only read a little around it, but from what I have read, it looks like the outcomes are really good and possibly even better than treatment with insulin as far as outcomes for the baby. The other importnant thing is that you still maintain a good diet and avoid high sugar content foods.

The GD if controlled should not make your baby sick. If sugar levels are elevated then this can cause extra growth and can cause problems after delivery as the baby will be producing extra insulin to cope with the elevated levels, which it doesn't need once born, so can 'hypo', but your baby will be monitored in hospital. Good control should prevent this, plus early feeding.

Finally, as much as you can, try and enjoy this pregnancy too. Your diabetes and your baby are being monitored, if you are unsure of anything, make sure you ask for things to be explained, again and again if thats what it takes to reassure you. If you come away from an appointment unsure, take a notebook with you and write down everything or any questions and you can speak to your midwife and get her to explain them to you.

Wishing you all the best for the remainder of this pregnancy
Nemo. x

Have you been able to speak your team regarding your concerns?

 

[GD Mummy]

Nemo and Sue, thank you so much for your replies.

Nemo, this is my 1st pregnancy with GD. My 1st 2 pregnancies were very uneventful and dull, how they should be.

My diet on the whole is not too bad, i still have my bad days, the metformin seems to be working, my sugar levels are consistent, between 4-7.

I have got ANC and growth scan and diabetic clinic next Wednesday, they are a brill set of Docs and seem to be listening to everything i talk about.

My Consultant and my 2 midwives are wonderful and they just want me to have a healthy remainder of my pregnancy and to have a screaming baby girl at the end of it all.

Victoria xxxx

 

[mrs bambi]

Hi Victoria,

I am also new to the forum and now have type 2 diabetes after having gestational diabetes when pregnant with my little boy in 2007 so I know where you are coming from. I just saw your little scan picture and had to reply !

I just managed mine with diet and exercise but I think 2 metformin twice a day is fine but that is the max dose I believe ~ I am not a doctor or anything though, 'in the night garden' & 'the tweenies' is more of my specialist area at the moment. As Nemo said, I think the main risk is the baby getting too big from having too much sugar and then the consequences of having a big baby. I had my son in America and they recco'd a c-section for GD babies, I had already elected for one so was ok with that and he ended up being 9lb 6oz so not THAT massive, just um healthy ! He did have to go to the special care unit for 48hrs as his blood sugar was unstable but with some formula he levelled out and was absolutely fine. I must say my care was fantastic in America but then we were paying for it and I expected it to be.

Try not to get too stressed, easier said then done I know. I would love to have your blood sugar levels, so keep that up. I just started insulin today so I am hoping to get back into single figures.

Mrs B

 

[hanadr]

Hi Victoria
I am wishing you and your baby girl all that is good and healthy. You seem confident in your doctors, so try, however hard it is to relax a bit for your baby's sake.
Do you have your own Mum to support you? The loss of your last baby at such a late stage too, is horrible.
As a mother and grandmother, I feel for your family.

 

[GD Mummy]

Bambi and Hanadr, thank you for your replies.

My 1st daughter Mollie was 9lb 14oz, she was 13 days late. And Taylor was 8lb 4.5oz (40 wks), so i have a history of big babies combined with GD is not so good. Currently she is breech and is looking very likely to be delivered by C-Section at 38/39 weeks.

Yep the max dose of Metformin is 2000mg a day, they do work but they sometimes give me a poorly tummy. Ill live.

I am quite relaxed most of the time, Taylor died from a cord accident due to the fact she was breech, as this 1 is currently breech as well i do tend to have a few wobbles. But overall all is well.
I do have my Mum, she is nice but at times she can say the wrong thing which combined with the fact i seem to get new hormones daily is not so good but 99.9% of the time she is wonderful.

Victoria xxx