Polyhydramnios freaking out and crying :(

[claire1991]

Hi all,
New to the group and pleased to be here.
I'm a type 1 diabetic (have been since 1996) and am currently 32 weeks pregnant with my first child.

Today I had a growth scan and was diagnosed with Polyhydramnios.
I was wondering if anybody could help reassure me by telling me about their experiences of this?

The doctors that I saw today were very vague and didn't explain anything to me so I've been online and had a look and have freaked myself out! All my doctors have told me is that it's because my bloods are "out of control" and I need to get them better. My weekly average is 7.1 at the moment.
Since I have found out I am pregnant keeping my bloods under control has been my top priority and I've pretty much been obsessed with it! It's not like I'm not trying. Im feeling like an absolute failure right now and feel like everything I do isn't good enough.

My hba1c was 6.9 at the start of the pregnancy and is now 7.0

If anybody has any advice or input on this I'd be very grateful. Feeling very low and emotional right now.

By the way, I'm on the pump.

Thanks in advance.

Claire x

 

[courtenayjane]

Oh Claire! I am so sorry that you are feeling like this. I can't offer any advice on polyhydraminos as I haven't had any experience. All I can say is that, as someone who is also 32 weeks pregnant, I understand how hard you have been trying and how hard it can be.
Don't google too much! Most things are only on google because they are exceptional/note worthy, not because they are the usual experience.
Hopefully someone on here can help with some useful advice. In the meantime, try not to beat yourself up. Remember, lots of people without diabetes have complications in pregnancy so just because you have diabetes it doesn't mean that it or your control is to blame.
Xx

 

[Amy.W]

All I know is that it is common. NHS say that most women have a perfectly healthy baby. As you are diabetic at least it is less likely to be due to something more sinister. Chin up you have done your best and I am sure everything will be fibre. Don't beat yourself up and take care of yourself. Xxx

 

[azure]

Hi @claire1991

I had polyhydramnios in one of my pregnancies. The first thing to say is that my baby was fine

Mine was spotted around 30 weeks, I think. I can't remember exactly. The main thing I found was that I felt quite uncomfortable at times due to the extra amniotic fluid. I went into labour early, and I believe this was due to the amniotic fluid being too much for my body (I'm very petite). My baby was in good health though

You mention higher sugars than you'd like. My tip is to remember that pregnancy changes your response to insulin enormously. My basal almost tripled by the end and my ratios were very different. Speak to your DSN, but don't be afraid of insulin increases where necessary. Even little tweaks can improve your control.

Also, test LOTS (if you're not already, of course). If you test after eating, you can then correct any highs and keep very tight control. Your pump gives you the flexibility to make little increases and little corrections, so that's ideal. I also tested at night so I could be sure there were no highs then. I think late pregnancy requires lots of testing and little corrections and insulin changes.. Hard work, but it's worth it to keep that control.

So - don't panic. Take it easy, test lots and see about tightening up your control a little if you can.

All the best

 

[claire1991]

Thank you for your replies, I'm feeling much better today

You're right about complications being caused because of other things as well and that it's less likely to be something more sinister. I hadn't thought about it that way.

Just out of interest @azure how early did you go into labour? I'm going out to get my bag sorted today just in case!

Thanks again.

Claire x

 

[claire1991]

I try and test my bg every hour but sometimes forget so I'll set more alarms on my phone and will test when I get up in the night for the loo as well. @courtenayjane how has your pregnancy been?

Claire x

 

[azure]

Thank you for your replies, I'm feeling much better today

You're right about complications being caused because of other things as well and that it's less likely to be something more sinister. I hadn't thought about it that way.

Just out of interest azure how early did you go into labour? I'm going out to get my bag sorted today just in case!

Thanks again.

Claire x

I went into labour in my 35th week. I had warning though in that my waters broke so I was expecting it. There was no attempt to stop my labour, and the labour itself was fine and completely normal.

Yes, pack your bag - I packed mine early again this time, not because I was expecting an early labour, but because it's nice to get sorted Also, you can add any last minute things as you think of them, plus it's one less thing to do in late pregnancy.

I stress again, I'm petite so probably another woman could have carried that fluid ok.

 

[claire1991]

@azure thanks for your reply
That's true about the bag, I'm off to mothercare in a bit to have a browse, may even buy some cute baby things!

Are you pregnant now then?

X

 

[azure]

@azure thanks for your reply
That's true about the bag, I'm off to mothercare in a bit to have a browse, may even buy some cute baby things!

Are you pregnant now then?

X

No, I had my baby last year Don't forget some nice things for yourself too

 

[claire1991]

Aww lovely I'm glad everything went well for you x

 

[courtenayjane]

Up until the last few weeks, everything was going ok. Weirdly, I am now on LESS insulin than I was before I got pregnant. The more pregnant I get, the lower my blood sugars. They keep telling me that insulin resistance will kick in soon but so far no sign of it... I have had lots of extra scans because there was a concern that the resistance from the placenta was too high but that seems to have settled back to the normal range now. It was really scary for about a week as no one could work out what was going on and the baby's movement were markedly reduced (probably because it was having to work so much harder to get what it needed from the placenta).

@claire1991 - My diabetes specialist, part of the joint antenatal clinic, was really supportive yesterday. He said to me 'I want you to know that I understand how hard it is to be type one and pregnant', I kind of brushed him off and made a joke but he stopped me and said 'No really, we admire how hard you all work. What we ask you to do is a full time job and you all come in here so worried. We appreciate how much you are all doing'. I think we could all do with hearing that! I think we all spend so much time worrying that we forget that actually we are doing everything we can and that our experience of pregnancy is so different to 'normal' girls' experience. We need to give ourselves more credit!

 

[claire1991]

One of my consultants told me that a lot of women get low readings towards the end of pregnancy (hadn't happened to me though!)
Your doctor sounds lovely!! I totally agree with him, I haven't enjoyed a single minute of being pregnant and that is totally down to my diabetes and I haven't had any credit for it just tellings off at my appointments because of my readings not being good enough despite all of my best efforts.
My bloods have never been as well controlled as they are at this moment in time and I've been T1 for 20 years!!

Hats off to us all I say! Xx