I've chosen to write this post out to spread awareness of just how tough gestational diabetes or rather any kind of diabtes can be. This is my story, if you've experienced GD, I'd love to hear your story.
I went for my 28wk midwife check and my bump was measuring 6wks too big. So, my midwife put me in for growth scans. Rightly so, I had missed my Glucose test in the mayhem of Christmas so I rebooked and as expected, a phone call a few days after cake back that I had indeed developed gestatuonal diabetes. I just cried. My cravings were Frosties and now I couldn't eat them. I was devastated. My scan at 30+5 showed my baby to be weighing at 4lbs 8oz! She was a whopper already! I had my app at the maple unit (MK's clinic for the diabetic), and I was firstly given a horrific looking contraption that looks like a spear. I already had a needle phobia and I just wanted the floor to swallow me I was so scared. My diabetic Midwife gave me a different blood sugar tester, smaller needle, easier to test. I was fine with it, after all I had no choice. I had to test in the morning (fasting blood test) and then an hour after each meal. I had ups and down, tears and tantrums and god did I just want some chocolate!!
I had to have a growth scan every 2wks and a visit to the maple unit after. I struggled, despite my best efforts to keep my diabetes under control. At 36+5 I had an appointment after my scan, baby was measuring at 9lbs 5!! My consultant didn't want me to attempt a natural birth of a baby over 9lbs7oz and so the heat was on. I was already on insulin and metaformin tablets and trying to control my diet and baby was still huge. So, my consultant booked me in to be induced the next morning. Omg!! It was happening. The risk of her shoulders getting stuck was high. She was a compromised baby. I was put under high risk and she wanted me to be under the best staff available. I had to have a certain member of staff on shift to deliver her and I was reserved a bed in theatre. So...
The next day we went in and I was given pessarys. They done nothing. 2dsys in they gave me a bed on labour ward and popped my waters. This was at 6.30am on 18th March. I was put on the hormone drip. The pain was excuciating. I'd had a baby and delivered my 1st back to back but this was a whole new level of pain. I had an epidural. It didn't seem to do much but take the edge off. I wasn't told about the boost button. I was read to push at around 9.45pm but the right person who was needed to deliver mollie was in another room delivering another baby. When she was done, she came in and my Midwife (1of 2 I was assigned due to being high risk) told me the words I'll never forget. "When I push this button behind your head, the room is gonna fill up with people, but don't panic!!" Yeah right??!!!
Baby was stuck. Fuck!! Sure enough the button was pushed and an alarm went off. The room sure enough filled with people. There was 19 of us. Soon to be 20. I pushed and pushed. I managed with help from the doctor to push mollie out in around 20mins. The midwife had to manually assist, literally hands in to release mollies arm that was stuck. She was born at 22.51pm. I lost a lot of blood (1000mls) and went into shock. Mollie needed a bit of oxygen but was fine. She was born weighing 9lb 5oz! A picture of perfection. Our rainbow baby. I've never seen matt as happy as I did at that moment. It was one of the most perfect moments of my life, even if there was a whole bunch of strangers staring at my foof. Mollie ended up with jaundice from the bruise due to being stuck, resulting in lots of sessions of heel prick tests. Not something a new mum wants to see, her brand new baby with holes in its feet, screaming in pain. Was brutal.
Diabetes was hell. Made my baby huge. Made the birth dangerous and scared the hell out of matt. I was told if I had her at full term, she would have been 11-12lbs! Sod that!!
If anyone else has had GD, please share 😀
I went for my 28wk midwife check and my bump was measuring 6wks too big. So, my midwife put me in for growth scans. Rightly so, I had missed my Glucose test in the mayhem of Christmas so I rebooked and as expected, a phone call a few days after cake back that I had indeed developed gestatuonal diabetes. I just cried. My cravings were Frosties and now I couldn't eat them. I was devastated. My scan at 30+5 showed my baby to be weighing at 4lbs 8oz! She was a whopper already! I had my app at the maple unit (MK's clinic for the diabetic), and I was firstly given a horrific looking contraption that looks like a spear. I already had a needle phobia and I just wanted the floor to swallow me I was so scared. My diabetic Midwife gave me a different blood sugar tester, smaller needle, easier to test. I was fine with it, after all I had no choice. I had to test in the morning (fasting blood test) and then an hour after each meal. I had ups and down, tears and tantrums and god did I just want some chocolate!!
I had to have a growth scan every 2wks and a visit to the maple unit after. I struggled, despite my best efforts to keep my diabetes under control. At 36+5 I had an appointment after my scan, baby was measuring at 9lbs 5!! My consultant didn't want me to attempt a natural birth of a baby over 9lbs7oz and so the heat was on. I was already on insulin and metaformin tablets and trying to control my diet and baby was still huge. So, my consultant booked me in to be induced the next morning. Omg!! It was happening. The risk of her shoulders getting stuck was high. She was a compromised baby. I was put under high risk and she wanted me to be under the best staff available. I had to have a certain member of staff on shift to deliver her and I was reserved a bed in theatre. So...
The next day we went in and I was given pessarys. They done nothing. 2dsys in they gave me a bed on labour ward and popped my waters. This was at 6.30am on 18th March. I was put on the hormone drip. The pain was excuciating. I'd had a baby and delivered my 1st back to back but this was a whole new level of pain. I had an epidural. It didn't seem to do much but take the edge off. I wasn't told about the boost button. I was read to push at around 9.45pm but the right person who was needed to deliver mollie was in another room delivering another baby. When she was done, she came in and my Midwife (1of 2 I was assigned due to being high risk) told me the words I'll never forget. "When I push this button behind your head, the room is gonna fill up with people, but don't panic!!" Yeah right??!!!
Baby was stuck. Fuck!! Sure enough the button was pushed and an alarm went off. The room sure enough filled with people. There was 19 of us. Soon to be 20. I pushed and pushed. I managed with help from the doctor to push mollie out in around 20mins. The midwife had to manually assist, literally hands in to release mollies arm that was stuck. She was born at 22.51pm. I lost a lot of blood (1000mls) and went into shock. Mollie needed a bit of oxygen but was fine. She was born weighing 9lb 5oz! A picture of perfection. Our rainbow baby. I've never seen matt as happy as I did at that moment. It was one of the most perfect moments of my life, even if there was a whole bunch of strangers staring at my foof. Mollie ended up with jaundice from the bruise due to being stuck, resulting in lots of sessions of heel prick tests. Not something a new mum wants to see, her brand new baby with holes in its feet, screaming in pain. Was brutal.
Diabetes was hell. Made my baby huge. Made the birth dangerous and scared the hell out of matt. I was told if I had her at full term, she would have been 11-12lbs! Sod that!!
If anyone else has had GD, please share 😀
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