16 weeks pregnant and hypos all day !!

Worried123

Active Member
Messages
28
Hi I am 16 weeks pregnant. Conceived on hb1ac of 8.3 so stressed already about impact on baby will find put soon next week in my 17 week early a amply scan - any advice please share thanks

In the first trimester I was constantly hyperglycaemic had to increase both basal (levemir) and short-acting (humalog) by about 50% - my consultant told me that in the first trimester most type 1 diabetics usually suffer from hypos so mine was an unusual case
Second trimester I was informed my diabetes management would return to normal but no chance I am now suffering for hypos all day long and all night hitting lows as low as 1.6 persisting irrespective of how much glucose or carbs I consume .... Anyone else having the same problem in second trimester ????
 

hdm_84

Member
Messages
9
Hello,

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I'm only 6 weeks along so can't offer much advice although I thought I'd read that most women experience highs in the first trimester & then sudden lows in the second?? I, however, don't seem to have an established pattern at all which is fun. Are you on an insulin pump?


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mrsguiseley

Active Member
Messages
26
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi! Congratulations to both of you! I am 20 weeks pregnant, 31 and have been a type 1 Diabetic since I was 2, and I use an insulin pump. I have had severe hypos since becoming pregnant, which I'm told is common during trimester 1. I was told that things would even out in trimester 2 but no luck as yet! Though, as you mention, because I'm worried about the effect of high blood sugars in the baby I tend to ensure that this doesn't happen by being generous with my bolus dose at mealtimes. If you're suffering from severe sickness, maybe you need to focus on getting your basal rates right so that if you don't eat then you should avoid going low. How helpful are your medical team? I'm at the hospital monthly for check ups so it's well worth hassling them for more regular appointments if you're not receiving them already. Good luck!


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Worried123

Active Member
Messages
28
Hi,
Congrats on your pregnancies :) I am 38, type 1 for 17 years, been TTC for 5 years had a number of problems which were resolved last year and conceived quickly and rather unexpectedly thereafter. So it was sort of planned but not planned if that makes sense, thought it would take longer and that I had time to sort my hb1ac out. I am not on the insulin pump - my consultant thought we could manage without it. I have mostly lows throughout the day and night with an occassional reading of 10-13 every other day or so, there is no pattern whatsoever with my insulin requirements its trial and error with every meal. What kind of hb1acs did you conceive on? My consultant says that as i had poor control before pregnancy this is why my management is random but that by now I should be back to normal ...
 

mrsguiseley

Active Member
Messages
26
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
In January this year I told my consultant that my husband and I wanted to try for a baby but as my hba1c was 10.3% (89mmol/mol) I was strongly advised/frightened into waiting and getting my levels down - I was a classic Diabulimia case but decided that a healthy baby was for more important than my weight (which would go to pot in pregnancy anyway!) so really knuckled down in doing insulin doses correctly, carb counting accurately, exercising, the full whammy.

By February my hba1c was 8.2% (66mmol/mol) which was pleasing after only a month and by March I got it down to 7.1% (54mmol/ml) and by June I was 6 weeks pregnant! My last hba1c after trimester 1 was 5.8% (40mmol/mol).

It looks/sounds very easy typed in black and white but this was HARD to achieve and is HARD to maintain! I check my blood sugars at least x10 a day, to ensure that my 1 hour post meal level is less than 7.2 (given that target by my consultant) and that within 2 hours it is 6.2 or below.

Thankfully the hard work has paid off as we got the all clear at today's 20 week scan. I realise this isn't helpful when your hba1c was high on conception, but my consultant did keep reiterating that any improvement and maintenance in blood sugars will have a beneficial effect, for both baby and you... I must admit I'm looking forward to loosening the reins a little once baby is here and keep planning all manner of post birth "naughty" meals ;-)



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Worried123

Active Member
Messages
28
mrsguiseley said:
In January this year I told my consultant that my husband and I wanted to try for a baby but as my hba1c was 10.3% (89mmol/mol) I was strongly advised/frightened into waiting and getting my levels down - I was a classic Diabulimia case but decided that a healthy baby was for more important than my weight (which would go to pot in pregnancy anyway!) so really knuckled down in doing insulin doses correctly, carb counting accurately, exercising, the full whammy.

By February my hba1c was 8.2% (66mmol/mol) which was pleasing after only a month and by March I got it down to 7.1% (54mmol/ml) and by June I was 6 weeks pregnant! My last hba1c after trimester 1 was 5.8% (40mmol/mol).

It looks/sounds very easy typed in black and white but this was HARD to achieve and is HARD to maintain! I check my blood sugars at least x10 a day, to ensure that my 1 hour post meal level is less than 7.2 (given that target by my consultant) and that within 2 hours it is 6.2 or below.

Thankfully the hard work has paid off as we got the all clear at today's 20 week scan. I realise this isn't helpful when your hba1c was high on conception, but my consultant did keep reiterating that any improvement and maintenance in blood sugars will have a beneficial effect, for both baby and you... I must admit I'm looking forward to loosening the reins a little once baby is here and keep planning all manner of post birth "naughty" meals ;-)



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Hi, thats fantastic, great news about the 20 week scan :)
I was 8.3 a few weeks b4 conception, 8 a few weeks after and 5.5 by the time I reached 8 weeks, I got my hb1ac down to 5.5 in 3.5 weeks. It was extremely hard work had to take time off work, I test about 20 times a day as i have random patterns with my insulin requirements and do still hit a few highs once every other day or so - my fingers are all bruised, I am exhausted and I feel pretty rubbish but not complaining as if at the end of it my baby makes it to delivery and is healthy it will all be worth it .... anxious have my 17 week anamoly scan next week .... fingers and everything else crossed.