Been told i will be induced at 32weeks :(

Cidem89

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Hi all,

I found out I was pregnant on Sunday (unplanned) and since then have already seen my Diabetic team & they've referred & ive seen a renal doctor due to having kidney problems.

My DC was happy with My sugar levels at 6.5 (although could be a little lower) and since finding out I have given my all to gain even tighter control.

But When I saw the renal doctor she mentioned I will most likely be induced at around 32weeks! And will need to take aspirin as well as steriod injections later on in the pregnancy due to the likelihood of getting pre eclampsia :( im extremely worried and just don't know what to think! Is my baby going to survive at 32 weeks and will it have fully developed by then... anyone else experienced something similar?

Xx
 

azure

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@Cidem89 Dont panic about the aspirin. That's prescribed to all pregnant Type 1s usually.

I can understand why induction that early is worrying you, but the doctors must have a reasons for recommending this. I suggest you write down any questions you have about this induction date so you can talk through it until you're happy.

Yes, your baby will be fully formed at 32 weeks, but will need support as obviously they'll be here a bit earlier than usual.

The steroid injections help baby's lungs mature, so although they sound scary, they're actually a good thing. A number of ladies here have had them.

Don't worry {{hugs}} Keep calm, cross your bridges when you come to them, and look after yourself. XX
 

kimrooney89

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Hi @Cidem89

I was on a asprin throughout my pregnancy as a preventative measure for pre eclampsia.

I had steroid injections at 32+3 weeks and delivered my 5lb 5oz baby boy at 33 weeks. Not a complication did he have, small but perfectly formed!
Aidan spent 10 days in neonatal intensive care as he didn't have a sucks reflex so had to learn how to bottle feed before he could come home with us. He's never had a side affects of being delivered do early, other than being small for his age (in comparison to term babies born at the same time) but by the age of 1 he'd grown in to his own and you'd never have known the difference!

I know it's easier said than done, but try not to worry as things can change at the drop of a hat. You may not get induced as early and if you do, the team on hand will give your baby the best support and start in life :) x
 

Cidem89

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@Cidem89 Dont panic about the aspirin. That's prescribed to all Type 1s usually.

I can understand why induction that early is worrying you, but the doctors must have a reasons for recommending this. I suggest you write down any questions you have about this induction date so you can talk through it until you're happy.

Yes, your baby will be fully formed at 32 weeks, but will need support as obviously they'll be here a bit earlier than usual.

The steroid injections help baby's lungs mature, so although they sound scary, they're actually a good thing. A number of ladies here have had them.

Don't worry {{hugs}} Keep calm, cross your bridges when you come to them, and look after yourself. XX

Thank you for your reply and yes I will definitely be writing down a few questions for next time, I think i just froze when they told me 32 weeks that I just couldn't think at the time xx
 

Cidem89

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Hi @Cidem89

I was on a asprin throughout my pregnancy as a preventative measure for pre eclampsia.

I had steroid injections at 32+3 weeks and delivered my 5lb 5oz baby boy at 33 weeks. Not a complication did he have, small but perfectly formed!
Aidan spent 10 days in neonatal intensive care as he didn't have a sucks reflex so had to learn how to bottle feed before he could come home with us. He's never had a side affects of being delivered do early, other than being small for his age (in comparison to term babies born at the same time) but by the age of 1 he'd grown in to his own and you'd never have known the difference!

I know it's easier said than done, but try not to worry as things can change at the drop of a hat. You may not get induced as early and if you do, the team on hand will give your baby the best support and start in life :) x

Thank you, it's reassuring to know someone has been in a similar situation and delivered a healthy baby boy

May I ask was pre eclampsia bought on by any medical problems other than diabetes, they said I am more than likely to get pre eclampsia due to having kidney disease causing protein leakage and high blood pressure (controlled with meds) xx
 
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kimrooney89

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Thank you, it's reassuring to know someone has been in a similar situation and delivered a healthy baby boy

May I ask was pre eclampsia bought on by any medical problems other than diabetes, they said I am more than likely to get pre eclampsia due to having kidney disease causing protein leakage and high blood pressure (controlled with meds) xx
For me, the pre eclampsia was totally random as I'd had no blood pressure issues before and was well health wise other than being T1. My blood pressure started to creep up steadily week after week, my mum did have pre eclampsia when pregnant with me and was admitted to hospital for bed rest so the consultants were aware of the family history from my booking in appointment.

I now have a 2 year old wee girl too, no pressure eclampsia with her! I was induced at 37 weeks as my BP had started to slowly creep up and she was a big baby - 9lb 9oz! Lol.

