Refusing GTT?

[MadamRose]

So despite being told my bump is small I’m actually measuring 2 weeks ahead and midwife wants me to have GTT. I’ve agreed and had it booked but I’m actually torn about having it, not eating for that length of time is likely to make my sickness really bad, plus I have naturally big babies which is why the midwife thinks I’m measuring big. I don’t want my plans of home birth etc to be effected and as bad as I sounds refusing the test would be the best way of going about that. I’ve been reading up and I wouldn’t even be able to have a water birth let alone a home birth if the GTT flagged anything up. The midwife does think it’s unlikely as I have no sugar in my urine etc. Does anyone have any experience with refusing the GTT? I’m now having a major stress out!

I know there are risks with GD but I’ve read that there is a good percentage of people incorrectly diagnosed and things such as induction due to GD which they will offer can end up causing as many complications as having GD

 

[Reiko_ctu]

In Canada the GTT is standard and everyone has to take it. I had zero risk factors (like I weigh 100 lbs and no family history) and no sugar in my urine and I had it. I’ve had it 4 times. If I didn’t take the test I would have no idea. I’m not sure why the UK thinks you should only be tested with risk factors. Why would you refuse a test for a day of discomfort if it could possibly save your baby’s life? Unless you plan on eating low carb for the rest of your pregnancy. These healthcare practitioners aren’t idiots.

 

[daniyaaq]

My experience wont help you. In my first pregnancy I accidentally missed having it because of various complications I had. Doctor discovered this about 35 weeks. I had been in hospital for 2 months due to threatened preterm labour and was getting released, everyone expected baby will be out in a week or ill be induced, growth had stopped - they suspected. I tried to refuse and was told if I refuse I’ll have to stay in hospital for close monitoring. I gave in because was fed up.

if you refuse they may still flag possible complications and refuse home birth out of fear of going in blind. Just a thought.

 

[Kiwiberry]

I wouldn't refuse it. There are a ton of health risks associated with ignoring glucose tolerance during pregnancy. Not only for you but for the baby as well. I know you really want that home birth but sometimes our birth plans don't work out the way we want them to. A healthy baby as I'm sure you know is way more important. You might even be surprised though, you might not have any risk factors and you'll still be able to have your home birth.

 

[happycupcake]

Ok well the first thing that springs to mind is a home birth is YOUR choice, whether or not you have the GTT.

I refused to have it and wanted a home birth. My midwife fully supported me in my decision. Instead, to keep the consultant happy, I agreed to do seven daily finger prick checks. It was a right pain in the backside, or finger, but it satisfied them and it reassured myself too. I didn’t feel I was at a very high risk. My dad developed type 2 but not that long ago, so I couldn’t really see how things with me would change so drastically from my other children where I wasn’t asked to do the GTT.
Anyway, I didn’t have a home birth but this was because I developed pre-eclampsia.

Do what you want to do, as long as you’re well informed then that’s what matters. I also measured two weeks ahead during the third tri with above child, but my bump measured inline with dates after a couple of weeks and it changed depending on who measured me, too. Things can change!

To add I don’t know if measurements would have changed anyway but each person measuring always seemed to have something different. My baby wasn’t big, she weighed just over 7lb precisely a week before her due date

 

[MadamRose]

Ok well the first thing that springs to mind is a home birth is YOUR choice, whether or not you have the GTT.

I refused to have it and wanted a home birth. My midwife fully supported me in my decision. Instead, to keep the consultant happy, I agreed to do seven daily finger prick checks. It was a right pain in the backside, or finger, but it satisfied them and it reassured myself too. I didn’t feel I was at a very high risk. My dad developed type 2 but not that long ago, so I couldn’t really see how things with me would change so drastically from my other children where I wasn’t asked to do the GTT.
Anyway, I didn’t have a home birth but this was because I developed pre-eclampsia.

