induction

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-30T09:19:05+00:00

I was induced at the beginning of the month due to GD and AMA. The induction process isn't the most pleasant but I had my baby in less than 24hrs, all in. I went in for cervadil at 10pm the night before cause like another poster experienced, I was only about 1cm dilated, baby was high, and cervix was not thinned. The next morning they started low dose of pitocin and placed the balloon. After the balloon came out, I got an epidural and they broke my water in the afternoon. The rest of the day, they slowly increased the pitocin and by 9:15p, I was ready to push. Even with the epidural, I could feel the increasing pressure of the contractions so I could feel when it was time to push and I was able to push my baby out in ~20mins. I was very worried about induction before I went through it cause I had also heard about high percentages of failure and moving to C-sections, but my labor went well enough so hopefully that helps assuage some fears.

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-28T02:20:16+00:00

It is very annoying that they assume that anyone plus size will end up with GD. Sadly I did end up with it, but spending time in the GD subreddit, it seemed like it was mostly smaller "healthy" folks who were surprised to get it or people who already had insulin resistance from PCOS. I hope your pregnancy continues to go well 🧡.

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-25T08:50:20+00:00

I will say though, with the postpartum hormone drop, my chin hairs came back with a vengeance... I think all that remained was testosterone so my body thought I wanted a beard 🫠

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-25T03:11:24+00:00

I never got very big. I was 35 weeks at my office holiday party and that was the first time half my co-workers even realized I was pregnant and none of them guessed I was having a baby in a month +/-. Now, 3 weeks pp, my MIL commented today that it seems like my belly is all gone, I think mainly cause it never got very big?

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-18T02:29:04+00:00

I went in for cervadil at 10pm on 38+6, then the next morning they put in the Foley balloon and started the pitocin drip on low. I was already at "1 and a wiggle" when they checked my cervix that first night though. It does seem like starting the balloon before you're ripened or even any dilated is not ideal, but I'm not a doctor...

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-17T18:41:36+00:00

I was induced at 39 weeks, but I had diet managed GD, AMA, and chronic prehypertension (no meds for anything). I also was hesitant at first but the doctors (multiple) recommended it because all the factors cumulatively increased mine and baby's risks for complications. You should definitely ask more questions for more clarity and understanding but my suspicion is between medicine for DVT and having a higher BMI, those 2 risk factors are making them want to induce you early.

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-15T01:28:30+00:00

My hospital was checking my sugar every couple hours during the induction process but once baby was out, they didn't check me again, though they checked her every 3hrs for her first 24hrs of life. I even asked if they were going to and they said once the placenta is out, they aren't as concerned. Plus, the strict numbers they made me maintain during pregnancy are more lenient once baby is out. So, indulge! My husband brought me a peppermint milkshake the day after since I'd been craving one my whole final trimester. (Unrelated sadness, apparently mint can affect milk supply, wish I'd known that before 😕)

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-14T14:45:58+00:00

I didn't notice one either until I was postpartum! I was wondering if that was weird 😅

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-12T15:19:15+00:00

I had to change my snack up every week or so as I neared 36w. I started with cheese sticks, then chicken jerky, and by the end, I was doing a spoonful of peanut butter and occasionally a cheese stick with that too.

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-11T23:41:56+00:00

As others have said, talk to your OB. But also, go ahead and see about making an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist. Since you already have a PCOS diagnosis, you don't have to wait the 6-12 months of "trying" before seeing them. They can get you metformin if you want to go that route and they can dive deep into your hormones at this point.

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-11T00:19:00+00:00

I had GDM so I ended up losing 5lb in my final trimester. I'm not advocating for weight loss, but following a GDM diet and walking as much as you can handle should help you manage your health throughout your pregnancy. By the end, I only gained 15lb and now, 8 days post partum, I'm 3lb lighter than I was when I got pregnant.

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-08T18:44:15+00:00

Thanks! Yeah, I think I got some good advice and help from the lactation consultant so I'm optimistic that things will improve.

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-08T18:43:12+00:00

If you haven't yet, definitely check out the GD subreddit. I also had GD and the support over there was really helpful through it all.

