Seeking Awnsers on Gestational Diabetes and Measuring 3 Wks Ahead

With GD they are concered bc your glucose levels increase the weight of your baby....they will be do more when you are closer to your due date if your baby is overweight or to large for vaginal birth.

I was Gestational with my last two pregnancies. My daughter, who is now 3, was 7 lbs and 8 oz. I measured normal. My son, who is now 17 months, was 9 lbs and 9 oz. I was measuring 3 weeks ahead also. Four days before they induced me (a week early) they did an ultrasound to see how big he was and he measured in at 7 lbs and 3 oz! What a difference. I asked how they made such a big mistake and my dr said they are off by 10 percent a lot. Well 7 lbs to 9 lbs is more than 10 percent! Good luck!

With my second pregnancy, I tested high on my test and I was measuring a few weeks ahead also. I worried about it but it turned out fine. I did the 3 or 4 hour test also and it was fine. I think the problem with my first test is that I ate too close to the taking the test. I measured a few weeks ahead with both my pregnancies and both my babies were fine. They were big at birth ( 9 1/2 pounds) but they are healthy.

I was initially freaked out about how big I measured. People kept asking me if I was having twins or diabetic and I kept having nightmares about having a child like the one in the movie "Jack" with Robin Williams where he plays an eight year old who ages at 4 times the rate of a normal child but I worried needlessly. I can laugh about it now because both my big boys are fine, my oldest (almost 4 years old) is actually a little smaller than average and my youngest (13 months old) is average weight and a little taller than average.

If you do have gestational diabetes, then you will just need to follow the doctors orders and watch your diet. I know a lot of people who test high on their first test but test fine for the longer test which is a more accurate test. So try not to worry. It's not so bad. You may do fine on the next test. And if you don't, it's still OK, your doctor can help monitor your pregnancy and help keep you and your baby healthy. So good luck. I wish you a happy and healthy pregnancy. Keep us posted as we will be praying for you.

I tested high on the glucose tolerance test with 3 of my 4 children. With two of my children I tested fine with the second test. With my last son I was diabetic and didn't know it. If you test high on the second test and have gestational diabetes or are a diabetic ask to be referred to a diabetes doctor to monitor the diabetes during your pregnancy. Do everything that the doctor tells you. When you are diabetic the placenta that nourishes the baby wears out before the baby's lungs develop. So it is a big deal to eat what you are supposed to eat and give yourself the correct dosage of insulin. I was induced three weeks early because the placenta was wearing out. I followed the doctors orders and had a healthy baby. Good luck with it!

I have a friend who had GD (injections, finger sticks several times per day, etc.) and she delivered yesterday via c-section at almost 37 weeks. They were concerned the baby would be too big if she went to term. She had an 8 lb 21" baby! Everyone is different, but take care of yourself and do what your doctor says. Drink plenty of water and watch your sugar! Good luck!

If I were your midwife, in leu of the 3 or 4h GTT, I'd get you to check your sugar at home before and after meals for a week, then compare your levels to what you had (or hadn't) been eating that week. I'd want to look at your over-all diet, before I give any further advice about GD.
As far as measuring large, you did not say whether this was a jump from before, or if you had been measuring large all along. So, again, I'd have to compare this last measurement with previous ones before I could make any statements about it. Only your HCP, who knows the whole story, can give you pertinent advice. Talk to him or her about it. Don't be intimidated, or rushed. You are paying for their services, that makes it their job to serve you, including taking the time to answer all your questions and address all your concerns, however long that takes. If you can't get satisfaction from him or her, change HCP's. Consider a midwife, who gives more thorough, personal care.

I was in the same boat had to repeat with my first and didn't have a problem. With my second I had to repeat the test and the baby was measuring 4 weeks ahead. I changed my diet and had to take some medicine. It wasn't a huge deal. I took some nutrition classes and had to use a glucose meter. The baby wound up being born at 37.5 weeks and only weighing 6lbs 15 oz (my first was 8lbs 9oz). One concern we did have was that when the baby was born his sugar was too low and he had to spend several hours in the NICU. The nurses handled everything so well that it was not scary. They let my mom and husband go back to the Nursery and watch what was going on. Once they got it under control he was able to come back to the room. I hope this helps a little and good luck!

I had gest diab with my 2nd child but did not measure ahead. Not sure about that. I had to go on the diet and prick my finger after every meal and fax in my diet and my numbers several times a day. A real pain and I was starving! You will get used to it but you must follow the diet or they will take you in early and take the baby if your numbers get too high. Ask your doc about the measuring ahead, I have never heard of that.

There are a lot of factors that go into the fundal height measurement that makes it an "average" and a good rule of thumb, but nothing "set in stone." The position of your baby, maternal belly fat, your body size and type, and the amount of amniotic fluid all go into the measurement, as well as the accuracy of the person measuring (does the nurse or doctor start and end at exactly the same spot every time?).

As far as the GTT goes, the first "test" is just a screen, designed to pick up as many people as possible, although only a percentage of those will actually test positive on the longer test. So it's possible that you have GD, but most of the people who have a positive 1-hour screen go on to be proven negative for diabetes on the longer test.