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Type 1 needing pregnancy advice at 33 weeks

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LauraMarzano

LauraMarzano

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi everyone

I am new to this forum but desperately needing advice and reassurance. I live in Cyprus and have been type 1 for 20 years. My bloods have always been a bit hit and miss due to my lack of knowledge in carb counting.

I am 32 weeks pregnant, 33 on Friday. I go a private hospital here and see a great obstetrician who has delivered baby's of diabetics before so has good knowledge. I also see a specialist diabetic doctor who due to my bloods being high, they are currently averaging between 3-10 and my last HBA1C was 6.2%, has referred me to see someone about having a pump fit.

Anyway my obstetrician has said my baby is getting too big due to my bloods being high, last week she weighed approx 2.2kg (4.8lbs) but going back every week now for scans to see how she is getting on.

The reason for my long message today is how big is too big or a baby at 33 weeks? Are they just comparing me to "normal" pregnant woman? Has anyone got any advice for me as I am starting to get extremely worried and I have nobody else to talk to?

I hope to hear from someone 🙂

Thanks guys

Laura xx
 
Hi Laura, just wanted to welcome you to the forum and wish you well with your pregnancy. I can't really help with the question, except to say I know that I have read other mothers here say that they had also been told their babies were getting too big, but when the baby was born it was perfectly normal in size.

Hopefully, some of the mums will be around soon to give you their first-hand experiences 🙂
 
Hi Northerner!

Thanks for the welcome, I have been looking for a good diabetes uk forum for a while so hopefully I will get the answers I need. It's good having someone who knows just what you are going through to talk to 🙂 xx
 
Hi Laura,

Welcome to the forum. Please don't panic - you're at the best place 🙂

I am not an expert on pregnancy but from what I've been told, the closer you get to a 'full-term' size baby, the more often they will do your scans to know whether they may need to induce you earlier - this is usually for your own benefit so you are better able to have a natural birth.

I am not sure how big is too big for 33 weeks but hopefully one of the pregancy ladies or mums will be along shortly to share their experiences. I'm sure you're aware what size babies usually range from at birth, so I would imagine they wouldn't start thinking about doing anything until baby reaches those sort of weights.

Please always post on here with any questions you have 🙂 Everyone is really lovely and friendly, and full of great advice or experiences.

take care.
 
Thanks Katie 🙂

I should have mentioned they have said I will have a C-sec and have given me a date of 20th March, when I will be 37 1/2 weeks but this depends on her size, it's worrying me so much which can't be good for baby but then they are probably just trying to scare me into getting my bloods right, although it's not from not trying :(

I have another scan tomorrow afternoon so should be able to give a more up to date weight and someone might be able to give me some guidence x
 
Hi Laura,
I am 35wks now and at my 34wk growth scan last week they said my LO weighs 4.7lbs which they have said is small!He is on the 10th centile line for growth.
I am not entirely sure how accurate these scans are,lots of people have told me not to worry too much and just to relax and do the best i can do with my bloods.As long as baby is moving around try not to worry too much,that's what the docs and midwives have told me anyway.
My control has been all over the place throughout my pregnancy,i passed out in the supermarket and 2wks ago i was admitted to hospital because i had protein in my urine and ketones 😱.They gave me steroids to mature LO's lungs in case he comes early.
It sounds like you're doing ok to me,i think certain doctors expect us to have perfect control but don't realise how difficult it actually is!
Take care,try to relax and keep us posted! 🙂
Jude xxx
 
Thanks Jude, I know what you mean about the doctor's not realising how difficult it is, I don't think I could try any harder than I am doing :(

I thought my BS had been ok and was quite proud of myself so I think that made me even more upset. I'm just worried she is going to be huge like 10lbs+ I'm not bothered about having a big baby just that she is healthy, she moves around all the time and is very active I feel her everywhere, probably because she is big.

That's awful about you passing out 😱 I haven't had any incidents like that, but you take care, have they said if you will have a c-sec?

Thanks for the advice 🙂 will let you know how much she weighs tomorrow xx
 
LauraMarzano said:
Hi everyone

I am new to this forum but desperately needing advice and reassurance. I live in Cyprus and have been type 1 for 20 years. My bloods have always been a bit hit and miss due to my lack of knowledge in carb counting.

I am 32 weeks pregnant, 33 on Friday. I go a private hospital here and see a great obstetrician who has delivered baby's of diabetics before so has good knowledge. I also see a specialist diabetic doctor who due to my bloods being high, they are currently averaging between 3-10 and my last HBA1C was 6.2%, has referred me to see someone about having a pump fit.

Anyway my obstetrician has said my baby is getting too big due to my bloods being high, last week she weighed approx 2.2kg (4.8lbs) but going back every week now for scans to see how she is getting on.

The reason for my long message today is how big is too big or a baby at 33 weeks? Are they just comparing me to "normal" pregnant woman? Has anyone got any advice for me as I am starting to get extremely worried and I have nobody else to talk to?

I hope to hear from someone 🙂

Thanks guys

Laura xx
Click to expand...

