Early pregnancy and high b/s. Normal???

[emmarees26]

Hi everyone,
After 5 long years and 4 rounds of ivf, my husband and I finally found out on Friday that we are pregnant!!
That makes me just 4wk1day.

Since Friday though, my normally perfect blood sugars have gone really weird and shot up to 15mmol in the late evenings and needing triple, sometimes more, insulin than usual to bring it down.
It's really concerning me and terrified that it will cause damage / miscarriage or something...
Sugars are ok in the day at mo...

I'm type 1, on medtronic insulin pump and a last hba1c of 6.9%
Going to ring the clinic tomorrow but would be so grateful if any of you guys could ease my panic and let me know that this is normal in early pregnancy???

Thanks so much,
Em x

 

[kt78]

Hi there

Yep, high BG is normal in early pregnancy!

Mine went down 20% a week before my period was due then went up for about 6 weeks before falling until about 18 weeks!

I'm now 24 weeks and so far so good! Try not to worry and just take as much insulin as you need to keep your levels steady.

I have also found my levels creep up in the evenings and overnight and I have to be much more heavy-handed with corrections, probably around triple too.

Hope this helps ease your panic, all the best

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[emmarees26]

Oh wow, thanks so much kt, what you have just described is absolutely exact to what I have been experiencing!!!
It has definitely made me feel a little better and safe in the knowledge that I am doing everything I can to control it.
I am getting up every 2-3 hrs during night to give corrections as I can't stand the idea of being high!!

Congratulations on your pregnancy by the way hun. How has it been re diabetes??

Thanks again,
Em x

 

[vikc]

Hi Emma,

My wife is finding the same problem, she is 6 weeks pregnant and her sugars rise mostly in the evenings and at night, and she has increased her basal rate by 20%.

One thing she finds useful is to give herself the bolus 10-15mins before eating if the blood sugar is not below 4.2. Maybe you can try and see if that works for you as well. Hope that helps.

And Congrats

 

[emmarees26]

Ah thanks vikc, that's a really good idea. Will definitely try that tonight.
My levels have come down slightly, to around 9mmol in the night as I have increased basal rates from 1.25 to 1.50. Slowly increasing again tonight, in attempt to get it perfect
Crikey, it's amazing how something so tiny can cause such caos in our diabetes etc!!
Thanks so much for the congratulations. The same goes to you both!!! It's a wonderful time
Em xx

 

[kt78]

Hi Emma

Hope your appointment went well? So far (apart from morning sickness!). My pregnancy has been fine! I had very tight control (hba1c 5.2) before getting a bfp and that made it loads easier to make changes as I know something's up when I hit 9mmol. I also lost my hypo awareness 5 years ago so wasused to dealing with that already!

On that note, please be careful around 7-9 weeks as you may start producing a little insulin of your own again and need to reduce your doses. I know - it's amazing isn't it?! Also, if we do have a heat wave that can affect you too so watch out! x

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[emmarees26]

Thanks kt, fab advice hun!!

I am really nervous about losing hypo awareness. I have done 20+ blood sugars every day since bfp!!! I'm especially nervous in the car, so testing before driving and stopping loads on longer journeys!!

Fortunately, although I have a higher hba1c (6.9%) I can still pick up quickly when I'm heading up, so am able to correct easily!!

I also strongly suspect that I will suffer from morning sickness too. I'm only 4wk+3 and I've been gagging for 3-4 days!!!! When did it kick in with you??

Also, how bad were the hypos at 7-9wks??

Thanks
Em x

 

[kt78]

Hiya!

I haven't had any hypos where I've needed help and because I knew to keep an eye out for a possible drop in BG around week 7 I could see what was happening and reduced my basals to 90% of pre-preg levels. This drop was handy though as my morning sickness started like yours at around week 5 and really kicked in at week 6 and I could only eat carbs! Luckily because I was producing a little bit of insulin again ( I've been type 1 for 30 years!) I could eat white bread, sausage rolls and cake without going over 7mmol. I have never eaten stuff like that but it really was all I could handle, so don't judge me y'all!

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[emmarees26]

Hahaha, no judgement coming from my direction kt!!!!
I have been diabetic since I was 6, so 27 years now and never have I been able to eat carbs/cake etc without shooting up!! Will be interesting....
Thanks to you, I'm hoping that I will also be well aware of the drops and therefore well prepared and do loads of testing (I already am tbh!!).
The gagging is definitely getting worse, so just know that morning sickness is well and truly on route. Eeek!! I'm worried about work and meetings though. I travel an hour to work and have quite a high stress job, travel around in the day and attend lots of meetings etc. I keep hearing horror stories of women having to pull cars over to throw up!! Haha

Do you know what you are having kt? I bet your diabetic team have stepped up the scanning and monitoring by this stage??

xx

 

[emmarees26]

Hi guys,
My blood sugars seem to be coming back into some form of control. I have increased basal in evening from 1.35 to 1.55 and it seems to have gone some way in helping. Still waking up a little higher (9mmol) and will address that in the next 48hrs.
I know I probably sound mad, as I was stressing about the highs last week, but now I'm stressing about the near normality of my levels. What if I'm not pregnant anymore??
I'm not usually as uptight as this but after 5 years, numerous failures and miscarriage, I'm absolutely petrified....
Can anyone reassure me???
Huge thanks
Em x

 

[LemonTree]

Hi Emma

I was having loads of hypos in my first few weeks - I never experienced highs like other people seem to. I have done since but try not to worry. You will go through ups and plateaus as the pregnancy goes on. I'm at 31 weeks and currently enjoying a plateau. It's nice when you can relax for a few days before it goes up again...

