Life after gestational diabetes?
Hi,
Did you have gestational diabetes (GD) at any of your pregnancies?
Did you manage it with diet or insulin (or medication)?
If you had GD, please let me know your experience after labor. What happened to your GD following labor?
Did you become type II diabetic afterwards? If so, when and how? Is there anything you hope you would have done that could prevent it?
Last but not least? How is your baby you carried with GD now?
Please share your experience. Thanks a bunch.
I was diagnosed with GD during my second pregnancy. I had to self inject insulin.
I was told to expect one of two things. I could either have a very large baby (up to possibly 15 lbs.) or a small baby with an overwhelming amount of amniotic fluid. I actually gave birth to a nine lb. son (which was big for me) and had so much amniotic fluid it put stress on the baby and he had to be delivered a little early.
While I was pregnant, I was losing weight which made me very happy but the doctor insisted I eat more or else the baby would be born with a low IQ. So I ate, I am now the overweight mother of a 19 year old genius. (seriously).
The doctor said I would probably develop full blown diabetes in a few years after the pregnancy if I did not lose weight. He was right. I did. I should have starved myself but I didn’t.
Posted in Gestational Diabetic Diet
I do not quite have GD, but I am not normal now either. I have impaired glucose tolerance which means I won’t need insulin but I do have to watch my diet.
I have been reading a lot about GD though so hopefully some of this will help.
If you keep your condition under control labor and your baby should be normal. At birth your baby will be tested for blood sugar level. It could be low when the baby is born. If that is the case they will give the baby something to eat, breastmilk, formula or sugar water to bring the sugar level up. If the condition is not controlled the baby can be very large which might force you to have a c-section… this is why it is important to follow all doctor’s orders.
After you have the baby you do have a higher risk of developing type II within 5 years. I think if you have to go on insulin your risk is even higher. There is nothing you can do to prevent GD, but diet and exercise can help you from developing type II after pregnancy.
Most babies born with mothers with GD are fine. THey have no problems whatsoever. They may be a little larger at birth and may have some sugar issues at FIRST but they are not automatically born with GD… remember it is your pancreas that can’t keep up not babies…
Join us over at justmommies.com on the GD board if you want. THere are some great women there with lots of great info and they will answer just about any question you have.
References :
Suffer from IGT, lesser form of GD
I was diagnosed with GD during my second pregnancy. I had to self inject insulin.
I was told to expect one of two things. I could either have a very large baby (up to possibly 15 lbs.) or a small baby with an overwhelming amount of amniotic fluid. I actually gave birth to a nine lb. son (which was big for me) and had so much amniotic fluid it put stress on the baby and he had to be delivered a little early.
While I was pregnant, I was losing weight which made me very happy but the doctor insisted I eat more or else the baby would be born with a low IQ. So I ate, I am now the overweight mother of a 19 year old genius. (seriously).
The doctor said I would probably develop full blown diabetes in a few years after the pregnancy if I did not lose weight. He was right. I did. I should have starved myself but I didn’t.
References :
My daughter had GD with both her daughters. With the first, she was days away from being put on insulin. Luckily for her, she went into labor. Her GD disappeared after the baby was delivered. That baby girl weighed 6lbs 9 oz, born 10 days before her due date.
With the second, she knew the warning signs and started keeping track of her readings. Her doctor was so impressed, he didn’t feel the need to order a GTT. She wound up taking insulin and was still having a hard time controlling her sugar. She wouldn’t even eat very many carbs. Her insulin was upped and upped and upped. Her doctor had her getting up in the middle of the night to take her sugar, call him (on his personal cell phone) and he’d tell her how much insulin to take. Her diabetes did not go away this time.
No matter what was done, her sugar levels were out of control. He did an amniocenthesis to see if the baby’s lungs were mature enough (she was 3 weeks from her due date), and did a caesarian the next day. Baby Sara weighed 6 lbs, 2 oz.
Funny enough, she didn’t have GD with her son (the oldest child) but had GH (hypertension). He was born the regular way 3 weeks early and weighed 7 lbs, 10.5 oz. He’s the light of my life. (Another story) While he’s very intelligent, he has ADHD and bipolar disorder.
The oldest girl is now 6, very smart, very active and VERY precocious. The baby is 10 months 17 days old, cute as a button and she’s a smart baby too.
References :
I had GD with both of my pregancies. I delivered , a 9 pounder 1st and a 8 pounder 2nd. I have heridity going for me. My Mothers side <full of diabetics>. My preganicies were over 20years ago, and I really wish someone would have told me that I was <for sure going to develope diabetes> I may have listened??My labors were long and hard, and my blood sugar dropped like a rock after. With both my childern, I passed out when they tried to stand me 2-hours later.. I was given no follow-up for this. I now take medication, and adhear to a very strict diet. Both kids are large people, not overweight, but large. They are both screened every year, and so far, Thank God are free of the diabetic surge.
References :
diabetic me
Hi….I had gd 2 years ago…I controlled it with diet…my #’s werent that high…
I have a beautiful girl she was 7′12 at birth and healthy…
My blood was high 8 weeks after her birth and at 10-12 weeks I had a fasting done and my #’s were good, I am now paranoid about diabetes but they are ok…I do eat good, I imagine if I didnt eat good I would have something…
I still check it regularly…
You will be fine…Just eat right…Please email me and let me know how you are doing..
Thanks
Machelle
References :
MYSELF