Hi Laura Congraulations on your pregnancy. Try not to worry too much. My baby was born at 33 weeks, prematurely and she weighed 4 lb 7. My BS were very good throughout the pregancy, but often a little on the low side. No one said that she was 'too big' at 33 weeks. When I eventually saw her she was tiny😱 It does also depend on whether you would have a bigger baby anyway without Diabetes, I don't have big babies, even full term.
You could try and find out more, maybe google could help. It's hard not to worry, but I wish you a safe and trouble free delivery and can't wait to here of your news. Take care with best wishes Sheena
 
Hi Laura,
No,they have not said anything much about the birth,at my 1st ante-nantal appointment they said their policy was to induce diabetic women at 38wks,mainly as the babies tend to be big or there are problems with the placenta.
Last week they said they might not do that with me as the baby is small and as they're scanning me regularly they might let me go beyond 38wks.
I just don't know at the moment,might find out more at my scan next week!
 
Seriously - if they really really think babe is getting too big to stay where it is - they'll just bring the C-section forward. 37/38 weeks is dead 'normal' for the baby of a diabetic mum, so don't worry your head about that one, please!

I expect your insulin doses are rocketing though at the moment! - and that's dead normal too.
 
My bloods where good throughout my pregnancy my hb1ac always good i had hardly any highs in the last few months just loads and loads of hypos
Jemima was born at 34 weeks 6lb4 so big for her age
i think they do freak you out a bit I've know people be told there baby was measuring to small and be 11lbs and the other way round
try not to worry just do your best xx
 
Thanks girls, this has all really put my mind at ease, I think maybe living in Cyprus they expect smaller baby's in general all the greek women walk around looking like they have a football up their t-shirts and I look like a beach whale, I'm carrying her everywhere a couple of people have asked if I'm having twins 😱 so hopefully they just aren't used to seeing large baby's like we are in the UK.

My mind has stopped racing anyway and I have a scan this afternoon so I will see what ob says. Thanks again though I'm glad I found these boards it's great to have people who understand what what we are going through 🙂 xxx
 
Good Luck with the scan Laura. I hope the Drs can put your mind at rest. Medics see people all the time and they don't always realise how what to them is a run of the mill comment can affect someone.

If you can ask the Dr all the questions you have wanted to ask here and they will hopefully be able to help.
 
With all my pregnancies I myself lost weight, I went from looking like a prop-forward to looking like twiggy😱 I would start labour not being able to see my toes, after labour a flat stomach and toes, knees all visable😱

I used to be huge all baby weight though, my doctor used to shake his head in disbelieve he would check my ankles and hands, ensuring that I had an afternoon appointment in an attempt to detect any sign of swelling, but nothing just an huge lump in front..

But my youngest daughter I was the biggest, I got teased about not only being bigger than the rugby's teams prop forward, but carrying one as well.. By 6 months I had chronic indigestion and prescribed Gavoston (sp) by the bucket load.. and sleep slight propped up, hitting 7 month's I had to sleep in a sitting position, if I laid on my back it felt like I couldn't breath, laying on the side my bump pulled so much it hurt.. by 36 weeks an snail could out run me, tis hard work humpy an hump around and I was so fed up... If my consultant hadn't decided to pull my in to be induced 4 days after that appointment I think I would thrown a right royal paddy...

But their again, my daughter arrived weighing a whopping 11lb 13oz, when more than the twins that were on our ward..

With saying that I may be small well 5'4 which is average height, and pretty slender I was distend to have big babies, as my other two where 10lb 10oz and 10lb 12oz and friends look at me in disbelieve not sure where I ever carried them to and shocked that I never needed a C-section...

So try not to worry and all the best for the pending arrival
 
Hi Laura

Hope the scan goes okay. Just something else to reassure you. In the third trimester babies gain on average half a pound a week, so even if you were to go full term, with good control your baby would only put on another 3.5lbs.

Take care

MrsH xx
 
Thank you all so much for your kind comments and advice.

I went for my scan yesterday and the little monster had hiccupps...cutest thing I have ever heard 🙂 it turns out she has put on less than 1/2 lbs so the doctor was really pleased, she weighs 5lbs now and I am 33 weeks today and I have lost a kilo through changing my eating habits so I am feeling so much happier now. There had been a risk that I might have to go to a hospital 3 hours away in the capital as that's where the special care baby unit is (Cyprus is so old fashioned and backwards it's untrue) if I were to have her prematurely.

The diabetes specialist I have been seeing has said that before meals (fasting) my bloods sugars should be less than 95mg/DL (5.2 in our language 😉 ) which I think is difficult for even the best diabetic anyway! My bloods have been between 3-9 on average so I am pleased with myself and I know I am doing my up most best to keep tight control, I struggle in a morning but the rest of the day goes pretty well.

My mind had definitley been put to rest after talking with you all and realising that I'm not alone in all this, so thank you again :D xxx
 
Really pleased to hear that the scan went well and that you are reassured Laura 🙂 I hope everything continues smoothly - let us know how things go!
 
Hi Laura, glad to hear things all went so well! And congratulations on the weight loss too - that really must take some doing!

I'm glad you found the site...keep us updated on how things are going, or if you have any more questions (not that I can help on the pregnancy ones but there's plenty here that can!) 🙂
 
Your doing really well.

keep it up baby will soon be here and you wont have to worry anymore 🙂 xx
 
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