Does diabetes during pregnancy affect the baby's weight?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am on the 36th week of pregnancy. I have gestational diabetes. On my today's ultrasound, we found out our baby weight around 2.3 kilograms. We think that it is underweight. My weight before pregnancy was 44 kilograms, and now, it is 48.5 kilograms.

When I asked my doctor, they told me that my weight and height are not much, so the baby's weight is also growing up accordingly. My mind is not getting convinced still.

I have reduced food intake due to gestation and consuming more protein-rich and carb-less food. When I take more food slightly than the regular intake, my sugar level increases. This is so confusing whether I need to convince my mind that my baby weight is good enough or do I need to increase my intake of food to increase both my body and baby weight?

Please suggest.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern. Your doctor is correct in saying that babies' weight depends on the mother's weight and height. If the mother is taller and healthier, the baby remains bigger than the baby of a short and petite mother. Hence 2.3 kilogram baby may be a good weight considering your height and weight. Also, at 36 weeks, 2.3 kilograms are normal. As in the next four weeks, the baby may gain up to a kilogram weight.

If you have been getting scans regularly, your doctor measures other aspects of the baby like head circumference, abdominal circumference, long bone length, and diameter of the baby's head, and a graph is maintained.

On a follow-up scan, the doctor sees that all the other parameters are increasing adequately along with weight. Hence a small size baby (lesser weight) with all other normal parameters is considered constitutionally small (normal but a small baby). Also, as suggested by the doctor, eating fewer calories will not affect the baby's weight as whatever you consume is converted to food for your baby. So if you are still not convinced, kindly send me all your scans.

I will have a look through and explain in much more detail.

Regards.