That same thing happened to my sister in law. Her first was over 8 pounds, and her second was well over 9. No history of GD with either one. Her mom always had big babies…my SIL was almost 11 when she was born, and her husband has big babies in his family too…he was one of a set of twins that were both over 7 pounds each. She’s 21 weeks with #3 right now, and they made her do the GD test at 14 weeks, plus she’ll still have to do the one at the regular time too. And her dr says that he won’t let her go to her due date since her babies are so big…even though her labor with the 9+ pound sunny-side up baby was 6 hours start to finish with a 13 minute pushing stage…

Dang, I didn’t even let them test me for it once!

I was NOT amused. However, I otherwise very much like this practice, this doctor, and the hospital they can deliver at…so I stuck out the stupid tests.

My first was 11 pounds 9 ounces. I passed the GD one-hour with flying colors that pregnancy. She insisted on testing my blood sugars after delivery also, and that test also came back normal.

Meanwhile, I learned and told her that we have family history of large babies on both sides (10+ pounds on my husband’s side, my father’s brother was *12* pounds).

So for the next pregnancy I got to do the GD test twice. To add insult to injury, I missed the 1-hour cutoff by like 4 points on the first go and had to do the 3-hour – and then she just had me do the 3-hour again at the end. Ugh. Passed both of them.

Second son arrived 40 weeks 6 days at 10 pounds 8 ounces.

Obviously, the GD test was very useful. Also, after I passed BOTH GD tests I was STILL advised (both times) to cut back not just on sugar but on carbs…without asking how I was already eating. Ummmm….

I’m not as thrilled with this practice as I was before this crap. And yet, they helped me deliver a large baby, completely natural, no interventions, and the particular doctor I work with was as frank as she could be about when she was following a legal (rather than medical) obligation in a recommendation. There’s a lot that I like about them. This GD crap is NOT one of those things.

Common Sense says: So……what does her chart from the previous pregnancy say about gestational diabetes? Maybe that could be a clue as to wether or not she’ll have GD this time….

Why oh why can’t babies just be big? X/

I wonder what she would say to someone like me whose first trimester nausea never went away. I’d be just fine with never testing

“And since you are so tall, you are going to have to take the SATs twice.”

Probably will be an unpopular response here but I’m in a similar situation. My first was almost 10 lb and I have pretty much every other risk factor for GD other than not having it with my first pregnancy (to put it succinctly – large first baby, old, fat and strong family history of Type II diabetes). Just took my first test at 14 weeks and passed. Will take it again at 24-28 weeks. I have no problem with it. Honestly, I’d rather be safe than sorry. That said, my OB is supportive of moms with GD birthing the way they want, even if that means going past 40 weeks, going med-free, etc. If that were not the case, maybe I’d feel differently.

they did the same thing to me too! My first child was 10 lbs 3 oz. i did not have GD. The second time around they made me do that stupid test twice for the same reason! guess what? I didnt have GD the 2nd time either! i just have big babies. (#2 was 8 lbs 13 oz)

I hated the GD test. I had hyperemesis gravidarum so I was terrified of the test, and failing it. I offered to show them the record of my blood sugar from the whole pregnancy instead, and they told me it was inaccurate. Just to be clear, I kept track of it because I have fainting spells randomly and I am trying to find a connection between sugar levels and fainting. I had no risk factors, and they made me do a draw before the test, at 1 hour, at 2 hours, at 3 hours, and at 4 hours, and I puked every time. Totally unreliable, but I passed every one!

I had no other risk factors whatsoever, no family history of diabetes, no history of high blood sugars, I’m overweight so my GP had checked this previously. This is my first child so that was not a factor either. I was told by the OB that they automatically send anyone over 200 lbs, regardless of height or build to the 1 hour screen after your first appointment, you are then required to take the 3 hour automatically at 28 weeks. They are surprised every time I come that I passed both with flying colors and have not had any issues with blood pressure either… they like to make assumptions that are based on nothing.

In Canada at least, this is the standard of care and is what is explicitly instructed in clinical practice guidelines. Inconvenient… sure. But if practitioners didn’t do this they would be committing malpractice.

I have just two things to say about your expensive, unnecessary testing:
N. O.
It means, not going to happen.