Hello all,
I am 9 weeks postpartum and a type 1 diabetic diagnosed last February. After having my baby my BG have been all over the place. I went from half my prepregnancy insulin levels to needing nothing at all and still hypoing a week after giving birth, I am breastfeeding as well btw. I didn’t take any insulin and ate what I wanted for almost 4 weeks with my BG staying well within range. Then it start to creep up so I started to use 2-4 units of glargine as background. After a few days of not so wonderful testing (I kept forgetting as I was out of routine and just busy with a 3 year old and baby) I started to take 0.3 units for every 10g of carb. Then again after a week or so I needed nothing again. This cycle has repeated a few times now until the last 3 days where from changes in BG (when I remember to test) I am now having to take 5 units glargine and 0.4/0.5 units: 10g carb as of today. I have tested more regularly today and seen a huge swing in levels: 7.0 when waking, 7.9 an hour after breakfast, 12.2 an hour after lunch, 3.6 hypo 3 hours later, 8.9 an hour after tea, then I decided to check when I was up at 3 to feed baby and hit 14 my highest since first diagnosed.
I am so confused. I know that breastfeeding and post pregnancy hormones have carried me through the no insulin times but now I don’t understand the huge fluctuations in insulin needs and so quickly. I can’t / won’t take insulin before I eat as I know at any time my baby could distract or need me and I will forget/not get the chance to eat. So I’m taking pre meal levels once I’ve finished eating to know what I’ve eaten. This is new as I used to pre bolus about 30 mins before eating at times. This used to keep me well in target. Plus I’m just finding testing so hard with a new baby and 3 year old and all the running around. I have been hypoing or dropping levels even when I just go for a walk with the pram so I’m also sensitive to activity.
I have an appointment on 7th with diabetes team but I know they will just say test more, but this is really hard. I’ve asked both GP and diabetes team for a libre but have been told there is no funding for it from them, we can’t afford it whilst I’m on mat leave. I know when I’ve used it during pregnancy it was fantastic at keeping me informed and also would help with issue of testing regularly.
Sorry for the information overload, it’s 4.30am and I’m feeding baby after my reading of 14 and feeling worried. Any advice will help as I won’t be able to see the diabetes team until after next week.
Thanks in advance!
I am 9 weeks postpartum and a type 1 diabetic diagnosed last February. After having my baby my BG have been all over the place. I went from half my prepregnancy insulin levels to needing nothing at all and still hypoing a week after giving birth, I am breastfeeding as well btw. I didn’t take any insulin and ate what I wanted for almost 4 weeks with my BG staying well within range. Then it start to creep up so I started to use 2-4 units of glargine as background. After a few days of not so wonderful testing (I kept forgetting as I was out of routine and just busy with a 3 year old and baby) I started to take 0.3 units for every 10g of carb. Then again after a week or so I needed nothing again. This cycle has repeated a few times now until the last 3 days where from changes in BG (when I remember to test) I am now having to take 5 units glargine and 0.4/0.5 units: 10g carb as of today. I have tested more regularly today and seen a huge swing in levels: 7.0 when waking, 7.9 an hour after breakfast, 12.2 an hour after lunch, 3.6 hypo 3 hours later, 8.9 an hour after tea, then I decided to check when I was up at 3 to feed baby and hit 14 my highest since first diagnosed.
I am so confused. I know that breastfeeding and post pregnancy hormones have carried me through the no insulin times but now I don’t understand the huge fluctuations in insulin needs and so quickly. I can’t / won’t take insulin before I eat as I know at any time my baby could distract or need me and I will forget/not get the chance to eat. So I’m taking pre meal levels once I’ve finished eating to know what I’ve eaten. This is new as I used to pre bolus about 30 mins before eating at times. This used to keep me well in target. Plus I’m just finding testing so hard with a new baby and 3 year old and all the running around. I have been hypoing or dropping levels even when I just go for a walk with the pram so I’m also sensitive to activity.
I have an appointment on 7th with diabetes team but I know they will just say test more, but this is really hard. I’ve asked both GP and diabetes team for a libre but have been told there is no funding for it from them, we can’t afford it whilst I’m on mat leave. I know when I’ve used it during pregnancy it was fantastic at keeping me informed and also would help with issue of testing regularly.
Sorry for the information overload, it’s 4.30am and I’m feeding baby after my reading of 14 and feeling worried. Any advice will help as I won’t be able to see the diabetes team until after next week.
Thanks in advance!
