What are your experiences on GDM?

Question

So I took blood work & got abnormal results for gestational diabetes. Im really scared, how would this effect the baby. Im going to take another 3 hour test tomorrow to confirm it but im really depressed and scared for my baby & me. Can anyone give me a little more knowledge as to how bad gdm is and what exactly it is?.. With my 1st child I was normal why get it now??

Answer

Most people fail the one hour test. It doesn't mean you have GD.

Answer

Due to family history (biodad was type 1) i was tested early and failed. I also had horrible morning sickness and couldnt eat so they put me on medications and then proceeded to scare the living shit out of me and caused me to have severe anxiety. Guess what my baby arrived early and weighed only 5 lbs. then bc i thought it was my fault i ended up with severe post partum depression. Somethings that did help was forcing myself to eat at regular times and to walk for 15 min after eating. Good luck!

Answer

I'm on my third pregnancy with it. If you are able to control your blood sugars and what you eat, then you and baby will be fine. Its typically only when you can't control your blood sugars that it can get bad. Many women will just tell you that everything will be fine and to just control your glucose. But it is so much more than that. It varies for every woman. If you already have good eating habits and aren't obese, then it will be a lot easier for you to control. For the women who are obese and are emotional eaters and are used to eating large portions, it will be very difficult.

GD puts you at a higher risk for developing preeclampsia. It also puts you at a higher risk for a large baby which could mean complications with delivery. If your blood sugars aren't controlled it could lead to fetal distress, heart defects (if you had GD during crucial development in 1st trimester), and it can even lead to a still born. If you are put on insulin injections, insulin slows down the development of the  babies lungs.

My 2nd daughter was a 35 weeker, and she had to be on oxygen for two weeks. She spent 6 weeks in the NICU due to many health problems. She had tachycardia, tachypnea, enlarged heart, and couldn't feed. She had a feeding tube. She was diagnosed with failure to thrive because she did not wake up to eat at night, and she could not suckle on a bottle.  She had developmental delays from the minute she came home. I've had early intervention services for her since she was a newborn. She is 4 years old now. She is in special education preschool because she is cognitively delayed and has a speech delay.

GD can effect language development. The high glucose really can wreck havoc on crucial development.

My firstborn was born at 38wks. She had no health problems. She did have a speech delay til she was 4, but she caught up. She is 6 now.

Every pregnancy is different.

Answer

Omg me too. I just found out I failed so i have to go to the three hour one as well. I'm so worried and anxious. I have started following the national gestational diabetes diet that i found online today. I'll do anything to make sure baby and I are healthy. Good luck and best wishes!

What are your experiences on GDM?

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