I am 24.5 weeks pregnant and two weeks I will have my first fetal growth scan. My doctor said that diabetic moms grow their babies bigger through the abdomen and shoulders. Do any of you ladies have any advice or information about this or what you went through? Thank you,
Nicole
I hadn't heard the bigger abdomen and shoulders thing. Why would that matter? Is your doctor using it as a reason to try to talk you into a cesarean? You should talk now with your doctor about how your baby will be born and if your doctor feels comfortable letting you go to 40 weeks and delivering vaginally. It's important to have an honest talk with your doctor and to decide what you think is best.
Statistically the babies of diabetic moms tend to be bigger because of high blood sugars. But the statistics include pregnant women who have crazy high blood sugars and A1cs. I've always wondered how old some of the studies are and if they include a majority of moms who use pumps and CGMs or who test often. Think it would be useful to have a sample group like that, who have A1cs below 7.
Near the end of your pregnancy your doctor will probably schedule you for lots of ultrasounds. I got them weekly during the last month. Just know that the technicians estimate the size of your baby. It's not a perfect science. They said my son was more than 10 pounds (!) a couple weeks before he was due and that it was because I was a diabetic mom. I was surprised because I'd had a healthy pregnancy with few lows an a non-diabetic A1c level. My son was born a week later at 8.9 pounds and 21", which is pretty close to the 8.8 pounds and 21" my husband was when he was born.
So trust your instincts and take everything your doctor says with a grain of salt. Your doctor's job is to be cautious and to rely on statistical data to make decisions. But you know how you're actually doing as a diabetic and the history of your family (have other women in your family had trouble delivering, how big have babies been in your husband's family and in yours).
I agree with everyone here. Trust your gut. Those stories of big babies for women with diabetes include those with type 2 who do have a harder time keeping BGs inline during pregnancy. If you can keep your A1C in the low 6s or 5s, your baby shouldn't be any bigger than they it would if you didn't have type 1.
My a1c was kept in the high 5s for most of my two pregnancies. I had a 6lb 6oz daughter at 38 weeks the first pregnancy and 6lb 9oz daughter at 38 weeks for the 2nd pregnancy (the ultrasound tech said this baby was "well over 9lbs" four days before I was induced - just happens my husband has a big head and my girls had 95th percentile heads ;-). Both were 18.5". I was 6lb something when I was born any my husband was in the high 7lb range. At this point in time, I'd take your & your husband's family history more into play on baby size (pending you are able to keep your A1Cs down) than BG.
My best advice is to take in everything they say, ask questions about every single thing ("why is that?" was my favorite line) and if you want something a specific way (i.e. you want to do everything possible to delivery vaginally) be sure they know that. It's still your body and you know it WAY better than any doctor does.
I will also let you know, that both of my daughters did need to have glucose put into their stomachs with a tube after birth because their BGs got too low (their little bodies are used to covering for our 'high' (every 150 is "high' to an infant in your womb)). It was a one time deal for both and they both had no trouble after that one bolus.
Jenna- Thank you that is really helpful. I have also heard that mothers have been told that their babies were way over 9lbs to find out they were only 7. How much of a choice do you have though when they tell you that and want to do a c-section? Can you say that you want to be induced instead? My OB told me that type 1 moms just tend to grow their babies with bigger chests/abdomens and my Endo concurred with her. Which was curious.
Katie- My A1c has been 6-6.5. I have heard that if you keep really tight control your last trimester that also helps with not accelerating the baby growth...any of that true? I am really nervous that she will have a low blood sugar at birth and I stressed NO FORMULA. that was comforting that they actually put glucose into their stomachs. Did they prick your newborns heels? When?
Not sure on the 3rd trimester a1c and growth. My girls were both no formula as well... They pricked their heals a few times after the 1st low reading - not sure I remember exactly how often they checked them... but they were done within 24 hours of those checks (I even checked my daughter & I out of hospital at 24 hours after birth for my 2nd (I hate being in the hospital with type 1 - they freak out at a 80 and a 150). Maybe 3 times after they had the glucose their heels were knicked?