Good luck

 

[kt78]

Hi Emma

How many weeks are you now? Like I mentioned before many people experience a drop in BG starting between weeks 7-9, I'm sure I dropped around week 6 myself...

Oh, and you asked before if my morning sickness was bad. Well, it wasn't bad in terms of actually chucking up (soz!) it was just really bad in terms of feeling really queasy 24/7 and having zero energy! Fingers crossed you escape that!

Glad your levels have come down, I need much more insulin between 8pm and 8am than I did before too! You're doing great, so just keep on doing what you're doing! x

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[kt78]

Oh, and hi to Lemon tree too!

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[emmarees26]

Ahh thanks for the reassurance girls!! Much much appreciated!!
I'm only 5wks3days, so very early. Mind you, I had lost by this time in my last and only pregnancy, so feeling a little calmer in that everything seems alot different this time!!

I'm sure that once I see the heartbeat next Friday, I will calm down a bit. I hope!! Haha.

Kt, 24/7 nausea sounds miserable hun. All I'm getting so far is serious gagging in the morning, whilst brushing teeth and on and off nausea which isn't causing any real commotion.
Although, over the weekend, I had big breakfasts of egg and toast and found that by 1pm on both days, I was having an hour of horrific nausea and ending in a bad case of diarrhoea (Sorry tmi)! Only had 1 slice of toast yesterday and today and not had a problem.... It's crazy!!

Lemon tree, did you get bad morning sickness hun?

On another note, have both of you been told that you may be induced as early as 36weeks?? Do many diabetics go full term?

Em xxx

 

[LemonTree]

Hi Em

I had no sickness but apparently this is a hereditary thing - my mum's morning sickness started at nothing and got worse with each pregnancy. The only problem I had was that I now couldn't stand the smell of Persil colour liquid and that did make me vomit one morning while brushing my teeth when I was about 10 weeks and we had stacks of washing in the house. We haven't used it since but if I smell it now it still makes me want to gag LOL!
Trouble with morning sickness is that it can make you produce ketones. My team said that if I felt sick when brushing my teeth to try using an electric toothbrush instead so I tried that and it did help.

At the booking in appt at 6 weeks (usually 12 weeks for women with no complications) I was told I wouldn't be allowed to go past 38 weeks, that I will stay in hospital for a minimum of 24 hours after delivering and water birth is out of the question (not that I wanted one). Since then the 38 weeks has not been mentioned so at my appt last week I asked about it because I'd sorted out my maternity leave based on the 38 week date and they said I will get booked in around my 33rd or 36th week (I forget now which) for the week following the 38 weeks so actually between 38 and 39 weeks.

I have overheard other women say they will be induced earlier because of other complications - high blood pressure etc - but don't think this will be you, all women can have pregnancy related problems which aren't necessarily related to diabetes but the good thing is you're probably more likely to be better looked after if you do get any other complications because of your diabetes. There is a higher risk of pre-eclampsia so they put you on a small dose of aspirin from 12 weeks.

Good luck with your scan x

 

[emmarees26]

Ohh interesting stuff, thanks for that lemon tree!!
I'm not expecting any complications as I don't tend to suffer from any blood pressure issues etc, but good to be prepared for what could happen. I bought a book that's all about coping with pregnancy and diabetes. Only read a few pages but it seems ok, apart from the fact that it's American, so don't understand their blood glucose rates etc.... Haha.

I had my midwife call today and book in for my booking apt. 16th June. Still can't believe that this is happening to us, after 5 years!!!!


xx,

 

[JessP]

Hey em, how did it go on Friday with your scan? Hope all's good with you.
Jess x


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[Scimama]

Hi Emma

Congratulations!!!

If you do get morning sickness take a few ziploc bags with you in your bag and a pack of wetwipes and sugar free mints (if you can face them). Dont get value 'sealable bags' they leak

Once you have your baby you will be lugging around ziplock bags and wetwipes anyway so may as well start now

 

[emmarees26]

Hahaha scimamma, that's hilarious but a fabulous tip!! Have nearly hurled on the dash board of car on route to work a few times now!!!!
JessP, scan went fantastic. We saw a heartbeat and it was measuring 6wks6days! Bang on.
Got my first apt with my diabetic team a week Weds. Hoping to get another scan then, but also got my 2nd scan with ivf clinic a week Fri so won't have to wait too long if not....

My new fear which set in this morning, having now seen the baby and the heartbeat, is losing it. I'm sure it's normal but I'm petrified.
Thank goodness I'm getting alot of scans, as I think I'm gonna need them to stay sane.....

How are you getting on Jess??

Em x

 

[JessP]

Great news Em!!! So happy for you, that must have been such a relief... yes I can understand your stress but we need to remember to chill a little I think (so easy to say, so hard to do!)
I'm doing ok although absolutely awful nausea for the past week or so, all day long...not much fun! Also had some really bad cramps over the weekend which woke me from sleep which was scary but they seem to have settled so am hoping all ok. Will be getting a scan on Thursday although I'm a bit worried it might be too soon to see the heartbeat. Will be keeping everything crossed I think!
take care,
Jess
x