Homebirth is hanging on a thread...

[Kontessa]

I need some support in this.... I have had an emotional few days for other reasons and now this.

In short, my midwife had me eat a standard breakfast she has all her clients eat for the test.

2 Scrambled Eggs
1 English Muffin / Or two toast
Butter
8oz whole milk
8oz OJ

The tested me two hours after. It was so bad she did not give me the number but mentioned she only does low risk pregnancies and I had a high risk number.

HOW? According to her scale I have gained NO weight this pregnancy.

So now I need to food journal, eat low carb, and test an hour after each meal and e-mail her that each week as I will be on vacation for the next month far away. I will do what ever I have to for baby but I am so scared that this time diet will not matter. She is going to retest with I get home.

I am scared she is going to drop me...

(everything else looks just wonderful)

[Crispie]

oh mama! s

Actually seems like a more reasonable menu than the one I have to tackle (pancakes with syrup blah!) I wonder if there is anyway her reading was off?

My mw will do homebirth with "controlled" diabetes. I dunno if that is a way for her to have a loophole/out or if she really truly does, but maybe that's an option for you too?

I totally would be upset too. I hope things all work out for the better and your numbers overall look good!

[Kontessa]

I can't believe I have come this far and after paying 3k out of pocket, that we would not get back, I might end up with an OB and hospital birth.

I panicked and e-mailed the midwife and out and out asked if she had helped anyone with my issue control the GD and still homebirth. Goddess let her say yes else I am not sure what I will do. And to think I was thinking about going unassisted.... midwife has me so worried about baby crashing after birth now.

I had baked chicken for dinner with calliflower and cheese and an hour after it was up to 130! What the heck! I had water to drink.

I am normally borderline GD with my pregnancies but I thought without gaining that it would not be bad, at least not worse and some how it is.

[Carliegirl]

I'd cut out refined sugar completely, eat high protein and then read, read, read madly everything you can find about treating and curing gest. diabetes. I bet there's information even here on Mothering if you search threads. Good luck mama. I know that terror of losing your homebirth. I hope your midwife helps you out, that you find answers and that you can still stay home. Many hugs!!!

[jcsquared]

i failed my 1 hour post-pancake/syrup/OJ breakfast test also. i was completely stressed about getting risked out of home birth so i understand it's scary mama! my MW suggested cinnamon 1/2 tsp (in applesauce) or capsules (i'm taking new chapter cinnamon force or something like that) at bedtime. i'm doing them after breakfast and dinner. she also said no fruit before noon, and i could try 1 tsp apple cider vinegar in 1 cup water after meals but i haven't done that one yet. also at least 30 min walking per day helps your insulin work better.

she also said i was the first person she'd had fail the meal test...and she's been doing this 30 years! scary. so anyway, she allowed me to retake with the evil drink which i did yesterday and passed. it made me feel gross but if it allowed me to stay "low risk" i was willing to do it. she also had me take some AM fasting blood sugars at home and as long as i was under 90 (and i was by a hair) she said that was good - i got 89, 80, 87. good luck and i think you can control it!

[jecombs]

One word: almonds. They help balance your blood sugar. I'm sure they helped me pass my 1 hr. GTT (which I failed when pg the last time). I've even heard of ladies who eat a handful in the middle of the night to help get their fasting sugar level down in the AM. That, and walk as much as you can after a meal, before you test your sugar. Your muscles will use the sugar, so your body won't have to produce so much insulin to deal with it.

Good luck! I wanted a HB for this baby and it just can't happen (financial reasons) so I want everyone who possibly can to get their HB!

[Tenk]

I don't have advice, just wanted to offer my support mama. I'm sorry this has happened, and I hope her test was wrong and you still get your HB!!

[Kontessa]

Fasting was 106 this morning.

[triony]

Have you asked her WHY that makes you high risk? Why can't she continue to see you even if you do have some issues? Is it a state-regulated thing? I've never seen any solid evidence that GD (As long as it is not out-of-control) has any regular consequences other than possibly larger babies. Even if that is the case, you can still have a homebirth with a large baby.

