Almost 34 weeks - Gestational Diabetes

grp0802 · June 2013

Just found out that I have developed gestational diabetes after my initial screening at around 28 weeks. Has this happened to anyone else, either with this pregnancy or a previous one? Just looking to hear others' experiences.

MtB2013 · June 2013

What symptoms did you have? I feel a little off after I eat ice cream or something sugary.

Texasmomma13 · June 2013

I have to retake the one hour test next week, even though I passed the first time. My ob said some people develop it later.

grp0802 · June 2013

I had an ultrasound to measure growth and they said his abdomen was larger proportionally than the rest of him. Meaning, he was in the 79th percentile overall, but the circumference of his abdomen was 95th percentile. Large abdominal circumference can be a sign of GD, so I had to repeat the one hour test (failed) and then take the 3 hour (failed again). My doctor told me she also developed GD later in her pregnancy. I'm really stressed that this will increase my chances of a C-Section. I mean, obviously I will do what's best for the health of my baby, but I just really would like to avoid having one.

MrsBlindLove · June 2013

It has not happened to me but my midwife did mention that many women develop it later and go undiagnosed unless their care providers know what to look for. I am sorry this happened to you. Good luck and stay healthy!

Brewsbabymama · June 2013

I have no idea why they even mess with that diagnoses that late in pregnancy. True diabetics can have serious issues early on because so much development is going on. By 34 weeks your chance of anything greater than packing some extra weight on the baby is pretty slim.

I was diagnosed at 14 weeks...failed the 1 hour so badly that my previous OB did think I needed to bother with the 3 hr. I felt the diagnoses was off so went ahead purchased a cheap meter and tracked things. Turns out that I do get higher levels of blood sugar if I don't eat. Which do to morning sickness I did not do the day of my 1 hr test. I am sure that along with the stress I had dealing with her did not help. Plus I am frankly not the type of person that can drink even a 12 ounce soda in less than an hour. So the whole test did not represent my actual diet.

My current OB had me get an a1c done instead of repeating the GTT. If you have not had one maybe you can request one. I have not modified my diet at all as far as content...I just make sure I have something to eat every 4 hours or so including a snack in the middle of the night. My a1c came back completely in the normal range so my doctor is happy.

In case you do have an induction happy pitocin pushing dr. here is a good article:

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/does-gestational-diabetes-always-mean-a-big-baby-and-induction/

boymamaco · June 2013

Brewsbabymama:
I have no idea why they even mess with that diagnoses that late in pregnancy. True diabetics can have serious issues early on because so much development is going on. By 34 weeks your chance of anything greater than packing some extra weight on the baby is pretty slim.

Not true. The baby's blood sugar is regulated while in utero by the moms blood sugar. If LO is accustomed to having higher blood sugar (ie GD is not managed correctly) then there is a good chance the LO will have LOW blood sugar upon birth. In addition, larger birth weight is more than just some extra weight on the baby. There can be long term impacts including increased risk of obesity, diabetes in the child, etc.

mommabmb · June 2013

FTM here, and I'm glad you mentioned this. I just had my test but thought "gee, it's still early" since I was only 29 weeks when they tested. I was wondering if it could develop later. I'll be on the lookout for signs- my sugar has been better during pregnancy than before, but I'm very sensitive to small changes so I've continued to watch it on my own anyway.Thanks for posting, and I hope everything comes out just fine and it's not too much of a PITA!

grp0802 · June 2013

Thanks everyone!

As with almost everything related to pregnancy, there is just so much conflicting information out there. Hopefully I'll know more next week and after I meet with some specialists. I'm still confident I'm going to have a healthy baby, and really that's all that matters, right??

vintageutopia · June 2013

It is not about the sugar, so to speak, but the ability to handle an influx of simple carbs and how the body processes it. The glucola is just a simple way to measure how X amount of simple carbs is managed by your body.

Real world examples would be jelly beans, a large soda, four pieces of pizza in one sitting, the list goes on. All of these can carb load the body and if your body isn't able to release enough insulin to combat the carb load, then your blood sugar will increase.

Ktbug613 · June 2013

somebodysmama21:
Brewsbabymama:
I was diagnosed at 14 weeks...failed the 1 hour so badly that my previous OB did think I needed to bother with the 3 hr.  I felt the diagnoses was off so went ahead purchased a cheap meter and tracked things.  Turns out that I do get higher levels of blood sugar if I don't eat. Which do to morning sickness I did not do the day of my 1 hr test.  I am sure that along with the stress I had dealing with her did not help.  Plus I am frankly not the type of person that can drink even a 12 ounce soda in less than an hour. So the whole test did not represent my actual diet. 
Do you you think that the test really represents anyone's diet? I suppose there are people who consume that amount of sugar but there is a reason it makes the majority of people ill and that is because most people don't consume that much sugar. The point is your body should be able to do what it needs to even with much more sugar than it usually intakes.

this. being diabetic has to do with your bodys ability to metabolize sugar. not whether you eat a lot of sugar. i sure hope the amount of sugar in that drink is not an accurate depiction of any pregnant womans regular diet!

boymamaco · June 2013

grp0802:
Thanks everyone!
As with almost everything related to pregnancy, there is just so much conflicting information out there. Hopefully I'll know more next week and after I meet with some specialists. I'm still confident I'm going to have a healthy baby, and really that's all that matters, right??

Exactly! Trust me, I wasnt thrilled with the dx and was completely shocked by it frankly. I'm super healthy and an athlete. But my risk factor is my age. Knew my AMA would kick in somewhere!

Anywho, do some research on the diet, come over the to the High Risk board, and start implementing little changes even before you go through with the 3 hour or meet with the educator. It's really not that challenging once you get the hang of it. Even a simple change like no fruit at breakfast or your morning snack can help you out. Best of luck! I"m over on the HR board a lot for GD stuff... feel free to post any more Q's

manditxg · June 2013

I just had my appointment at the diabetes center on monday and just tracking my numbers the last few days and following their guidelines for carbs I've already noticed I need to stay on the low end of what they recommend but I'm sure everyone is different. they will show you how to test/what you should be eating/ and what your numbers should be below. I'm just now 31 weeks and I took the 3 hour test at 29 weeks. if you can control it there is no need to worry about having a c-section due to a large baby. that's what they are trying to prevent. besides breakfast I haven't really had to change my diet too much since I didn't eat a ton of carbs before. it's all about spacing out your carbs throughout the day.

cinderin · June 2013

I was diagnosed GD at about 24 weeks, so I have been following the diet and program for about 10 weeks.

Honestly, there is a lot of misinformation on this thread. Feel free to post on the high risk board.

Listen to your doctors and GD counselor or nutritionist. Follow their directions, read about is and ask questions.

It is definitely possible to be diagnosed later in pg. feel free to post here or on high risk if you have any questions for me.

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Almost 34 weeks - Gestational Diabetes

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