Gestational Diabetes - Late Diagnosis

Hi OH Ladies,

I have been up at the cottage relaxing for the last few weeks and have been away from the Internet and the Board.  I am happy to hear about some of the great things going on amongst all of you and sad about some of the more disappointing news.  It is amazing what you can miss.  My OB always says that the thing she likes about being an OB is the dynamic nature of pregnancies - this Board is certainly evidence of that philosophy.

So... my little fella is 34 weeks today.  At our 32 week appointment, he measured large at 5 pounds.  My OB is concerned that I may have GD.  I had so much trouble with weight gain during the first trimesters and was very worried about the GB test (I'm a RNY dumper) that we decided not to bother with the test at 24 weeks. 

Today, I had another ultrasound and he is at 8 pounds - 98% percentile.  I took a random blood glucose test to see if GD is at all evident, but I am worried.    At what risk did  I put my baby by declining the test?  What can be done now?  Does anyone have a similar experience to share? 

It could simply be that I am carrying a big baby.  My husband and I were 8.1 pounds at birth and big babies do not run in either of our families. 

Help...

Jenn

the good news is the ultrasounds can be off by up to 2 lbs...the bad news is .. whatever you didnt catch early cant be redone... you can only correct the issue ( if there are any ) from this point forwards... 3 lbs in 2 weeks is a huge weight gain for a fetus..

Thanks Lexa,

Oh crap.  Now I am really worried.   The intenet is bad for me right now too - too much information.  I guess all I can do now is wait until I see my doctor again next week.  My blood pressure is low, I haven't gained much weight, and yet this fetus of mine keeps getting bigger!! 

As of yesterday, he was in the 98 percentile.  I just hope he scores the same when he writes his MCATs or LSATs in 20 years or so!!  Maybe he is simply a high acheiver already!!!

Thanks
Jenn

If you passed on the sickening glucose test (and it's hard to handle even if you DON'T dump, so I don't blame you for skipping it when you do dump!), I would suggest you ask for a prescription for glucose monitor test strips (they're expensive without presciription) and get yourself a monitor and test yor glucose levels throught the day. I would check fasting (first thing in the morning) and then before meals and 60 & 120 minutes after the first bite of meals. This should give you a pretty good idea of how you're running without forcing you to chug a bunch of sugar! Honestly, who cares if you react badly (glucose-wise) to a gallown of sugar water if you don't normally eat sugar? What you need to know is how your body is reacting to your normal meals.

Whoa.  That plan makes so much sense.  I see my OB on Wednesday for a follow up after a random glucose test last week.  She wanted me to go after a regular meal to see how things are being metabolized.  I know she will have an appropriate course of action.  I didn't take the regular glucose test because I dump and know it would have made me so, so sick.

My mother always says it was easier to be pregnant back in the 1970s!  Today we are so used to knowing things right away that a week between appointments seems like cruel and unusal punishment! 

Thanks so much!

Jenn