Finally saw the heartbeat!?

Question

We went to our appointment last night and saw our little kidney bean baby. I am 8 weeks and 4 days along. We saw the flickering of the heart. The doctor said it looks like a strong heartbeat (but he told me that we would actually listen to the heartbeat at my 11 week appt). The baby measured 8 weeks and 5 days which is right on. I thought that i would be the crybaby but when I looked at my husband, I saw he was gettinga little misty eyed before he looked away. He won't admit it but just smiles when I say that.

The doctor wants me to come in and take a glucose test in 3 weeks since diabetes runs in both of our families. I was so in awe of my little one that I didnt ask if after I drink the "solution" and wait an hour, is it a blood or urine test that tests my glucose? If urine, will I know the results that day? How long did it take you to find out? What is considered a high number on the test? If you are high, what is done? Thanks!!!

I am not necessarily worried...I trust my doctor....and I will follow whatever guidelines he tells me....just wanted to know the process so that I am less nervous.

The doctor did not measure the heartbeart per minute -- he said we would do that at 11 weeks. Is that strange?

Answer 1

Don't worry about it until you know...that causes stress, and who needs that?

Answer 2

You drink the stuff wait a while and then they draw your blood!! Make sure you do it first thing in the morning and don't eat anything high in sugar or carbs. If it is high I forget the levels then they will give you meal plans to follow and and a glucose monitor to check your blood sugar 3 x daily. If you can control your blood glucose by changing your diet then you will not need insulin but if you cannot control it by diet then you will have to take insulin. Usually they do not check for Gestational diabetes until 20 weeks or so. You can look up gestational diabetes on Web MD and it will tell you all about it!! The diabetes goes away as soon as the baby is born but you need to watch yourself because if you get it during pregnancy then you will most likely get it later in life. I had it and had to take insulin 3 x a day and gave birth to a healthy beautiful baby girl!! Good luck and dont worry until there is something to actually worry about!!!

Answer 3

It is a blood test & you usually don't get the results the same day.

It sounds like you got a "smarter" doctor though- congrats on that! Did YOU have diabetes before you were pregnant?

As far as the test: The numbers can be easily "skewed," depending on what you ate before the test, exercise, stress, etc. The numbers can also be higher if the lab takes your blood earlier than an hour, which can lead to a false diagnosis.
Gestational diabetes is a highly controversial subject because:
Different doctors recommend eating different things before the test to "help you pass", however some doctors are actually suggesting things that will make it more likely that you will fail. Also everybody handles sugar differently depending on what you body is used to. For example- i can't dirnk more that a couple of sips of pop becaue it tastes too sweet for me & will put my sugars sky high. However if my sister starts the day with a can of Mountin Dew her numbers will be low all day.
Different doctors use different numbers. If the test is high it can be treated in several different ways- diet, exercise, insulin, nothing, inductions, etc. It depends on the choices you make- you DO NOT have to agree with the treatment you doctor offers.
Another issue- for the 4 hr test you have to fastfor 8 hrs- usually not with the one hour test- How healthy is it for baby to go with out food for 8 hours & then bombard it with huge amounts of sugar? (that's enough to make any healthy person sick.)

Please research gestational diabetes. I say your docotot is smarter because Your doctor seems to know that the most damage can be done in the early month of pregnancy - which is part of the reason testing later in pregnancy is useless because by that time any damage that might be blamed on diabete has already been done (& sugar level naturally rise the farther along you are.) Most doctors routinely do the test toward the end of pregnancy, by which time the potentail damage would have already taken place, also there is no evidence for doctors to routinely do the test unless there are risk factor such as family history- (however I had one "brilliant" doctor tell me health history has nothing to do with it- she was upset because I wouldn't submit to her way of thinking. Needless to say I never saw her again.)

Here's the deal with the "complications" of gestational diabetes- many of the problems contributued to gestational diabetes can also be found listed under "side effects" for the treatments (when they treatments are used in patients without gestational diabetes.) Also some of the "complications" of dgestational dibetes can be present with any baby- example jaundice: any baby can get jaundice not just gestational dibetes babies.

My best advice- Do your RESEARCH, read everything you can & make decisions based on your knowledge. The more you know the better decisions you will be able to make. Remember, diabete will not kill you (or baby) in a matter of days-- Always make sure your doctor gives you plenty of time to research before agreeing to any treatment.

Might I suggest the book "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth"

Answer 4

I just found our heartbeat too. OUrs was 170 at 8 weeks and 6 days along. How fast was your babies hb?

I had this test done before but I don't remember if it was a urine or blood test they do. I just remember the solution they make you drink is really yucky!

Good Luck!

Answer 5

They take a blood sample before the test, you drink the drink, then they take blood at teh end. Teh Dr has the results in a few days.

Answer 6

the test is a blood test, its a small vial of blood and mostly painless.

The dr did not count the heart beat because the baby is small, and it would be easy to miss beats while counting.

Answer 7

I dont know the answer to your question, although i believe its a blood test. but congrats on your baby!

Answer 8

oh my gosh, i went for a scan at 7 weeks cos i had some spotting and i saw the pump of the heart beat, phew, it made me so emotional, my first baby!!!!!!!!! great feeling