Hello fellow Type 1s....
I am 36 weeks today. Baby is doing very well as per all the tests I've had to do. Baby measures normal for all parts of her/his body (they measured EVERYTHING!). I have a normal amount of amniotic fluid (not too much, nor too little). They told me that the placenta looks healthy and it sitting high. Baby is estimated at around 6 pounds. Fetal echo came back great. The doctors were happy to tell me that all appears normal. I have had an A1C of around 6.0% for the entire pregnancy (with a lot of work) and I have been wearing my CGMs the whole pregnancy. I finish my non-stress tests very quickly as baby likes to break dance - so is moving a lot. Very normal. I feel great (better than I did prepregnancy) and I do not have any complications nor do I have blood pressure issues. I was working until this last week - and would have kept working if the doctor allowed it.
My problem is this - my OB told me early on that he wants to induce me at 38 weeks. He said (at our first appointment) that "we always induce diabetics at 38 weeks". This seems like a one-size-fits-all kind of mentality and I don't see how this is reason enough to induce me. He told me that he'd give me his final decision next week. I would prefer not to have an induction if at all possible since, as far as I've read, the research on inductions is old - and is more suitable to type 1s who are in poor control or type 2s. I do know that if I have a pattern of lows, that means that the placenta could be failing and I will go into the hospital right away. I am prepared to do that. I have also been doing fetal counts periodically throughout the day to make sure that baby continues to break dance - and I am prepared to go to the hospital if movement slows.
My questions for you ladies are:
1) How many of you were able to go into labour on your own (i.e. without having to be induced)? If you did, how were you able to convince your OB to let you stay the course of pregnancy? Did you go into labour preterm? If not, when did you go into labour? Were there any concerns about the placenta failing?
2) For those of you who were induced - when were you induced and what was the reasoning for being induced? How was the induction and did it end in a C-section?
3) For those of you who had C-sections - how was it decided for you to have a C-section?
4) For those of you currently pregnant, what has your OB told you? Are any of you going full-term?
5) How can I convince my OB to let me go further than 38 weeks? Does anyone know of any other research that would be good for me to read for either side of this argument?? Would you recommend that I go ahead with the induction or stay the course??
Many thanks! I have so appreciated reading all of the posts.
~ Tracy
Type 1 for 28 years, no complications, first baby!!, on a pump for 6 years, on CGMs prepregnancy and throughout pregnancy