Newly diagnosed type 2, 34 years old and 10 weeks pregnant

[terry100]

As part of my booking in blood test with the midwife, I had raised blood sugar levels. I did the fasting glucose tolerance test and the reading was high, in the inpaired glucose tolerance level. A diabetic midwife then visited me and showed me how to test myself 3 times a day and record it. I'm due to go to my first clinic on Wednesday and I'm not sure what to expect. My blood results are all over the place, but when they are within the target, that's when I feel totaly fatigued and sleepy al the time. I also had a hypo on wed and nearly on thur, but I got some food in time. I'm surprised at the lack of support I've had, but maybe Ill get more on wed, but it's quite a scary prospect being told I've got a life changing condition, not knowing how it affects my unborn baby and my family.

It's hard to seperate the diabetes symptoms to the pregnancy symptoms. That's what everyone said the past 2 months when I was barely awake and human 'well it's early days in your pregnancy and you ahve two other children to look after', but my gut feeling was that it wasnt down to the pregnancy. I'm a physically strong person normally and can endure alot of pain, but the past 2 months I've been a walking sleeping zombie and I dont like it. I feel like life is passing me by whilst I dont have the energy to do anything let alone be a proper mother to my kids. I can only imagine things getting worse as I progress with the pregnancy and get more imobile.

I suppose I'm just venting my confusion as my husband doesnt want to talk to me about it and I'm not quite sure what to tell him. He's been very supportive with taking on extra responsibilities, but I'm literally in bed at 8pm every night when I've had a nap or two during the day aswell. Anyone got any helpful advice on what will happen at my first clinic apointment and experiences of being newly diagnosed? I also feel like I'm very young to be diagnosed, but at least I have been diagnosed.

 

[Spiral]

Are you sure it is T2 and not gestational diabetes? There may be a couple of other reasons your blood glucose can be raised, one of them is infection.

I had gestational diabetes in my second pregancy and gave birth a month early to a rather large baby. Because there wasn't a lot of room, he was badly presented and needed an assisted delivery :? Because of my history, my second pregancy was monitored very closely and the fact my baby was growing very rapidly was picked up around week 28-30 through the ultrasound scans and they began to monitor me in the specialist clinic after that. Babies of diabetic mothers grow very quickly in utero and this can lead to problems in presentation and delivery, and possibly some difficulties for the baby after delivery.

Whatever the reason for the diabetes, if you are diabetic and pregnant you need to keep a fairly tight control on your blood glucose. I was seen in the problem pregancy clinic - the one where pregnant women with underlying health problems go - and it was staffed by an Obstetrician and a General Physician. If there are any questions at all, they monitor you very closely, I felt very well cared for.

Ironically, I missed the clinic I was due to be given my diagnosis of gestational diabetes as I was giving birth at the time :roll: The diagnosis eventually arrived 8 years later, along with an invitation to attend my GPs regular diabetic clinic - this was 4 years pre-T2 diagnosis.

 

[terry100]

No, the midwife said it wasnt gestational diabetes as that normally presents in the third trimester and I was only 6 weeks when the blood tests picked up the raised sugar. She said that I was either diabetic already or in the 'just about to get diabetes' range, but obviously picked it up through the routine pregnancy tests.

I suppose I'll find out more when I get the 3 month blood test results back which should be soon.

 

[hanadr]

You definitely need to go to the diabetic maternity clinic. What treatment are you getting?
This could still be gestational diabetes, even if it's presented early. In which cas it probably will need insulin.
It might be worth your while to cut back on your carbohydrates. This would stabilise your blood sugars and since it's so early in your pregnancy, there shouldn't be any problems with it. Your baby doesn't need your carbs for development.

 

[terry100]

The midwife came round last tue and told me to monitor my bloods three times a day and to look after what I eat. My first clinic appointment is on weds. My target is <5.5 before breakfast and then <7 an hour after eating lunch and dinner. The first few days were erratic and very high, now they are falling in line with what my target is, but I seem to be more tired when I hit the targets! I've totally lost my appetite for food as I'm not 100% sure what I should and shouldnt be eating. I used to be someone that would revel in eating, enjoying buying, preparing, cooking and eating food. How it's just something I do to hit my target blood sugar levels. I know it's early days and I'm adjusting, but I've lost a bit of my desire for food. It's an inconvenience rather than an enjoyment of life now.

 

[hanadr]

Look in the low carb threads, you might find some ideas and you will find some good recipes.

 

[janinew-s]

Hey, never doubt yourself as a good parent and remember every pregnancy is different. Diagnosis of any diabetes can be very daunting. I was also told the same as you on GTT test and tested very high.

I have 4 other children and was diagnosed on my last, born 1 year ago and I still have type 2 diabetes

I found the diagnosis very unsettling and like you, had loss of appetite due to the worry of what to eat, I actually lost weight during preganancy and my work mates pointed this out to me.

If you are worried write down every question you would like to ask the people who are involved with your diabetic care or pregnancy care and ask for dietry advice.

Your partner is probably finding the situation as scary as you, take him with you to your hospital appointments for his understanding.

Take care.

 

[terry100]

Hi everyone, it's been an action packed few days since my original post.