I know how terrifying all of this must be for you, I remember how I felt at 32 weeks when I was told I needed steroids and baby would be arriving soon. I'm here if you need to chat at any time or have any questions x
 
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Cidem89

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Thank you so much I really appreciate it xx im glad both your babies turnt out fine too
 

dancer

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There is a boy next door to me who was born at 32 weeks (not due to mother's diabetes) and he has been healthy all of his 14 years. As far as baby is concerned, he/she will be small but will be well looked after.
 
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Fixbyprincess

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Hi X I fell pregnant in 2001. Blood sugars very erratic at beginning but then normalised. My lowest was 1.5! And I raided the chocolate stand at Wilkos! Normal pregnancy up to about 35 weeks then showing signs of pre eclampsia and offered an elective Caesarian. This came sooner rather than later at 36 weeks because of swelling in legs, raised blood pressure, and protein in urine. My lovely little boy was delivered by forceps and Caesarian. He struggled to feed naturally and breathing was grunty but not admitted to Special Care.
He is now a strapping 6ft 2in nearly 15 year old and looking forward to a career in computer graphics!
Have faith and love life xxx
 

Winnie53

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I had pre-eclampsia almost 30 years ago. Luckily for me, I went into labor within 24 hours of diagnosis so didn't have the symptoms until after my son was born.

Some people have suggested that specific nutritional deficiencies are associated with pre-eclampsia. Most of the articles I read encouraged pregnant mothers to get the nutrients needed from food, which sounds wise to me. :)

I realize you're at higher risk due to the diabetes and kidney condition, but perhaps eating a healthy, varied diet would help. Do your own reading and discuss what you learn with your doctor, perhaps a nutritionist too.

Congratulations. :)
 
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Citygirl

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I had pre-existing diabetes before getting pregnant but no other health issues. I was also on asprin throughout my pregnancy - this is a standard thing if you have diabetes. I didn't have pre-eclampsia.

My baby was measuring large on the first two growth scans I had and so my obstetrician booked another appointment with me to discuss delivering the baby at 36 weeks. Before I could attend that appointment, I went into labour and had my baby at 32+6. He was 3kg (which is a relatively low weight for a full term baby but well within normal parameters but was very large for that gestation). That was 4 weeks ago.

My baby had to be in NICU for 4 days, due to needing a glucose drip for 3 days (because of my diabetes) and because he was jaundiced. We then also had to stay in the post-natal ward for another 6 days because he still needed treatment for the jaundice and he wasn't able to breastfeed (due to not having the ability to suck - apparently this usually develops between 34 and 36 weeks). He didn't have any other major issues. We were originally told that he would be in NICU for 3 weeks, but I think they were telling us the worst case scenario.

He is now breastfeeding fine and is doing really well.

My waters also broke early, so I'd had the steroid injection 4 days before I gave birth. This definitely helped his lungs develop, as he only needed oxygen for about 6 hours after birth and didn't have any problems breathing the rest of the time he was in NICU. Apparently the steroids need 7 days to work fully, so you will probably have them at least a week before they intend to deliver your baby so that they have maximum effect.

The steroid injections will send your blood sugar levels up though - I don't know if your renal consultant mentioned that? I was in hospital for about 48 hours when I had the injections and was put on a sliding scale. I had two injections, 12 hours apart, and they kept me on the sliding scale for 24 hours after the second injection. I'm on a pump, so they let me keep that on too and then were happy to discharge me after that as I was able to control my blood sugar levels myself after that. It was another 36 hours or so before my blood sugar levels went back to normal (just before I went into labour really).

If you do deliver your baby at 32 weeks then the baby will almost certainly have to spend a bit of time in NICU, just to make sure that he/she is ok. As you have pre-existing diabetes, this was likely to be the case anyway as if the baby needs a glucose drip they will need to be in NICU, but hopefully it won't need to be too long. My baby was the oldest baby in NICU when we were there - plenty of babies are born much earlier who do fine.
 

Citygirl

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Also, as this pregnancy is unplanned I suspect you weren't already be taking folic acid. Your diabetic consultant probably already mentioned it but you need to start taking it asap and you will need a prescription for it - women with diabetes should take a higher dose (5mg) rather than the standard 400 micrograms that you can buy over the counter. Hopefully you've already got this sorted by now.

Congratulations! It's all a lot to get your head around at this stage (and I found that without the kidney issues too) but you should have a lot of support - I had appointments every 2 weeks throughout my pregnancy which was annoying in some ways, but did mean that I felt fully supported. Good luck with it all!
 
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