Failed my 2hr GTT - UK

[MummyHunter]

Hi ladies,

I am in bits at the moment and really don't know which way to go
I had my GTT yesterday and had a phone all today to tell me my results indicated GD (my result was 9. Something - I stopped listening )

I have to wait until Monday to go in and speak to them about it and get the advice and information etc needed.

This is my 5th baby and the first time I have had it so I am really worried.

My previous babies have been 6lbs 6.5oz at 40wks, 7lbs 2.5oz at 41 wks, 7lbs 10oz at 41 wks and 7lbs 5oz at 39wks so none of them massive babies.

My BMI is raised and was 33 at the beginning of pregnancy but I am now 29+3 and have only put on 6lbs so thought I was doing really well. My only other risk factor is my age - I am 37

My previous 2 births were home deliveries and I had hoped for this too but that is now out the window - I am now scared of the thought of being strapped down to a hospital bed and having no control over my delivery at all, and worse still having a c section.
I have heard my baby will be taken away to SCBU for 12-24hrs monitoring - which will interfere with breastfeeding etc and she may be forced to have formula because I can't be there with her all the time to nurse on demand.

Please can someone in the UK alleviate some of my fears and tell me it is not as bad as I am imagining.

For information I will be giving birth at Hinchingbrooke Hospital - Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. So any experiences of them would be great.

Thanks and sorry for the rant I am just so worried and frightened and now have to wait for days before I can have any answers

Just wanted to add, I have had a horrendous cold for a week now so haven't been hardly eating properly at all - have to confess to eating rubbish and chocolate because I wasn't hungry and couldn't taste anything. It says on the test that you should eat normally in the run up to the test but I wasn't so is there a chance it could effect the results? Also read you shouldn't have it if you are ill, even with just a cold is there a possibility it could be inaccurate??

 

[Girly922]

Im sorry for everything you're going through and I can't help you much other than to say about the hospital. My sister had her LO at hinchingbrook at 7 weeks prem. My sister was then given a side room and my niece taken off to SCBU where she stayed for 5 weeks. My sister was encouraged to express.

They were very good and the staff in the SCBU were second to none. Good luck.

 

[Londonbump81]

Hello!

First of all I would mention to the team you speak to about being ill at the time of the GTT and perhaps you could have it retaken?

As for developing GD, I had it (never ever had a reading of 9 though and was considered borderline) but tried controlling through diet where I ate nothing but porridge, houmous, rye bread and veggies and some safer fruits. That didn't work so was subsequently put on metformin which are tablets that aim to make your insulin work better in your body, that didn't bring my readings down to a level they were happy with so I ended up on insulin. Because of this I was induced at 38 weeks (it was protocol at my hospital in West London) but my son was never taken to special care, he was fine. They do a prick test to check baby's blood sugar levels as they have to be 3 or above but as long as baby has done well in delivery you don't get separated.

All I can say is don't get stressed until you know all the facts. If you think you want to have it done again, ask them! You are an experienced mum, make them listen! If you have developed GD it is manageable, its not great and I won't lie it takes all control away from you at the time of birth but one step at a time. Hope this helps X

 

[MummyHunter]

Thanks x

I have to say I have done a lot of reading over the last few days and I am going to ask for a retest.
Not only was I ill but I know I was dehydrated because I had been so ill I just hadn't been taking on enough food or fluids (wee was dark)

I have picked myself up today and am eating normally and drinking plenty water and will ask when I see them on Monday for a 2nd GTT because I believe the first may have been inaccurate.
Hopefully they will understand and let me retake it and we will see - if the numbers come back the same then I will accept it but at the moment I am just struggling to see where it came from as this pregnancy is going to well.

Thanks again xx

 

[kintenda]

Hi hun,
I also have GD. I think that the other posters have addressed your concerns about retaking so I won't go over that! I have been told that baby will not be taken from me unless it is necessary for other medical reasons, and that the post birth blood glucose monitoring will take place whilst baby is rooming in with me. I would double check your hospital policy but I see no reason why you could not stay in with baby unless there is some other reason that baby needs to go to SCBU. If they insist on this then I would get in as many breast feeds as you can and express for the other feeds if possible. I've been advised to antenatally express from 36 weeks in case baby has any hypos as the colostrum is the best thing to help with this, as well as the normal benefits of colostrum!
Best of luck.
X

 

[NatalieW]

I also have GD this is my second GD baby/pregnancy.

With Isobel I had a reading of 11.8 at 28weeks. I was put straight onto insulin and it helped alot. I had extra growth scans every two weeks and consultant appointments discussing birth options. I was induced at 38+3 because they don't like you going over 38 weeks when you are on medication for the insulin. I had no problems being induced, Isobel wasn't taken away from me at all. I did have to stay in hopsital until she gave three good level blood glucose readings.

On my second pregnancy (current one) I got diagnosed at 17weeks. At the moment it is diet controlled but I'm not sure how long that will last before I am on medication.


Just a note it isn't anything you have done, or based on previous pregancies. It is just the way it is for this pregnancy. I'm not sure how being ill affects the results. Never really heard of it.

 

[PurpleHaze]

Please don't think you've "failed" any test, or it's anything you could have done differently. I hope you get your retest and the result comes back normal - but if it doesn't then it's not the worst thing in the world.

