Poll for Gestational Diabetic Moms Who Already Delivered Twins

[frogonmytoe]

If you were diagnosed with GD while pregnant with twins can you please answer these questions?

Did you have 1 placenta or 2?

How many weeks when you delivered?

What were the weights of the babies?

Were you taking insulin?

If you did not take insulin, did you keep to a strict diet?

Thanks ladies, I failed my GTT and will be starting to monitor, but I've been doing a lot of research and there are some interesting papers out there regarding GD and its causes and possible benefits to the baby.

[OGirlieMama]

Sure...

- 2 placentas

- 29 weeks

- 3 pounds, 2 pounds 13 ounces (A, B)

- yes

- I was already hospitalized for preterm labor at the time I was diagnosed, so I had the hospital GD diet, but that wasn't enough so I needed the insulin.

I'm intrigued by your last sentences regarding causes and possible benefits. The doctors in the GD clinic at my hospital said that they no longer consider multiples a risk factor for GD, which was interesting to me. I also wondered to myself whether having GD helped make my babies a tiny bit bigger than they would have been (because isn't that part of the problem with GD later on?) but I think that's just silly thinking. I was only diagnosed 10 days before I ended up giving birth.

I wish you good luck! I know it can definitely be managed, and you just do the best you can.

[Coco99]

Not dx'ed but almost. Was glucose intolerant (borderline diabetic)

Did you have 1 placenta or 2? Two

How many weeks when you delivered? 37w4d

What were the weights of the babies? 5 pounds 6 oz and  6 pounds 1 oz

Were you taking insulin? No

If you did not take insulin, did you keep to a strict diet? Was supposed to watch sugar intake... didnt do it religiously but tried to be careful.

[Tigerchild]

Did you have 1 placenta or 2? 1

How many weeks when you delivered? 36

What were the weights of the babies? 4lbs, 6 lbs (keep in mind these were TTTS babies, which skews things quite a bit for the donor)

Were you taking insulin? nope

If you did not take insulin, did you keep to a strict diet? Yes, but not a diabetic diet--I was following Barbara Luke's plan as much as possible, with the addition of 3x daily protein shakes (on recommendation of one of the doctors that I consulted with about the TTTS).  Though, since I was having to pack as much nutrition as I could in every bite because it was an overwhelming amount of protein/other nutrients needed, to be honest with you I was not sucking down Mickey Dees Milkshakes and gobbling bags of potato chips either.

I had GD with my firstborn (singleton) as well, never treated with insulin, and didn't check my diet.

A lot of women (myself included) bomb the challenge test, and have higher than normal "fasting" levels, but when monitoring during the day it's discovered our blood sugars are pretty on target and very stable.

almost 10 years out from my first case of GD, I have no sign of type 2 diabetes even though I'm obese, and my numbers during the day are stable (I still test for a couple of days a couple of times a year, just to monitor myself since I know I'm at higher risk for developing the disease at some point in my life).

I know the initial diagnosis and OMG I Failed!!  can be overwhelming (esp. if it's accompanied by aggressive nurses doctors jumping into your face and down your gullet) but try to relax, try to not assume the worst case, wait until you've monitored for a couple of weeks.  It's likely your blood sugar will be stable and you'll never have to do insulin (most people don't).  But...if your numbers are at dangerous levels, you need to educate yourself on the risks to yourself and the kiddos.  Yes, it can increase birth weight for babies--but that may not be balanced out by other risks.  I would get information first--don't rule treatment options out OR in until you're actually there.

[Red Pajama]

Originally Posted by frogonmytoe 

If you were diagnosed with GD while pregnant with twins can you please answer these questions?

Did you have 1 placenta or 2?

How many weeks when you delivered?

What were the weights of the babies?

Were you taking insulin?

If you did not take insulin, did you keep to a strict diet?

Thanks ladies, I failed my GTT and will be starting to monitor, but I've been doing a lot of research and there are some interesting papers out there regarding GD and its causes and possible benefits to the baby.

Two placentas

Delivered at 38 weeks

Boys were 7.4 each

Yes, I was on insulin, and followed a strict diabetic diet.

My singleton pregnancy after the twins I was on glucophage (or metformin, I forget which) instead of insulin, but still on a very strict diet. She was nearly 9 lbs, delivered at 40 weeks.

[breda1]

hello im a fulltime diabetic and 33weeks so far with twins, its very important that ur bloods are between 4-7 for the delivery of your babies bcoz there blood levels may drop b ut not serious issue. i take insulin its no problem but enhances the size of the twins there always bigger than normal babies, like mini diabetics feeding off the insulin but its healthy so its ok. they are nearly 5pound now and getting bigger. i have 2 placenta but identical twins do not run in ourfamily as i believe 1 placenta means identical. dont worry itll b grand