QuestionI am 34 weeks pregnant and have just been told I have gestational diabetes. How likely is it that I will have a c section because of this? I honestly believe that it may be the safer option, and would like to know when I will find out what's going to happen; I don't want to go into labor naturally and then end up having an emergency surgery; can I ask them to schedule it in advance? It seems much safer for me and the baby to do it that way.
AnswerAs a matter of fact, recent studies released in 2006 showed that babies born by elective, scheduled c-section have three times the risk of death as babies born vaginally. In additional to the increased risk for your baby, you also have an increased risk of death with a c-section versus natural childbirth. Scheduling a c-section is not the safer option; it is more dangerous.
Gestational diabetes is not a danger to you or your baby as long as you control your blood sugars. Use your home monitor and do your finger-sticks at least 4-5 times a day, more if you need to. Keep your sugars below 130-140 at all times. If something makes you spike, don't eat it again. Get plenty of exercise and watch your diet like a hawk. As long as you keep your blood sugar within the normal range, GESTATIONAL DIABETES WILL HAVE NO EFFECT. All of the risks of gestational diabetes come from having elevated blood sugars. The diagnosis by itself is no reason for anything to change with your labor and delivery.
Your doctor will use scare tactics on you. You will be automatically placed in a high risk category because of your diagnosis. In order to keep your delivery safe and normal, keep records of your home sugar tests so that you can prove that your sugars have been normal. Tell the doctor that he can do an HbA1c on you as you approach your due date, which will show him your average blood sugar over the past three months. Don't allow any ultrasounds to determine the baby's size, as they can be off by as much as 2 pounds or more. If your doctor seems concerned about your baby's size, visit the website www.spinningbabies.com and pay attention to your position, both now and in labor. Position is by far more important in delivering a baby than size.
Anytime your doctor recommends anything for you, any treatment or special condition of labor, first ask if this is something he does to all his patients or only those with gestational diabetes. Then ask if there is a particular reason this should be done to you, since your blood sugar has been normal. Ask him to show you the studies that back up his recommendations. Remember that your doctor works for you, not the other way around.
Good luck! Gestational diabetes is now the most commonly diagnosed "high risk factor" in America today. Every few years, they change the diagnostic criteria so that more and more women will be diagnosed. Just keep your sugars normal and remember that you are not abnormal and you are not high-risk.