Do what you want to do, as long as you’re well informed then that’s what matters. I also measured two weeks ahead during the third tri with above child, but my bump measured inline with dates after a couple of weeks and it changed depending on who measured me, too. Things can change!

To add I don’t know if measurements would have changed anyway but each person measuring always seemed to have something different. My baby wasn’t big, she weighed just over 7lb precisely a week before her due date

Thanks that’s very helpful. I’m worries the GTT will make my HG flare up I eat in a way that helps manage my sickness. I’m 28+2 so measuring 30 from what I can see can be normal as apparent lots of people measure +/-2 weeks. I’d happily do finger prick tests etc at home.

I wanted a home birth with DD 1 and was forced into a hospital birth due to 1 episode of reduced fetal movement near the end. So I’m worried about being forced into not having a home birth again

 

[Kiwiberry]

I disagree @happycupcake

The health of the baby is way more important than a birth plan. The glucose test is not that bad. I've had it done with all my pregnancies.

I had gestational diabetes with my second daughter and honestly pricking my fingers that many times a day was not fun.

 

[happycupcake]

Thanks that’s very helpful. I’m worries the GTT will make my HG flare up I eat in a way that helps manage my sickness. I’m 28+2 so measuring 30 from what I can see can be normal as apparent lots of people measure +/-2 weeks. I’d happily do finger prick tests etc at home.

I wanted a home birth with DD 1 and was forced into a hospital birth due to 1 episode of reduced fetal movement near the end. So I’m worried about being forced into not having a home birth again

I can totally understand that fear. They wanted to induce me weeks before they actually did but I had refused point blank until 38+6. I know pre-eclampsia can be extremely dangerous but they were being so vague about my bloods and different doctors would say different things so since I got my bp under control with the medication they gave me, I decided to wait it out as long as possible because I hate hospitals, I suffer with severe anxiety anyway and we were in the middle of a pandemic (when it first started last year).
It’s horrible feeling trapped though.

Bottom line is you must do what you feel is right for both of you. You can easily get a finger prick testing kit from Amazon cheap enough or the hospital may provide you with one (in the UK, they offered me mine but I already had my own). You have to do it daily and report back to your midwife or maybe the diabetic nurse. I’m not sure why this isn’t mentioned as an option instead of the GTT because they said that was absolutely fine.
I can’t remember about measurements now but things can change so if this is just the one measurement I would take it with a pinch of salt for now and see what other measurements are.
I think you may be able to ask for extra check ups too if you’re worried, but as long as baby is happy and healthy and as long as you feel ok and you can do some checks yourself (if you’re at risk) then I don’t see why they wouldn’t support you in this

 

[Kiwiberry]

I also believe that there's a lot of misinformation on who can get gestational diabetes. Sure there's risk factors that could increase your chances of having it but anyone can get it whether or not they have those risk factors.

 

[MadamRose]

I can totally understand that fear. They wanted to induce me weeks before they actually did but I had refused point blank until 38+6. I know pre-eclampsia can be extremely dangerous but they were being so vague about my bloods and different doctors would say different things so since I got my bp under control with the medication they gave me, I decided to wait it out as long as possible because I hate hospitals, I suffer with severe anxiety anyway and we were in the middle of a pandemic (when it first started last year).
It’s horrible feeling trapped though.

Bottom line is you must do what you feel is right for both of you. You can easily get a finger prick testing kit from Amazon cheap enough or the hospital may provide you with one (in the UK, they offered me mine but I already had my own). You have to do it daily and report back to your midwife or maybe the diabetic nurse. I’m not sure why this isn’t mentioned as an option instead of the GTT because they said that was absolutely fine.
I can’t remember about measurements now but things can change so if this is just the one measurement I would take it with a pinch of salt for now and see what other measurements are.
I think you may be able to ask for extra check ups too if you’re worried, but as long as baby is happy and healthy and as long as you feel ok and you can do some checks yourself (if you’re at risk) then I don’t see why they wouldn’t support you in this

Thanks - I’m not due to see the midwife until 31 weeks now so will ring the triage team tomorrow and explain to them. My midwife was running late today and when I asked her what would happen with the home birth etc she basically avoided the question Saying get the test and well talk at 31 weeks.