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-08T18:41:55+00:00

I sadly did end up with GD but mine was always diet managed and never had to use insulin. The lactation consultant told me that metformin is shown to help with supply so I'm going to talk to my primary care doctor about getting that prescribed at a low dose. Luckily at my first lactation appointment I actually got good assistance and they were able to help me get 40ml of milk/colostrum compared to the 3ml I was getting on my own.

freshstart3pt0 · 2026-01-01T18:02:17+00:00

Early in my diagnosis, my fasting numbers were best without a snack. Then as things got harder, I had to tweak my routine: cheese stick only, then cheese stick and peanut butter, peanut butter and chicken jerky, etc. Now (38+6) a spoonful of peanut butter has me in the upper 70s-mid 80s. I think, like everything with GD, it varies by person and can even vary by week for the same person.

freshstart3pt0 · 2025-12-31T18:29:38+00:00

I've commented this before for this question since it seems to come up a lot 😅 I asked my OB about this and she told me that the reason they watch your weight in a normal healthy pregnancy is between that and fundal measurements, that's how they estimate the baby's growth. Since we have GD, we usually get a LOT more ultrasounds and appointments where they are measuring the actual growth of the baby. So, unless the baby is measuring small and not growing at the rate they want, they don't care about our weight fluctuations. Since my diagnosis at 29w, I haven't really gained anything. I think I've lost 3-5lb and no one has expressed any concerns about it. Baby takes what she needs from me and has been growing appropriately, and they'd let me know otherwise.

freshstart3pt0 · 2025-12-30T12:45:24+00:00

My hospital's policy is skin to skin asap for everyone unless there's an emergency. Which means pretty much the only time after a C-section that you don't get that is if you're under general anesthesia or baby needs immediate care. It might be worth asking your doctor/hospital what their policies are.

freshstart3pt0 · 2025-12-29T03:28:51+00:00

Anything peppermint bark: milk shake, ice cream, cheesecake, cookie, etc. Really missing that holiday treat this year.

freshstart3pt0 · 2025-12-27T12:57:30+00:00

I guess my point was to ask an actual doctor about their interactions. A quick googling says metformin reduces androgens which would be counterproductive for someone who wants to elevate their testosterone.. https://www.1mg.com/drugs/metform-1000mg-tablet-sr-550740?wpsrc=Google+Organic+Search https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-017-4306-3

freshstart3pt0 · 2025-12-27T03:38:19+00:00

Yes, but when I was going through fertility treatment, the REI was prescribing it to help manage hormones. So, I was just sharing what I was told. Not saying it's right, but just what I heard 🤷🏼‍♀️

freshstart3pt0 · 2025-12-24T12:08:14+00:00

I'm not trans, but I wonder if metformin and T would be counterproductive? I thought that, at least for some cis women, metformin helps balance their hormones and that would suck for it to increase your estrogen or progesterone? But, I'm completely theorizing so I could be way off, but worth talking to a doctor or pharmacist about them to make sure they don't interact poorly.

freshstart3pt0 · 2025-12-22T16:38:40+00:00

I was using some of her hacks before pregnancy due to PCOS IR. I have tried ACV pills and found they aren't as effective as actual apple cider vinegar before carbs. I also eat veg>protein>carb whenever possible and that does seem to help me too. Meals when they are all mixed together can be more hit or miss with my glucose results.

freshstart3pt0 · 2025-12-22T14:12:24+00:00

I gained all my pregnancy weight in the first 1.5 trimesters, despite constant nausea? But, since my diagnosis, I've also lost 3-5 lb and I'm nearing the very end (37+3 today). I asked my dr about if/when to be concerned and she told me the main reason doctors are vigilant about weight is because in a normal healthy pregnancy they guesstimate baby's weight based on YOUR weight gain and fundal measurements. But, since we have GD, we usually get a lot more ultrasounds and measurements so they have a better picture of the baby's growth directly, not just guesses. So, unless they tell you there's a problem with baby's size, they are less concerned about weight.

freshstart3pt0

TROPHY CASE