Diabetes Talking

Question:

oht nak take comfort that ultasounds for weight are often wildly inaccurate esther, told she was having a 10 pounder… got an 8# 4 GDM, not t1

Response:

oht nak take comfort that ultasounds for weight are often wildly inaccurate

That’s true too.  They kept telling me that while Angela looked a bit small, they were sure she’d be a big baby simply because I had GD.  Her birth weight was 2 oz. less than average.  She was a bit taller than normal, but didn’t have a big head, big shoulders or any other big parts, except for her mouth.  Hehe.  My but she could scream! — Type 2 http://users.bestweb.net/~jbove/

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oht nak take comfort that ultasounds for weight are often wildly inaccurate That’s true too.  They kept telling me that while Angela looked a bit small, they were sure she’d be a big baby simply because I had GD.  Her birth weight was 2 oz. less than average.  She was a bit taller than normal, but didn’t have a big head, big shoulders or any other big parts, except for her mouth.  Hehe.  My but she could scream!

Yeah. I’m not sure why the ultrasounds are so inaccurate, but when my lovely sweetie was carrying my other lovely sweetie for 9 months, she developed gestational diabetes and had to have some of the joys and delights of *my* lifestyle. But the little cutie was born naturally. Now, the job I wanted to do on the *nurse* who took our newborn’s blood glucose test (to make sure mommy’s GD didn’t cause the little meatloas bg to go hypoglycemic when she got off of mommy’s rich umbilical supply with a potentially high blood sugar and onto her own little gorgeous tummy full of mommy milk), that was an issue. The glucometers they used are *extremely* badly designed, with a "hand-fitting" form factor that *wobbles* if you try to set it on a flat surface. The test strip requires a very small sample, but projects the thin flopping strip several inches out of the meter, so that it is physically impossible to place it on an inches punctured heel unless you start the meter, puncture or have someone puncture the infant’s heel, *clamp* the screaming and writhing healthy infant’s into the right it off and you have to start all over. *4 times* we went through this. The third and fourth time I insisted on holding my child, extremely carefully but with my best "I am holding a very delicate object that I cannot let move" grip, and the nurse flubbed   getting the blood onto the strip, then finally got it. The secret to doing it right? Insist that the staff use a pipette to draw the blood from the infant’s heel to put it on the meter, which is much easier, faster, and can actually be drawn before the meter is turned on. The head nurse showed us that trick later that day: the more junior nurse hadn’t known or thought to do so. This was the same head nurse who said "send your husband home, and make him buy you jewelry", which we ignored, and "you know what helps your milk production", and my lovely wife already had an answer. "Guinness". It was fun, the yuppies in the class were shocked but the head nurse was amused that my wife knew…..

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Yes, I’m hoping my endocrinologist was right when she felt my belly and said, "Well, it doesn’t FEEL like a particularly big baby…".  Of course, she’s not an OB but I imagine she’s felt her share of big babies, since she specializes in diabetic pregnancies! Guess we’ll know more in a few weeks when they do another u/s. Thanks, everyone. Nancy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – oht nak take comfort that ultasounds for weight are often wildly inaccurate esther, told she was having a 10 pounder… got an 8# 4 GDM, not t1

Response:

Feeling a bit depressed this evening.  I’m a Type 1 diabetic of 30 years’ standing, no complications, and currently 31 weeks pregnant with my second child.  My first, a healthy girl, was born at 7 lbs 10 oz (at 38 weeks). This one was estimated by ultrasounds at 21 and 25 weeks to be in the 74th percentile for weight – higher, but not bad at all.  Today, 6 weeks later, ultrasound estimates have jumped to the 94th percentile! This, when my blood sugar control in the past 3 months has even improved – my HbAIC has gone from 0.6 in early pregnancy (normal by the lab standards) to 0.54. Why, oh why, such a dramatic jump?  Just how big is this kid going to be? My doctor, who specializes in diabetic pregnancy, assures me that "There are dozens of reasons why diabetic women have bigger babies, many of them ill-understood. And only one of them is high blood sugars."  Cold comfort some weeks from now when I’m having a c-section. Thanks for letting me whine.  And whining I am, since baby is perfectly healthy otherwise, for which I am thankful. Nancy

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Based on discussions on the twins newsgroup, the ultrasound weight estimates can vary just from the technician’s "point and click" skills. (This is very frustrating for all concerned – but if the baby is moving around, it’s understandable.) Cindy Wells I hope this is your situation rather than anything more serious

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My doctor, who specializes in diabetic pregnancy, assures me that "There are dozens of reasons why diabetic women have bigger babies, many of them ill-understood. And only one of them is high blood sugars."  Cold comfort some weeks from now when I’m having a c-section.

How big is this fetus? My brother was delivered vaginally and weighed 10.4 lbs. Is you obstetrician considering a c-section for you for his convenience?

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It’s my understanding that if the baby stays at 94th percentile, we’re looking at a birthweight of well over 9 lbs, possibly 10ish.  A major factor, really, is that the babies of diabetic mums tend to be big in the shoulders, thus shoulder dystocia during vaginal delivery is a very real risk – not one I’m willing to subject either the baby or myself to for the sake of having a vaginal delivery. No, I don’t believe either my OB or endocrinologist (both female, by the way) would recommend c-section for convenience’s sake…I’m having the baby at a  centre known for high-risk deliveries and I trust their judgement.  It sure worked out well for us last time!  :-) Thanks for the suggestion, though. Nancy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My doctor, who specializes in diabetic pregnancy, assures me that "There are dozens of reasons why diabetic women have bigger babies, many of them ill-understood. And only one of them is high blood sugars."  Cold comfort some weeks from now when I’m having a c-section. How big is this fetus? My brother was delivered vaginally and weighed 10.4 lbs. Is you obstetrician considering a c-section for you for his convenience?

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