Is gestational diabetes an preE related?

[lisa112]

Hi,
I haven't posted in a very long time. I am currently 24 weeks pregnant and found out on Friday I have gestational diabetes again. I had GD with my last pregnancy. Last January I ended up with HELLP and had to deliver my daughter at 30 weeks. She had IUGR and ended up passing away from NEC. I am so scared that history is going to repeat itself again. I didn't know if anyone knew if gestational diabetes is related? I am going this Friday to meet with a nurse and nutritionist so I was planning on asking then and talking with my MFM next week when she's back from vacation. I can just feel my anxiety increasing. Thanks so much.
Lisa

[amallison]

I asked this question to my MFM and she said no. I know, or think, the GD is a placenta issue. I'd hate to say something for sure with my elementary and google knowledge of medicine.

I am concerned about GD this time because my one hour score was a 138, but at my doctor's office their cut off is 140. The baby is measuring a little large right now and I have a little more than average AFI. The doctor thought I was going to have to take the three hour, but I barely made the cut off. I'm still concerned and I actually think that I am going to request the 3 hour.

In my last pregnancy in which I had HELLP and delivered at about 34 weeks, I had low fluid and baby measured small.

What was your 1 hour? In my first pregnancy it was 189 or so.

[MomTimesThree]

Hi,

I'm so sorry you're facing a GD again. I know how complications like this can take an emotional toll especially being pregnant after the loss of your lil' girl.

This thread might help to shed some light:
http://www.preeclampsia.org/forum/viewt ... es#p350735

I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and am hopeful you "just" have GD to deal with this pregnancy. Keep posted after your appointment.

Lauren

[lisa112]

Thank you ladies. My doctor told me that she is not worried because the fact that I got GD means I have a healthy placenta. She also said she does not want to treat it too aggressively because the baby has SUA and she is concerned about her having a low birth weight and she doesn't want me loosing any weight.

I don't remember what my numbers were last pregnancy and this time I don't remember what my doctor told me. I had to take a two hour test this time and apparently I failed only by one number. I was able to control the GD with diet last time so I'm hoping to do the same. My doctor is having me follow the same diet until I meet with someone and she has me testing my sugars. I'm getting frustrated though because my numbers have been high so I feel like I'm doing something wrong.

[kaxy]

I was borderline failing with the glucose tests with my first two children. With my son, I was a few points over the threshold and took the 3-hour, and passed that one (though my results were odd), and I squeaked by passing with my 2nd child. Preeclampsia with both, while in labor and suspected IUGR with my son.

We'll see what happens this time.

What you have doesn't necessarily mean you'll go down that path again! Will pray. I know it's stressful no matter what.

[caryn]

Both of them are caused by the placenta, from what we can tell, and IIRC having one puts you at higher risk of developing the other, probably because it means you've got a weird placenta in there. Though to be fair, *all* placentas are weird.

Treating gestational diabetes seems to lower PE risk.

The idea is that the placenta is messing around with maternal metabolism, because *that's just what it does*, and it is more likely to be unhappy about how it's implanted and trying to alter the rate at which nutrients are appearing on the upside of the flow if it's predisposed to preeclampsia. A lot of these things are hypoxia-induced triggers; in other words, when the placenta runs short of oxygen because it's smaller than usual or shallowly implanted, these switches start to be thrown.

[amjon]

My MFM thinks GD is what killed my daughter at 27 weeks (Other opinions have included HELLP, cord accident, Slapped Cheek, clotting disorder, among others). I think it's highly likely I had it with her and was undiagnosed (wasn't tested until a few days before she died and was never told the result). I also had the BP issues with her. This pregnancy I was diagnosed with GD at 8 weeks. My BP was initially a bit elevated, but not high enough to require meds (normally around 140/90). Lately my BP has been pretty low (for me at least) getting some readings as low as 110/60. I was found to have a clotting disorder (FVL) and put on both aspirin and Lovenox, so don't know if that has helped the BP/ pre-e. Not sure if they are related but many of the risk factors do overlap and they can both affect the health of the placenta.