RE: [ozmidwifery] diabetes

[B & G]

Rhonda, That is why women with ‘risk factors’ like GDM must have access to midwifery care and not be purely attended to by medical staff. How many are slotted into ‘high risk clinics’ seen only by Dr’s, Diabetic Educator whom may not be a midwife, dieticians who espouse expensive healthy foods that can wreck a family budget when a well controlled gestational diabetic client has no higher risk than anyone else!!! Having a supportive, collaborative Obstetrician with a midwife helps and now I think where I work we have a good clinic.  It is very important when one works with these women that we choose our language carefully and empower them to be in control. There is no need for emotive language that frightens or challenges the client’s sense of security or happiness. It is how we talk, when we talk and what we say that we as midwives should be acutely aware of. I provide information to gestational diabetic women on my Monday ANC that is based on evidence, provide alternative options, and support them when usually at 34 weeks their BGL starts to rise despite their efforts. They usually start looking for blame usually onto themselves and they loose confidence in their decision-making ability. I remind them pregnancy is full of opposing hormones – oestrogens, progesterone’s, cortisol’s, and human placental lactogen that all alter how the body metabolise carbohydrates and they have a little person wanting more! Put glucose and insulin into that equation, no wonder there is confusion. I am pleased your friend is questioning all this information and she has a friend like you supporting her. Cheers Barb