GD and labor

[MilosMommy7]

if you have/had GD when did the doctor start discussing labor and what it looked like was going to be the plan for labor. like if it looked like you could have a natural, csection or if they wanted to induce.

 

[Emmea12uk]

The general rule with gd is a labour ward delivery. If you take medication due to gd then they will induce you early. They shouldn't routinely do a section unless the baby looks too big or gets stuck, which gd babies are prone to due to shoulder distocis (sp), extra large shoulders.

If you are diet controlled and your growth scans are good then you should have whatever birth you like in hospital.

 

[Dee_H]

Hi..I was diagnosed with Diabetes at 6 months along in my pregnancy. They were calling it GD but ended up being Type 1. I was on 5 needles a day up until my delivery. My doc said I could have a "normal" delivery. I ended up having a section as DD got stuck, but I started out with the plan of having a vaginal delivery.I went 4 days of labour and 4 hours of hard pushing before my section. I was due on March 30 and my doc said that they would let me go until my due date but not let me go over..so I would have the baby on or before March 30. At my last check up before my due date, my blood pressure was very high and I was induced..but just because you have Diabetes doesn't mean you need to have a section.

 

[KatieB]

At my hospital in UK at 36 weeks if baby's growth is acceptable and blood sugars well maintained, they offer you IOL (induction of labour) at 38 weeks, if you prefer to await spontaneous labour they offer you induction every week up to 41 weeks. If baby's growth not well controlled and on medication (namely insulin), they offer you a c-section or IOL at 38 weeks and prefer you to deliver then. I'm being induced at 39 weeks, my diabetic team are happy with baby's growth I have happily accepted induction at this stage. They have said there is no reason why I can't have a natural birth although I am open to the fact I may need a c-section but hope against hope I won't have to have one!

 

[Dee_H]

Good luck Katie B...you are almost there. I wish I could have had a vag. birth, but baby was healthy for the most part and that is all that matters in the end. Things are very different where I am. They will not let you go 1 day over your due date! Are you on insulin? I had to have an IV hooked up with insulin as well..my DH check my sugars every hour!! He was amazing. I was so against having a section at first but after being in labour that long..I would have signed the C-section waiver in blood to have my baby out!! I had to have it because she got stuck..nothing Diabetic related. She was average size (7lbs, 110z) she just got stuck!

 

[Emmea12uk]

My diabetes mw mentioned a high rate of still birth at term for diabetic mothers who are medicated. Not sure what her stats were but their policy because of that is no medicated mother allowed to go to term whatsoever.

 

[KatieB]

Good luck Katie B...you are almost there. I wish I could have had a vag. birth, but baby was healthy for the most part and that is all that matters in the end. Things are very different where I am. They will not let you go 1 day over your due date! Are you on insulin? I had to have an IV hooked up with insulin as well..my DH check my sugars every hour!! He was amazing. I was so against having a section at first but after being in labour that long..I would have signed the C-section waiver in blood to have my baby out!! I had to have it because she got stuck..nothing Diabetic related. She was average size (7lbs, 110z) she just got stuck!

Thank you I just hope I can have vaginal birth but if not then like you say, baby's health is main priority for us mums to be. I'm not on insulin, I was diet controlled at first from 27 weeks then after a few weeks I had to go on metformin mainly because my fasting levels were erratic. I have to say I've been lucky in that my midwife is very honest and supportive as has the obstetrician. On induction day I've been told to eat breakfast before going in at 8.30am but after that I'm going to be on a drip to maintain sugar levels but will speak to my midwife next week as regards this in more detail, at the time my head was spinning due to thinking "On 22 March I'm coming here to have my baby"! and I wasn't really taking any more information in! 7lbs 11oz is a perfect weight and your little girl is a real cutie! I've not been given an estimated weight from my growth scan last week as my hospital say they are inaccurate and prefer to go by measurements. My baby's abdominal circumference is within range but I would love to be given an estimated weight as I'm pretty sure anyway I'm going to have a big baby, lol! x

 

[MilosMommy7]

thanks for the replies. for now i'm just on diet control. levels have been good. i'm still doing trial and error with my food. only had 2 or 3 levels over the limit (but not extremely high). i dont know yet what the rules are for my OB and for the specialist. i think i'll find more out in the next week or two.

 

[Learnermum]

I was completely diet controlled with no other problems and I was booked in for an induction at 40+5 but LO decided that was the day that she wanted to arrive anyway!

I had a vaginal birth with no pain relief (when she decided she was coming she meant it - only 4 hrs of labour!) and the only thing that was different is that LO was taken to the nursery 30 mins after being born and not let out until she had had 2 normal blood sugar measurements (as babies can be hypoglycemic)

Hope all goes well for you and you at least get the choice to have the kind of labour you want.

 

[womblemum]

Hi All - popping over from the general GD support thread

I am hoping for a section due to longstanding back issues and now this. I have to say I've never understood why so many people do as much as possible to avoid one although I've had quite a few surgeries before so I guess I find it less worrying than a vaginal birth

I'm seeing the consultant at 30 weeks and the anaethetist around the same time although these were booked in from before. It would be nice to have a definite plan agreed by then as it makes me nervous that in my local hospital they seem to be fine not having any birth plan discussions until 36 weeks

Hopefully we all get a) the birth plan we want and b) everything goes to plan!

 

[MilosMommy7]

wobble - lol i'm scared of a csection. i definitely do not want one if i can avoid it. i've never had a surgery before so that's probably why. plus i've read about it messes with the muscles and makes it harder to gain the muscle tone back. but if i have to then obviously nothing i can do about it. i want a natural vaginal birth opposed to the induced with epi birth i had with my son. but as long as she comes out and has no problems that's all that matters. so if the csection is the only way to get her to come uot healthy and safe then i'll have no say lol.