Type 1 and child birth - a few questions

[jessie]

Hi,

Just started my 'parenting classes' and whilst informative, I am wondering if my labour will be very different from the other Mums there, for example...

Will I be on a sliding scale of insulin, if so what exactly is this and does it mean being hooked up or will I be able to move about?

How is blood sugar monitored during labour?

What about food? Will I have to take glucose?

Apart from the possibility of baby growing too large, what are the reasons that having diabetes means you may have to be induced and probably shouldn't go over your due date? I'm sure I read something somewhere about placenta problems being more likely...

Thanks

Jessie. x

 

[hawalkden]

hi

ive got the same questions :|....

i've been told off my diabetic midwife that i'll probably have a c/s due to my pelvis being to small and diabetics have a slightly bigger babies..

whenever i ask these questions to my diabetic midwife, she doesnt give me a stright answer. Which is frustrating!

Hope we both get the answers

 

[jessie]

Confusing isn't it, my midwife just keeps telling me to go scan by scan as they'll obviously be keeping an eye on the growth. I guess they don't really know how it will work out until nearer the time. Are you doing OK with your sugar levels?
x

 

[sugar2]

Well, I am not pregnant, but remember how you feel only too well!

I was told exactly the same thing...scan by scan etc.

I did ask,"if I can have a natural birth, will it be like non diabetics?" They told me that no, for me I would be on a constant fetal monitor, and therefore could not move off the bed. I had an emergency c section with my first...and after been told that I would not be able to walk around (like I wanted to) but would be under close supervision, possibly witha drip and definately on a monitor, I decided, 2nd time around to have an elective c scetion.

I can not therefore compare "natural" to other means, but, if wholeheartedly belived, that if I had opted for an elective c section fits time round, the whole experience would have been 100% better for both me and baby.

They can not tell you how it will go...but I would push them to give you the options. You may find, like me, that you can't have what youwant, but can at least make the best decion for you in advance?

 

[jessie]

Hi sugar2,

Thanks for your reply. I guess we all want whatever is best for the baby and if that is a c-section then so it is. I will be quizzing my midwife a little more next time I see her! She has said there's no reason I can't have a normal delivery but that doesn't really answer my questions as to what 'normal' is for a diabetic!

Thanks again.

Jessie. x

 

[Snodger]

I have a friend with T1 who has had 3 healthy kids, two in hospital but normal delivery with no sliding scale, and one was a homebirth, no sliding scale, no hospital. So it is possible, although you might have to fight for it.

 

[jessie]

Thanks Snodger!

I have finally squeezed some info out of the consultant I saw yesterday (the midwife couldn't really answer my questions), may be useful for you Hawalkden...

• I will be induced at 38 or 39 weeks, as well as the risk of the baby being on the big side there is also an increased risk of still birth. This will be confirmed / booked at my 36 week scan.

• I will be on a sliding scale once full labour has started, meaning my blood sugar is monitored and insulin is drip fed. Up until this point I'll be encouraged to eat / test/ inject normally.

• The baby's heart will be monitored throughout, hopefully through my tummy, which will mean I can move around a little. Sometimes the monitor needs to be attached to the baby's head which would mean having to stay in bed.

This all seems to be procedure at Gloucester but I'm happy to do whatever the experts think is best for the baby. My growth scan yesterday was OK, they concentrate on measuring the baby's tummy. Mine was on the larger side but still within the average percentile. I had a slightly increased amount of amniotic fluid which they'll keep an eye on, apparently related to diabetes but I don't really know what / why, bit confused about this one!

Anyway, hope this helps a little!

Jessie.x

 

[kellyrae]

Hiya,
I personally had a bad experience where my diabetes and child birth is concerned.....I had my daughter in 2010 at st james in leeds.

My diabetic team were fab, for the nine months my bloods sugars were fantastic....hba1c 5.5-6.0 all throughout.
However when I was given my induction date at 37 weeks due to having obstetric cholestasis, they chose to induce me early, but i went into natural labour at 36+3 days.

The labour pains drifted off and i ended up being induced anyway two days earlier than schedualed.

As I was told at my diabetes pre-natal clinic i expected to be monitored regular and put on insulin/glucose drip to keep me regulated through the labour, unfortunately nothing like this happened even from the moment i was induced at 8am (baby arrived at 9:30pm), the midwives were not very knowledgable about my condition and the do's and dont's, my husband had tested my bloods for me whilst i was in labour as the midwife i had was busy elsewhere.

When my baby did arrive by emergency c-section due to baby moving and being distressed which can happen in any labour, she was fine, I don't know what st james was like with other births for diabetic type 1 mums and sometimes wonder if they had any clue as to what they were doing but I was the one that had to inform them that she needed feeding and blood sugars checking as your babies sugars can drop after birth.

When she was born her bloods were 2.3mmols which is slightly lower that they like but said no need to worry.
2hrs later they were 0.2mmols.
She was then taken to nicu to be monitored........she was there for 4 days and then i had her transfered to leeds general hospital where she got great treatment.

This is only my experience and unfortunately it wasn't great but please be aware of the ins and outs of what is to happen before, during and after your birth and if there is something you are not happy with then mention it straight away.

Me and my husband are planning another next year and I will certainly be on the ball this time so we dont have to go through it all again......sorry for the essay.....but it may help someone learn from st james mistakes xxx

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hi,

Just started my 'parenting classes' and whilst informative, I am wondering if my labour will be very different from the other Mums there, for example...

Will I be on a sliding scale of insulin, if so what exactly is this and does it mean being hooked up or will I be able to move about?

How is blood sugar monitored during labour?

What about food? Will I have to take glucose?

Apart from the possibility of baby growing too large, what are the reasons that having diabetes means you may have to be induced and probably shouldn't go over your due date? I'm sure I read something somewhere about placenta problems being more likely...

Thanks

Jessie. x

Hi jessie congrtulations to you. The thing is that lots of things can change throughout the pregnancy and during the actual birth, no two births are the same. So the best thing is to ask all the questions you can at your diabetic clinic. My daughter was born in an emergency and all I will say is that I had excellent care throughtout and my daughter is now 11 Take care and good luck RRB