Talk to me about the GTT

[Breathless Wonder]

I had an appointment this week with the OB/GYN I have been seeing while I tried to line up another provider. I am 24 weeks now, and so they want to do the GTT next week.

In the past 2 pregnancies, I have declined the GTT, monitored my blood sugar at specific times over a few weeks, and the provider has been fine with that.

Well, when I asked if I could do that again with this pregnancy, I was told no. I was told that I could decline the GTT, but if I did, the baby would receive extra monitoring at birth, because of my BMI, and my age.

BMI I get. I'm big. But what the hell does my age have to do with it?

Or is it the fact that I have been big for a long period of time, so they are assuming at some point I will develop type II diabetes?

I asked, and my urine has been negative for sugar (at the OB/GYN office, and when I am testing at home) My home blood sugar readings are below the range I've found for the oral GTT:

Fasting 95 or higher
At 1 hour 180 or higher
At 2 hours 155 or higher
At 3 hours 140 or higher
Note: Some labs use other numbers for this test.
*These numbers are for a test using a drink with 100 grams of glucose.

Just looking for some insight.

[babyjelly]

IIRC, older moms are supposed to be more likely to develop GD...but it's less to do with the number than with older women having more *real* risk factors.
My risk of developing diabetes is super high just based on family history, and I don't do the GTT. Like you, I monitor periodically, and my providers have been fine with it.
Extra monitoring in labor doesn't even make sense, unless I missed something in the way of research. I thought the risk of GD was that you would grow an enormous baby that wouldn't fit through your pelvis? It makes more sense for them to bully you into serial growth u/s so they can prove you are gestating a toddler-sized infant who must be taken by c/s. Or to insist that your child be whisked off to the nursery or even special care/NICU for a ridiculous amount of time to be fed formula and sugar water and stuck repeatedly to control his blood sugars-since hypoglycemia is (can be) a valid concern.
And now that I'm thinking about it, it seems there may be a slightly higher risk of term stillbirth with GD? Someone correct me if I'm wrong. But there again, that would be another reason for an early induction/section, because isn't he point of regular hosptal labor monitoring supposed to be that it "guarantees" a good outcome?
IDK. seems like it's a good thing you'relooking o switch providers. Good luck with that
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