Preggo Stuff - UPDATE - 2nd update: I AM IN LABOUR

((((hugs))))

Could you call the midwife back to ask your questions?  I've done that with my doctors and it's been so helpful!

Thanks so much! 

I think she will have left the clinic by now.  I will try to call the midwives dept. tomorrow, although it might be easier to wait until I am scanned on Monday.  I could be wrong but I thought pregnancy diabetes was just like normal diabetes, only temporary and I've had no diabetes-type symptoms that I can think of.  I think it's just box ticking and paranoia.  I'm just trying not to let it spoil my excitement or my enjoyment of this baby.

I HAVE got a lot bigger tho.  I don't know, I was kinda pleased about it... having a bump at last, actually LOOKING pregnant (I AM six months gone now!) and now I'm just begging bubba not to grow anymore pleeeeeeaase!  I just want to have this scan and have everything ticked as "normal" so they will be satisfied and leave me alone.

They always test for GD here...it's not optional it's just DONE. The sooner they know the better. They may be concerned about your being big for your date OR it could just be routine at that particular place.

Your urine might've had sugar in it perhaps that is also part of the testing.

You being stressed is not a good thing so try to relax and take some time for yourself and even things out.

Since I dont really know about the whole midwife process..... I would say you should write down the questions you now have and see if you can send her an email or phone her.

{{{{hugs}}}} to you sweetie!  Hormones are raging now for you anyway so dont let it get you down!

Like Gina said, they always test for gestational diabetes here.  I think it is right around 26-28 weeks normally, I can't remember exactly.  It is important to know these things because although it might interfere with your birth plan, ultimately, you want a healthy baby and  healthy pregnancy, right?  If you had GD you would want to be eating properly and doing what you needed to just as you would if you had diabetes normally. 

Try not to worry too much.  Anytime an appointment doesn't go as planned when you are preggers it is worrying, but it is usually nothing to be too worried about.  That is why we go regularly, so they can monitor and catch potential issues early.  I remember around 35 weeks my blood pressure shot through the roof and never really came down.  I ended up being induced 2 weeks early b/c she was becoming more and more concerned about pre eclampsia which is very dangerous.  I burst into tears after that first appointment when she put me on modified bedrest (just 4 extra hours a day laying down).  Ultimately, I should have been happy that is all she put me on and in the end, Devin and I were both healthy and that is all that mattered.  I really didn't want to be induced and I didn't want to spend my entire labor laying on my sides b/c of the blood pressure but in the end it was all really worth it.

 I'm sorry your apt didn't go completely smoothly, but try to relax.

I second the suggestion of writing down all your questions and then either calling or emailing your midwife, I'm sure she'll be glad to answer them for you.

((((hugs))))

I don't have any advice, it just occurs to me that you're in good hands that are monitoring you closely enough to look for anything abnormal so they're fully prepared to keep you on a healthy and safe track as long as possible.

Hugs and time to de-stress.  As has been said, write down the questions now so they can stop marinating in your head, then let them sit there on the piece of paper while you work on the part that's in your control- reducing your stress and finding a peaceful time/space for yourself and your baby.  More hugs!

Sorry you've got the extras worries but it sounds like everything might be perfectly normal and they're just being cautious. I agree with the idea of writing down your questions before the appt. If possible, you might want to bring someone (other than Will ) along with you. I know that even when I remember to ask all my questions, I sometimes leave thinking "what did he say about that?"

rwbeagles

They always test for GD here...it's not optional it's just DONE.

It's not routine here.  It wasn't done last time.  She was concerned enough to have me booked through a seperate clinic because it was a faster way to get the growth scan.... she seemed to think it was fairly urgent....  This is worrying on one hand, but also kind of reassuring at the same time.  I've looked at my notes and there is a note in there to say "if fundal height is bigger than XXX, refer for growth scan and blah blah blah".  So it IS kinda routine... not done every time you get pregnant, only if you get bigger than a certain size.  And I am quite a BIT bigger than XXX, iyswim.

Most likely answer is they are erring on the side of caution, so I'm distracting myself till Monday.... if everything checks out OK, no need to discuss further.  If not, THEN I will re-group, write down my questions and discuss my options and potential risks etc with my midwife.  I really DON'T want to be transferred to consultant led care for being high risk, but I am trying not to jump the gun by worrying about that right now.

They don't test for it in Ireland, either. My friend who lives there had undiagnosed gestational diabetes, and ended up having a c-section to deliver an ELEVEN+ pound baby.   Makes drinking a little sugar water, waiting an hour, and having a little blood test seem not so bad or invasive at all to me.

We also do a urine test at every visit to check sugars, protein and bacteria I think.

Good luck!

janobonano

They don't test for it in Ireland, either. My friend who lives there had undiagnosed gestational diabetes, and ended up having a c-section to deliver an ELEVEN+ pound baby.   Makes drinking a little sugar water, waiting an hour, and having a little blood test seem not so bad or invasive at all to me.

We also do a urine test at every visit to check sugars, protein and bacteria I think.

Good luck!

Ditto with everything Jan said.  I had to give a sample each time I saw the doc.  I think that is waay better than to not know or have you freak out or going in for measurements, etc.  I think they measured me each time too after a certain point.  Heck all I remember is trying not to pig out right before I got weighed.

I am trying to think.  I had mine done in January and I delivered in May...how many weeks would that have made me? 

Thanks to EVERYONE - I feel so much better just for getting it out and the support means a lot to me!

janobonano

They don't test for it in Ireland, either. My friend who lives there had undiagnosed gestational diabetes, and ended up having a c-section to deliver an ELEVEN+ pound baby.   Makes drinking a little sugar water, waiting an hour, and having a little blood test seem not so bad or invasive at all to me.

We also do a urine test at every visit to check sugars, protein and bacteria I think.

Good luck!

It's not a glucose test - I think that is something seperate (which we don't have).  They drew the blood at the clinic where I saw my midwife without giving me sugar water first   Actually the student midwife took the blood, I was so impressed... I have tricky veins and she got me first go!

Birthing a big baby doesn't bother me, although I would be gutted if I couldn't give birth normally and had to have surgery.  It's have to be a flippin' enormous baby before I'd agree to that though!  I'd also be disappointed if I had to birth in hospital under consultant led care.... I will do that if I think it's in our best interests, but only after a lot of thought.  I'm lucky in that where I am, a woman can birth where she chooses.  I'm also lucky that if they try to pressure me into something I am not comfortable with, DH is completely 100% behind me all the way and will stick up for me.  That means so much.

They probably drew the blood for a HbA1c test to check if you have gestational diabetes.  More accurate I think.  So, your midwife seems right on track to help you stay as healthy as possible.  Maybe it would help if you took a few minutes to write down some of your questions and then call her.  I'm sure she would want to relieve as much anxiety as possible for you.

spiritdogs

They probably drew the blood for a HbA1c test to check if you have gestational diabetes.

Yes that, that sounds like what they did

I will decide what questions to ask based on the outcome of my scan.  Chances are good that it will show that the baby is a bit bigger than they thought, but nothing to worry about at this stage, and the blood test will show that I don't have GD, and then everything reverts back to Plan A, which is carry on taking care of myself and planning for a birth at home.  Here's hoping anyway...