On tuesday morning at work I suddenly went very very dizzy, got blurred vision and I didnt have a clue what to do. When it all came on I thought I'l take my blood sugar in case it was high or lniked to my dizzyness. it was 10.2. I tried ringing the nurse at work and they were all in clinic. I couldt get up to call for help as I'd probably fall over. My colleague who shares the office with me came into work and he asked if I was ok as I was drying my eye's and I just went to pieces. No one at work knew about my diabetes as it had only been a week and I wanted to go to my first clinic appointment to find out more before I told everyone together at the team meeting after I had some more info to tell them. He called for help and another colleague had managed someone with diabetes before and took charge. She got a first aider, who checked me over and everything was ok, who called a paramedic who said my blood, air intake was fine and my blood sugar was reducing, 7.9 by then. I was just so dizzy and and spaced out, so thirsty gulping glass after glass of water, dry cracking lips even after applying lip salve. AFter an hour I wasnt as dizzy but not with it at all and got sent home. For the rest of the day my blood sugars were between 8 - 10 and I felt **** for the rest of the day and wed.

Wed afternoon I went to my first clinic and no-one could understand my 'dizzy episode'. The dr was sceptical that it was linked to my 10.2 reading and asked if I was worried about anything!? My diet seems spot on, but I still have alot of readings out of my target. They basically said I'll need insulin and the midwife wanted to issue it to me the next day, but I agreed with the dr that it seemed very fast and I'd feel more comfortable with another week of monitoring to see if I can get my blood sugards stabalised. I didnt' think I could as I've done everything I can. Since Wed I've had high readings constantly, so it seems like I'm destined for insulin.

Anyone else have dizzy spells? I've had dizzy spells when my readings have been high and low, but I'm thinking it may be linked to the speed in change of levels i.e. my body cant cope when it goes up or down too fast and my brain just tells me I'm dizzy and I need to sleep to renew my body a bit.

 

[m_cooper]

i would not think your readings of 10 were anything to do with you being dizzy,do you have a low blood pressure?i had readings of 12 when i was diagnosed and i felt ok.my wife gets dizzy at times due to her blood pressure being on the low side ie 90-100 over 56-60,she has always had very low blood pressure and it makes her dizzy and she needs to eat when she feels light-headed

 

[casamorena]

Hello

I was diagnosed in September 2000 and am still diet controlled. I was also very dizzy and felt really awful during my pregnancy and I wasn't diabetic then. All you have described would fit me exactly. I think a lot of your issues surrounding it is, as it was for me, fright and confusion both in the pregnancy and the diabetes.

It sounds as though you have your diet under control so keep doing whatever you are doing. Stress drives up blood glucose. I didn't have much help and also had lots of confusing advice in both situations. In the end I decided to just get on with it and listen to my own body and do what suited it. With the diabetes though, I did cut out sugar altogether and had very little fruit but only with or after a carbohydrate meal and still do. I never have any liquid sugar and the only fruit juice I have is pure grapefruit and only a very small amount. I also tried to have a little carbohydrate every three hours - ryvita is quite good - and never get hungry. I also don't have bread because I find the yeast makes me swell up and put on weight. Wraps are a good alternative (check for yeast in the ingredients) if you think this might be your problem too.

Is it possible you are having panic attacks and hyperventilating? Please try to stop stressing about it all and just accept you might be having a bad pregnancy and it isn't anything to do with the diabetes.

Good luck.

 

[Lilybean]

Hi there, i feel for you and know exactly what you are going through. I was diagnosed type 1 at 8 weeks pregnant and it was a scary time for sure. i'm now 33 weeks pregnant and have worked through the difficult stage of getting used to diabetes. i know type 1 is different from type 2 and i don't know alot about type 2 so can't offer you any advice i guess.

however, everyone is different in how they deal with their diabetes. my approach was ' i want perfection' and that kept me going and kept me from feeling angry and resentful. i completely changed my diet to find foods that agreed with me. i find that eating the same time every day is great for diabetes. i only found that out by listening to my body and rather than treating a hypo or eating something to keep me going i will eat when my body needs it.

i have breakfast at 7.30 snack at 10.30, lunch at 12. snack at 2.30 and dinner at 5.30 and have cereal before i go to bed. i eat branflakes with sultanas morning and before bed, snack on fruit, mainly apples depending on what my bs level is. bananas sending it soring. i eat healthy food for main meals and granary bread, loads of veg and salad and low carb/sugar yoghurts (weight watchers are actually the lowest i've found). i don't eat any chocolate, cakes - nothing like that. but for me it's all or nothing. if i can't have it every day i don't want it at all.

for me, it's worked and my last Hba1c test was 5.4. i'm thrilled with it. of course, all this effort is to get baby here safely. it's hard work being so strict and the family do not always fit into my diabetes routine and i work as well. i know i cannot live the rest of my life like it but i know things will change again anyway when baby is here.

this forum is great for support but you must ask your diabetes team for help. they don't always contact you to check you're ok but from my experience if you need them they are always brilliant support with advice.

don't know if i've helped but take it day by day and you it will get clearer but i can't say it ever gets easier. i just deal with it better than i did a few months ago.

my partner doesn't understand either but i've learned that ordinary people can't possibly understand what it's like to live with diabetes so i don't expect him to anymore. if i need help, i come here.

all the best with your pregnancy. listen to your body and find a routine. it does work. diabetes likes routine.

x