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RH and Pregnancy- labor included

Aestire

Active Member
Messages
33
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
Soooo, I have usually come to this forum when I need help with BS and to my pregnancy forum for help with pregnancy stuff. However, the women there have NO IDEA how to respond to RH, just to diabetes which REALLY isn't helpful.
With that said: I wanted to know if anyone on here knows if they'll let me eat during the birth of my boy- he's due in April. I can't do a home birth due to my medical issues and might end up needing a c section, so I was told the hospital wouldn't allow it. I plan to eat anyway, because I eat every 2 hours or so and I'm certain labor is longer than 2 hours. Will I just need to talk with the doctors about a plan? Or just sneak in my snacks? I don't like the idea of lying to doctors about when the last time I ate was, but I can't NOT eat during labor. I'm just kind of at a loss. Any advice? Past experiences? Any is appreciated, thank you.
 
T1 here, so know about hypos but not RH.
During my first pregnancy (planned induction at 38 weeks) I went seriously hypo a few hours after the induction drugs (which did nothing for me other than very painful Braxton Higgs) and ended up on an insulin and glucose drip before they did a caesarian. Could you just go a glucose drip instead of snacking?
 

Pass, not my experience or knowledge, sorry.
The doctors or specialists should have experience of pregnancy and Hypoglycaemia.

With type one, treatment of Hypoglycaemia with a glucose drip is really good.
However the one of the things is to avoid something as concentrated as glucose is, because it triggers the insulin overshoot which causes more hypos, just like the rebound effect.

Best wishes
 
A glucose drip would very dangerous for me, as my blood sugar is controlled by avoiding sugars and having proteins instead. I've accepted that I might have to do a c section anyway, given that fact, but I'm hoping there's a way around it.
 
Aestire said:
A glucose drip would very dangerous for me, as my blood sugar is controlled by avoiding sugars and having proteins instead. I've accepted that I might have to do a c section anyway, given that fact, but I'm hoping there's a way around it.
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Also a glucagon injection from a paramedic is usually the treatment if you go too low and hypo, it is standard treatment for such an occurrence.
But for RH, it is really bad. I have it on my medical alert card in my wallet, and my medical necklace has RH on it, you can't be leaving to those who have no experience with RH! I would also make sure your immediate family know this as well.
A biscuit will nudge you up, if you do go low!

Let us know how you get on.

Best wishes
 
I would speak to the hospital and make it very clear you have to eat but cannot have glucose.

During my last (and final!) labour I wasn’t allowed to eat as there was a strong chance I would need a c section (I had an emergency one with my first). I was unaware I had RH at this point, but did feel very hungry, shaky and weak during labour. The only thing they would allow me was a couple of sips of my husbands energy drink, and that was after much persuasion on my part. Not the best thing for RH in hindsight but it did the trick and I didn’t have a rebound hypo.

Good luck with it. Definitely a tricky one. I hope you get to speak to someone on your maternity team who knows about RH.

Best wishes
 
Can you have an elective c-section if you think that's where you'll end up anyway?
 
I plan to let them know once I go in to tour the hospital and meet the staff so I can ask about their policies on eating and delivery. I might choose to eat anyway, but I'd hate for it to cause complications. Definitely tricky. I can see how an energy drink may have helped though, if your sugar was already super low maybe it brought you up to normal levels. I get super fatigued when my sugar is low, and irritable, I couldn't imagine trying to labor through it. Definitely one of my worst fears by far.
 
Circuspony said:
Can you have an elective c-section if you think that's where you'll end up anyway?
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I have actually been given the option! I would really rather do natural because I don't want to deal with the recovery and scar tissue of a c-section, but I might end up having to pick it over natural just because I have too many things that could complicate delivery. Definitely hard to choose....
 
When I was last in labour 16years ago. They put me on a glucose and insulin drip and tested my blood frequently. I was t interested in eating during labour but they did take let me have afterwards then took it away when there was a chance I had to go for an op.

You said there was a chance you'd need a c-section? Why?

Is it a case of when your in the final stages of labour they won't let you eat or when your in the delivery suite? They can't stop you eating on the way to hospital etc.
 
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