If I am completely ignorant here, someone correct me!

[Kontessa]

Your right in GD with an OB is high risk because of a big baby but really the issue is that after the birth the babies blood sugar levels can drop so much baby can crash and it is a real emergency and it can happen hours after the birth, even days from what I am reading and I guess this midwife just does not take any case that is not low risk.

[Bubblette]

I hope you can get it all to work out. Even if you do lose your homebirth (ugh..... that would suck so much) it will be good to do everything you can to regulate your BG on your own. I second (or is it third?) Almonds, cinnamon, cutting sugars out of your diet and walking. All of them have major benefits in regulating BG, particularly exercise. I'm pretty sure it was 30 mins of cardio can increase insulin sensitivity for up to 4 hours. Good luck mama!

[Starfish11]

I'm so sorry, mama I truly hope this all works out so you can have the homebirth you so desire

[Zangua]

As a midwife let me say this: There is no reason that your homebirth should be hanging on by a thread at this point. Even if she won't take you with GD, you are catching this early enough that you can really turn things around and she can help you. She should be willing to work with you and help you to lower your sugar levels with the knowledge that should you get to 38 weeks or so with no change, she may need to refer you to her backup doctor. But thats 8-10 weeks to change your diet and shift your sugars.

Lots of water, high protein in various forms (ie nuts, beans, lean meats, fish), complex grains, lots and lots of raw veggies and garlic and elimination of refined sugar should really help. A gentle exercise regiment is also really important.

Hang in, mamacita!

[Kontessa]

oooo Garlic... I ran out of pills weeks ago and should get more!

Thank you all, I really hope I can change all this some how. Just feeling a bit hopeless because I just did not see it. I thought if I had it bad, I would gain a lot fast. How am I not gaining? How am I going to not lose weight eating low carb?

[sweet_tart_vt]

Im in my 3rd yr apprenticing and totally agree with Zangua's post! your MW has caught this early on and with careful attention to your diet and exercise (walking or swimming are both great forms) this in no way has to risk you out from your HB! I am a firm believer that refined foods are major source of high blood sugar levels, and do try to cut them out as much as possible. Raw veggies are also great as well as lean meats if you arent vegetarian. Try to eat as much organic food as you can get. It can take some time to flush a buildup of refined products out of your system, but you've got a good window to work in. My mentor considers a 130 after a 1 hr GTT test (a non fasting test)concerning and starts to get worried if things get any higher, but i have never seen her risk a mama out of an HB if high blood sugar levels are her only risk factors. Keeping careful track of your weight gain, (which doesnt sound like a worry) babe's size, your urine, your diet and exercise routine should be the main focus right now. If you simply are having slightly higher than optimal results and have a well controlled diet and are otherwise healthy I would see nothing wrong with you going UC if your mw wants to risk you out. My mentor has also told me that in her experience (over 600 births) that often times the more babes a mama has her blood suagr levels can tend to be a bit higher with each pg and that it can also tend to rise a few points as you get older.
Hang in there mama and I hope you get your hb! keep us posted!
Sending you blessings...

[Kontessa]

My poor midwife does not have much experience with this I don't think... Her and two others are doing what I am doing it sounds and looking things up online. She said she wants my fasting to be not more than 90 and my 1 hour after a meal to not be more than 120.
Yesterday
Fasting: 106
Breaksfast: 144
Lunch: 118
Dinner: 122

Today so far:
Fasting: 119 (OMG it got worse!)
Breakfast 122

[sweet_tart_vt]

you're really not at all that far over the "normal" parameters. How has your urine been? Has your mw mentioned anything about glucose in your pee? My mentor strongly disagrees with doing fasting sugar levels during pregnancy, because there is just no reason for a mama to be depriving herself and her LO of nutrition just to get a reading. How do you feel other than the "high" readings? Do you feel healthy? How's your protein intake? your bp? getting enough sleep? how's your energy levels? feeling at all sluggish?
Most of all Mama, what does your heart tell you about this issue? That is what is most important.

