new here and desperate for some advice and support

[rachelralph]

firstly hello to all and congrats on being pregnant.
i was diagnosed with GD at 28 weeks and im now 33 weeks. my care since diagnosis has been very fast moving. i started with a week of blood monitoring, and all my levels were really high desite a low carb, low sugar diet. i was then put onto metformin 2000mg a day and was on this for 2 weeks, with really very little improvement on my levels. the nurse then explained my diet was fantastic and it was not anything i was doing. in fact my diet was so good i was actually losing weight. despite this my baby is measuring at last growth scan at 32 weeks as 7.5lb. way above the 98th centile and on target for a 13lb birth weight. so i was put on insulin.
i am cureently on humalog 25/75. i started on 8 units am and 2 units pm and have gradually gone up to now 16 units am and 8 units pm. with an increase by 2 units again tomorrow as my levels are still normally in the 10's or 11's. i have a teleclinic with my nurse every tuesday and do not see the full team again until the 11th june when i will be 36 weeks. i have been told that i am ok to go to 40 weeks to try for a natural birth as i have had a previous cs so they dont want to induce and i would like natural if possible. my worry is though that if i do keep getting high readings surely this means its not good for my baby?!
the nurse doesnt seem too worried and yet i am very concerned. this has been traumatic for me from the day of diagnosis as i am needle phobic in the extreme. i have done everything they asked of me, but i feel they are ignoring my concerns now. i have even had to have a stay in hospital as they thought i had diabetic keytosis (spelling?) and i need to have artiiral blood gases done which i ended up needing to go into HDU for as my blood pressure and pulse went too high due to my phobia. the only way i calmed down was to breath gas and air!

so a few questions. should i consider asking/telling them i want a sweep (the only way they will consider inducement) at 37 weeks and then give in and go for a cs? how much insulin can i take in full, ie how high will they make my units safely before they change my care plan? is this harming my baby by them ignoring my levels?

 

[elaine77]

Hi there,

I had GD with my son who was measuring 40 weeks at 30 weeks and I got fobbed off too, it took them 4 weeks to give me a GTT test but then I saw consultants and they said that there is an increased risk of stillbirth with GD and so babies should be induced at 38 weeks. My son was actually born at 37 weeks on his own anyway but he was on the 95th centile and weighed 9lb 11oz when he was born 3weeks early. I, personally, would not just accept them allowing you to go to term after what my consultant told me but that's just my experience with my healthcare professionals and urs might be different. Also if they suspected ketoacidosis and ur on such high insulin, even if the GD goes away after the birth, i would probably ask them to do antibody blood tests to assess ur risk of developing late onset type 1 diabetes in the near future as this happened to me(obviously only if you personally would want to know this kind of stuff, some people might not want to know in advance). Hope this helps a little.


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 23 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.

 

[rachelralph]

thank you so much for replying. my other 3 boys were born at 42 weeks weighing 9lb 2oz, 9lbs, 4 oz, and 10lbs. no GD detected with these pregnancies. i feel that because my others were naturally big the dr's feel this baby will be bigger anyway and i can do it fine. im not against giving birth to a big baby nor am i suggesting i want to have a preterm baby, but they just seem so relaxed about it. mind you my dr's are all male so maybe that why they arent as worried! one dr even said 'oh you can deliver a 14lbs baby fine!' not funny at all if it was a joke!

 

[elaine77]

14lb? That's a bit ridiculous! My first baby was born and weighed 8lb 12oz nd I was tiny then (5"4 and size 8) nd my consultant now thinks I might have had GD in that pregnancy too but it just wasn't diagnosed at the time. Maybe ask for a second opinion about taking the baby to term with the diabetes as it seems odd because my consultant told me that u have to be induced wit GD at 38 weeks due to diabetic risks and complications? They also took my son away to special care baby ward for tests straight after he was born because of the GD. Thankfully he was fine...until the heel prick test where it was established that he had congenital hypothyroidism which they said wasn't linked to the GD but I'm not convinced if I'm honest.


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 23 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.

 

[rachelralph]

thank you again for your support. i have been trying for the last few days to contact somone/anyone with regards to my insulin and getting nowehre. my levels are still around the 8-9 mark and sometimes higher despite the humalog and metformin and a good diet. my nurse isnt answering her phone so i rang the main board and was told some of the phone system is down and i should wait for her to ring me. then i tried my own mw but she said to ring the clinic, so i rang the clinic number but they arent there until tuesday! its madness. i cant up my units without the ok from someone and while im waiting for someone to get back to me my little baby boy is piling on the weight

 

[elaine77]

That's ridiculous making you wait that long? Tuesday? I would be tempted to make a trip to A and E if it gets to the point where you're struggling and worrying and not feeling well...that's what they're there for...or maybe a walk in centre? Baby has to come first I'm surprised they're being so nonchalant about it... If you weren't pregnant then the general consensus is that 8-9mmol is fine but being pregnant I'm sure extra vigilance is needed...?


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 23 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.