So I have gestational diabetes, which I have controlled with diet. The nurses that have been treating me for this told me this meant that I would be monitored more closely with at least 2 ultrasounds and that I would be induced if I didnt go into labor on my own by my due date. Sounded good to me... only now, the midwives I am seeing seeing (at the same place) are saying that because I am diet controlling my diabetes, they arent going to do any of that. They finally scheduled me an ultrsound only because I insisted. Its so frustrating. She also said they arent going to induce me no matter what the ultrasound says, even if the baby is up to 10 lbs. I guess I just dont understand why they made me go to someone who specializes in diabetes if they werent going to do what they recomend. What madee me maddest of all is she told me they dont do 'elective inductions', hello, I was told I had to have this done by the diabetes nurse you sent me to! This isnt just something I made up for fun... any suggestions?
*Im due on the 27th, so switching doctors at this point is not an option, which is another frustration as they didnt spring this on me until today when I came in ready to schedule my induction... since they refused to schedule me an ultrasound until today, (Im having it on thursday) I dont know how the babys growth is progressing- I am mainly worried he will get to big around the chest and will impact on the lungs, which I guess is the main risk with diabetes.
Go find a new doctor asap. Not midwife. In normal circumstances midwives are awesome! But you have diabetes and are getting conflicting advice. Go to the obgyn where you can get the medical care you need. As a diabetic, you need to have ultrasounds to gauge the weight./size of baby. Best wishes and hang in there!
M
new doctor's, second opinion, forget the midwives
Hard call but you should watch Business of Being Born. Doctors tell plenty of women they need to be induced when they really don't need it. Also, they try to force women to have c-sections that aren't medically necessary (its easier for the hospital). Research the facts yourself, you sound like a woman who wants to take charge of her birthing plan. In the end you have to make the call, your body, your baby.
Good luck and congratulations with the baby on the way!
- I don't agree with Toni V. obviously you are interested in using a midwife otherwise you wouldn't have already been working with them. I respect midwives and what they do, maybe she should do some research of her own.
Well, the "diabetes nurse" is not a midwife and really should not be throwing out suggestions about inductions unless she is a midwife or OB/GYN. Personally I would embrace your midwife's hesitance to schedule an elective induction. They often end in complications that lead to further interventions. I am sure that if it becomes medically necessary your midwife will suggest a medically indicated induction or refer you to an OB.
The ultrasound is also elective and you may end up paying out of pocket for it. Ultrasound weight/size measurements are guesstimates this late in pregnancy and can be as much as a pound off. Also a big baby does not mean that you need an induction or a c-section...
Ultimately YOU are the patient and you need to choose the care provider you feel most comfortable with. If you would rather have the type of care an OB provides with extra ultrasounds, tests and elective induction or c-section if your baby appears too big - it is NEVER too late to switch. I mean many women deliver with whatever doctor is on call at the hospital...sometimes someone they have never met before...
Seriously if you feel like you are not getting the care you want just change providers.
I would see an obstetrician - I assume the midwives function with an OB.
Does the ultrasound indicate any problems that would require you to be induced? I think a lot of times, doctors like to induce for almost any reason, but when you really look at the research, babies are born a lot faster and with fewer complications when they're allowed to be born when THEY want to be born, and not when WE want them to be born. But obviously, your and your baby's health has to be priority #1.
I have a friend (also with gestational diabetes) who had her first 3 babies induced. She was in labor for more than 24 hours with each of them. Finally with her last baby, she decided she wanted to do a home birth with a midwife. Her baby was born with no complications whatsoever, 4 hours from the time she started her contractions to the time the baby was born, 3 weeks after her due date! True story. She said if she had known to begin with that it just takes her body longer to "cook" the baby, she would have had all 4 at home and wouldn't have induced any of them.
I guess when it comes down to it, if there's a medical reason you feel you should be induced, then speak with your providers about it. If your ultrasounds have shown no problems with the baby, and the baby is no bigger than average, then you may not need to be induced. I think you should speak to your RN and midwife further about this and try to gain some clarity and get a plan that everyone is comfortable with.
I nductions are becoming far to common, it's the doctors easy way of of being sued, Midwives are very good at what they do and if they feel at all that you might be in harm by delivering naturally without going early then they will do something. Of course they are going to say induce, they have to if they don't then they get sued, doesn't mean the midwife has to agree.
Yes, find a midwife who will work with your RNs. Or find an OB/GYN that has experience with prenatal diabetes.
It sounds like your right hand and your left hand aren't talking to each other.
The last option is the follow what your midwives say and disregard the RN advice - that is personal preference, of course, but it's not what I would do.
Good Luck
Midwives aren't doctors. I guess I don't understand why you can't talk to the doctor who they defer to when a birth needs a c-section. You really run the risk of not being able to birth this baby if it gets too big.
I don't like what they are saying to you either. They may actually COST you a vaginal birth by letting your baby get so big.
Please go over their heads on this. SOMEONE is their boss, right?
Dawn
I had GD with my son and I also monitored glucose levels and controlled it with my diet. Each week I went to the specialist they measured my bump and took my weight and it all lined up with where I should be. There was no reason for concern, I didn't have any other pre-cursors for GB and my glucose levels were doing well.
I, however, was having a total panic attack about having a huge baby. Only because of this did they give me an additional ultrasound to better gauge the baby's size/weight. There wasn't any talk about a planned induction. The ultrasound 'guessed' the baby was 9 lbs.
I was induced as my water broke but labor wasn't progressing and my son was born at 7 lbs 11 0z.
I think you will be just fine without the induction, although I completely understand your frustration with your healthcare providers. Could your diabetes specialist write a letter for you to give to your midwife?
you may need to talk to your obgyn and maybe you need one of those instead of a midwife
I had GD with my first pregnancy. I was induced a week early because they were worried he was too big...they were saying nine pounds.
It was a tough 13 hour induction...but do able...he was only seven pounds even.
So who knows another week and he would have been eight pounds...still not bad.
It was an easier delivery with my daughter going into labor on my own...but I followed my doctor's advice and it all turned out well.
I was induced with my first child and it ended in a c-section. I did not have diabetes but he did induce me about a week after the due date they had figured, I had firgured a different date based on information that i used and had not reached that date yet. Wish i had not listened to him and just waited, after 12hours of very hard back labor they decided the baby was not taking this well and had a c-section. The ultra sound I had put the baby at 8lbs and she was only just over 6 so that wasn't real accurate. I am not always in favor of midwives but many people swear by them and if you have confidence that they will seek medical intervention if necessary then trust what they are doing. If I could turn back time I would not have let them induce me and would have waited another week.