 

[happycupcake]

I disagree @happycupcake

The health of the baby is way more important than a birth plan. The glucose test is not that bad. I've had it done with all my pregnancies.

I had gestational diabetes with my second daughter and honestly pricking my fingers that many times a day was not fun.

I didn’t say a birth plan was more important than the health of a baby so please don’t imply that I said that.
I said that is the individual’s choice, simply because where and how a mother gives birth (unless it’s an emergency) is not the choice of the hospital and I find that extremely unhelpful to be made to feel so powerless.

I know the health of the baby is the most important thing, but op can do finger prick checks at home instead if she feels happier about that. I am fully aware they’re not fun, I did them myself for ages, but for some people the GTT is extremely daunting and that could be for a variety of reasons, not least that for some women it makes them feel awful. You may not have felt bad from it, good for you! But plenty do feel terrible and would rather do the daily checks instead.

 

[happycupcake]

Thanks - I’m not due to see the midwife until 31 weeks now so will ring the triage team tomorrow and explain to them. My midwife was running late today and when I asked her what would happen with the home birth etc she basically avoided the question Saying get the test and well talk at 31 weeks.

Well with me the consultant said if my finger prick tests were ok and continued to be ok then she was happy to support my wanting a home birth. She was very pro home birth though as she herself had all three of her children at home, so I think I was lucky I had someone who understood.
As long as there aren’t other indicators and you’re both healthy throughout then they shouldn’t have a problem with that, as long as you’re aware that if your bloods show a problem you would then need to go with what they’re saying. You always have a choice but at the same time if they showed a problem it would be sensible to take their advice.

 

[MadamRose]

Well with me the consultant said if my finger prick tests were ok and continued to be ok then she was happy to support my wanting a home birth. She was very pro home birth though as she herself had all three of her children at home, so I think I was lucky I had someone who understood.
As long as there aren’t other indicators and you’re both healthy throughout then they shouldn’t have a problem with that, as long as you’re aware that if your bloods show a problem you would then need to go with what they’re saying. You always have a choice but at the same time if they showed a problem it would be sensible to take their advice.

Oh I 100% would if they showed any problems etc! If they wanted me to transfer during birth for any reason or anything. The idea of the test just makes me so stressed that I can’t imagine that stress for the next 15 days is any good either - the earliest they could get me in for the test was 16th!

 

[happycupcake]

Oh I 100% would if they showed any problems etc! If they wanted me to transfer during birth for any reason or anything. The idea of the test just makes me so stressed that I can’t imagine that stress for the next 15 days is any good either - the earliest they could get me in for the test was 16th!

Yeah I completely get that. I was really stressed and anxious about it too, which is why I refused it. You’re not being stubborn or difficult, you’re trying to do what’s best by your health as well as the baby. There are other ways of checking for this than the GTT

 

[MadamRose]

So I spoke to the local triage midwife who seemed happy enough about me saying I wanted to cancel my GTT and that I didn’t need to do anything about my midwife just attend my next midwife appointment and that I just needed to ring the hospital to cancel. Rang hospital and their policy is to only let midwives cancel the GTT unless they are being rearrange. The midwife I spoke to had looked at my notes and said she was suprised my midwife had even suggested a GTT, she said with me being in range she personally wouldn’t have done anything but that if my midwife felt the need to do anything it should have been growth scan before GTT. So she cancelled it and said that if my midwife is still concerned next time ask her to refer me for a growth scan first and then if that shows any worries it would be adviced I got a GTT, she also said there can be occasions of false positives. Glad I did my research and feel happy about what I’m doing knowing that if The midwife is at all concerned next time the advice from hospital is to book a growth scan before anything else.