I had GD last time and looks like I'm getting it again in this pregnancy too, even though my BMI is only 18. It's just one of those things that can happen to anyone, and it's good to get it diagnosed so you can control your sugars.

There's lots of great help out there for GD - but also a lot of scare stories, like there is with most things! The important thing is that your baby is healthy and that you're going to be an amazing mummy!

Btw, my son was 6lb4 at birth, so not huge. I was induced due to GD, but I wasn't strapped down at all. I was monitored, but the monitor was wireless so they said I could even have had a water birth if I'd wanted one. My LO wasn't taken away after birth, and I breastfed him successfully for nearly 2 years. You're in for such an exciting time!!

Feel free to PM me if you want to chat any time, or find me on facebook.

xx

 

[MummyHunter]

Well I have had my meeting today with the diabetes midwife and it wasn't as bad as I was expecting.
She was really nice and explained a lot to me. They said they wouldn't do another GTT because now they have this one on record they legally have to act on it so I am to monitor my sugars 4 times a day from now on.
I have a growth scan booked for Friday and an appointment with the consultant, and I do have to have a hospital birth (had planned home birth again for her). They don't take baby away unless she has real problems with her sugars and has to go to SCBU but if mine stay fine then hers should be too.

I was checked 3hrs post lunch and my reading was 5.5 and then had to check again 1 hr post evening meal and it was 4.7 so that is good. My maximum is 7.8 1 hour post meal and 6.0 fasting so we will see how things go over the next few weeks.
If I stay unmediated they stay as hands off as possible and won't induce until 41wks, if I need medication they will look at inducing at 40wks.

So just need to watch my sugar levels and hope they stay nice and level

 

[NatalieW]

Same levels I've got to hit too. Good luck I'm struggling with growth spurts!

 

[Mummy May]

I have my appointment at the diabetes clinic today (first one) and I feel a lot better about it now I've read what they have said to you. My levels weren't anywhere near as high as yours but I am also scared of them wanting to induce or make me have a section but I feel lots more positive now xx

 

[MummyHunter]

I have 4 appointments on Friday now to look forward too!!

Will be able to see the consultant for the first time too and hopefully may be able to put my point across to her that I feel my results were wrong! My monitoring for the last 2 days suggests that and hopefully if I have another few days to back that up then maybe they will allow me a retest or leave me alone!!

2 day results so far.

Fasting 3.9 and 4.2

1hr post breakfast 6.0 (2 slices white bread toasted and spread with clover & strawberry jam) and 5.0 (as above but brown bread)

1hr post lunch - 5.5 - (ham and cheese sandwich on white bread with salad cream plus fruit) and 4.6 ( tin of Heinz lentil soup with bread roll plus fruit)

1hr post evening meal - 4.6 (oven baked chicken with new potatoes and broc & carrots plus yogurt ) 4.9 (grilled pork chop with chips, sweet corn & carrots plus banana & yoghurt)

These are things I normally eat and haven't changed my diet at all and all my levels are well within the limits set for me. Will see how the monitoring goes and see where we are at by Friday x

 

[NatalieW]

Mummyhunter - how many weeks are you?

 

[Mummy May]

Good Luck xx

 

[MummyHunter]

Mummyhunter - how many weeks are you?

I am 30+1 today x

 

[NatalieW]

They are good results so far for how many weeks you are.

Do you know what your before GTT and after GTT results are?

 

[MummyHunter]

Do you know what your before GTT and after GTT results are?

Yes my fasting was 5.2 and 2hrs after drink was 9.2

But as I explained to drs I had been ill for 6 days prior to the test (and still was ill at time of test) had hardly eaten anything except junk and was severely dehydrated. Tmi but my wee was very dark orangey colour and is now back to its normal clear colour as I am rehydrated again and feeling much better.
I should have cancelled the test and booked it for when I was feeling better but I didn't think it would have such an effect on the results!

 

[NatalieW]

I would have another chat with them when you go back with your levels. Your levels look really good. Mine are about 6.8-7.7 at moment.

I wouldn't knock the extra care that you will recieve, but I know if it is diet controlled like you are doing that they will let you go to 40wks.

 

[MummyHunter]

On the night prior to my GTT I had a bowl of cereal at about 6pm and then a small bowl of fresh cream trifle which my daughter made at school. I did not eat or drink anything from 7.30pm onwards, didn't even drink any water as I just felt so bad. Left the house in the am without a drink etc, they couldn't get blood out of me at 9am when they tried so sent me to phlebotomy to try so eventually at 10.15am I had my first bloods drawn followed by my second at 12.15pm and I didn't drink any water at all in between as there was no access to any and I couldn't leave the area.

 

[MummyHunter]

I would have another chat with them when you go back with your levels. Your levels look really good. Mine are about 6.8-7.7 at moment.

I wouldn't knock the extra care that you will recieve, but I know if it is diet controlled like you are doing that they will let you go to 40wks.

I know, the extra care is great but it prevents me from having a home delivery which is what I wanted, I had with my last 2 babies. This is my 5th and final baby and I just wanted everything to go how I wanted it too and now I just don't feel like it will.

Will see what happens on Friday when I see everyone else and especially the consultant. X