[Kontessa]

My heart tells me I have GD and I need to be careful, work out more, and eat less sugar. I am already fluffy so not gaining anything is not an issue. My BP is perfect, urine had just a bit of protein in it, Iron is at 10.5 and that might explain why I am a bit sluggish. Over all though, compaired to my other pregnancies, all with healthy babies, this one is golden, except for the crazyness that is now the GD issue.

Since doing so far carbs my head hurts a lot and I am so emotional and so stressed over fear of being dropped.

(My fasting number is just the morning number before food)

Lunch: 108
Dinner: 148

[sweet_tart_vt]

Awww Mama, Im so sorry you are facing this.
If your heart is telling you GD though, I think it is of course wise to listen. Sounds like things otherwise are fine for you with the pregnancy. I think you taking a pro-active approach with a good attitude will help, even if your levels dont go down. There is plenty of time for you though. If you make some diet changes and get on the exercise band wagon as much as you are able you still have plenty of time for your body to work on flushing out any refined products and regulate itself. Dont rule yourself out of that homebirth yet. Will your mw let you retake your GTT in a few weeks, maybe after you implement some changes and give them time to work? Is it too much to think about going to a different provider at this point?
I know you mentioned UC and that too is an option for you to think on. (Im planning my 4th UC myself). I dont think it sounds risky for you given that your possible GD is the only concern, especiallyif you can keep it controlled.
I know there are concerns with a LO born to a GD mama, but if you ended up UC'ing, or your mw is still with you would you feel comfortable testing your babe's blood sugar yourself at home and then going to hospital if you feel it was needed?
Keep hanging in there

[Kontessa]

Originally Posted by sweet_tart_vt

Awww Mama, Im so sorry you are facing this.
If your heart is telling you GD though, I think it is of course wise to listen. Sounds like things otherwise are fine for you with the pregnancy. I think you taking a pro-active approach with a good attitude will help, even if your levels dont go down. There is plenty of time for you though. If you make some diet changes and get on the exercise band wagon as much as you are able you still have plenty of time for your body to work on flushing out any refined products and regulate itself. Dont rule yourself out of that homebirth yet. Will your mw let you retake your GTT in a few weeks, maybe after you implement some changes and give them time to work? Is it too much to think about going to a different provider at this point?
I know you mentioned UC and that too is an option for you to think on. (Im planning my 4th UC myself). I dont think it sounds risky for you given that your possible GD is the only concern, especiallyif you can keep it controlled.
I know there are concerns with a LO born to a GD mama, but if you ended up UC'ing, or your mw is still with you would you feel comfortable testing your babe's blood sugar yourself at home and then going to hospital if you feel it was needed?
Keep hanging in there

Your really helping my heart. I have spent so much time crying about this and feel so broken.

I can make my daily numbers good if I keep my carbs under 12 per meal. BUT the better my numbers are, the worse my fasting number is the next day.
Day1: 106
Day2: 119
Day3: 129

Fasting number needs to be under 90... I got to feeling so helpless today. Doing so well with the hard diet and working out and waking up to a scary number.

I keep reading about risks to baby with this and I am glad I have time to try and control this and beyond what the midwife thinks see what I feel like the risks are and if they are manageable. I could test baby just as the hospital would and I would be breastfeeding as much as baby would let me and if needed finger feed sugar water as a hospital would give a bottle of sugar water and it was not working go to the hospital, 10 minutes away.

Some babies with this issue is not at all controlled can have breathing issues and some can be still born as too many sugars for too long kill the placenta or cord.

So many things to think about and it all makes me weep uncontrolably the last few days. It helps though knowing other mamas have faith and good spirits as I am just feeling so lost and can not manage those things right now.

Poor DH is trying so hard to get us ready for this trip and be helpful with the diet and the crying. I just can't seem to stop crying and I am annoying myself.