Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

I have a friend who was just diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. She's due in mid April. Do any of you know what the risks are for her and the baby? I know that her doctor will explain this all to her but she just found out this morning and is freaking out. Any advice I can pass along to her would be much appreciated.... TIA!

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

Tell her to relax. SOOOO many women get GD. She will have to watch what she eats. The doctor will provide her with all the details.

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

if she controls her diet she and the baby will be just fine.. alot of babies born to GD moms are really big.. putting them at risk for C section.. the babies also sometimes are born with a low blood sugar gaining them a 1 to 2 day stay in the NICU with an iv.

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

tell her not to worry..i had the same thing last year and i was due in mid april also! she will just have to watch her diet a little bit., the drs will make sure the baby wont get too big..the one good thing (or atleast i thought it was) they wont let you go past your due date when you have gd..i liked knowing that!

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

Please reassure her GD is quite common as long as she follows a diet and monitors her blood sugars they will be fine. I had GD and delivered my healthy baby girl in October. I did need to take med for the GD but i had other complications too.

My DD was born 2 weeks early and weighed 6lbs 15oz. DD's blood sugar was a little low at birth so we did supplement with a bottle since my milk wasn't in yet but she did not need NICU. Her sugars were fine after. Her doctor will explain all and the docs watch you very closely when you have it.

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

Thank you everyone for your advice and information....

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

I had GD and was able to control it with diet. As long as she follows her Dr's directions and controls her sugar she should have no problem. My was born without any complications. She was 8lbs 7oz.

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

I had GD
The risk was that the baby would be on the larger side- as long as she controls her diet and blood sugar she'll be OK.
By the way- My DD was a peanut- 5 pounds, 13 ounces born 3 1/2 weeks early.

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

I also had GD and it was controlled with diet. I remember when I first found out I cried. I thought what a cruel way to spend the rest of my pregnancy...not being able to eat what I want, when I want. Really it wasn't bad. There's alot you CAN eat. I thought I had to eliminate all carbs but you really just have to make sure you have protein with the carbs. So if I was having pasta, I would have 1 cup of pasta with chicken.

The doctor also said that my baby would be on the larger side. My last sono she weighed in at 8lbs 7oz and she was born on my due date and was only 7lbs 5oz. They checked her blood sugar levels when she was born and they were fine as well as mine.

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

I had GD and had to be on insulin. The induced me one week already (they thought DD was goign to be big but she was only 7lbs 5oz). DD's blood sugar was a litte low when she was born so she went down to teh NICU. Within a day that resolved itself. Now we are both fine. Your friend and the baby will be fine as long as she follows her diet and the dr's order

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

I had GD. I was just told that the baby could be Big.

ETA: i also controlled with diet. If i wanted a slice of pizza, i could but just had to eat a large salad with it.. the salad was fiber and fiber negates carbs from being absorbed.

Message edited 2/8/2008 12:49:28 PM.

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

I had GD it'snothing to worry as evertone said the baby get be large I had to give myself insulin and watch my diet

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

LOL, I freaked out when I heard I had GD also. I thought no way in hell could someone like me get it - I don't eat excessively, I'm not overweight, no family history, none of the usual signs. But anyways, it's not that big of a deal - you control your diet. Small portions frequently as supposed to 3 big meals. I was eating 6 small ones throughout the day. The hardest part was the blood drawing, which became okay after awhile.

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

I had GD with my first pregnancy. It really is more common and not a major thing but I hated every minute of it. It diet is doable but to watch everything you eat was tough for me. Worse was eating at scheduled times of the day and drawing blood at regular times of the day esp with work. But I had a nutty nutritionalist who made me super stressed over it - even though with diet my numbers were so super low they questioned whether I had GD or not!

Some risks larger babies - increasing risk for c section or baby having difficulties getting out the regular way. Also a baby is at higher risk of starting life with hypoglcemia (my GD was controlled and my son still had this even though a mere 7lbs 1 oz, 3 weeks early and was in NICU 5 days until he was able to regulate his sugars - but 100% fine since). Also later in life you are at higher risk for developing diabetes.

The positive - you may have more sonos to watch the babies size so you get to see the baby lots more!

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

I had GD. The risks include a larger baby which has health risks for the baby and ddelivery risks for the mother BUT if she follows the diet given to her, there wont be any problems at all. I followed it sooooo strict and my baby was born ont he smaller side.

Re: Question for PG friend with Gestational Diabetes

If it is controlled the risk is mostly having a bigger baby.

And after DC is born they check the blood sugar with a couple heel sticks after delivery to make sure the DC's blood sugar is not too low...

PS - the GD goes away within a day of giving borth a lot of times!

Message edited 2/8/2008 7:51:30 PM.