• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Blood sugar levels during pregnancy

G

GemmaD

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi all,

I met with my diabetes midwife for the first time yesterday and she has put me on a strict target level of control. I'm not allowed to let my sugar levels fall below 5.3 before meals or rise any higher than 7.8 one hour after meals. I understand why this has to be the case but I'm having more hypos now as I'm constantly checking to make sure I haven't exceeded my limit. Has anyone else had similar experiences of this? Do you correct if over 7.8 or wait until you next eat to give extra insulin? Each time I have three episodes of more than 7.8 I have to phone the midwife.

Thanks :)
 
Hi GemmaD, i've had two very healthy kids as a T1. It's a stressful long road but so worth it in the end. I found that in the early days of pregnancy my insulin requirement was hardly anything at all, i also seemed to have more hypos due to this then towards the end of the pregnancy my insulin requirement more than doubled....its a really difficult time and extremely hard to control as the insulin needs change. These levels ranges are so tight that I found it unrealistic...I tested about 15 times a day for everyday I was pregnant both times and logged everything and yes I had times where I was too high and too low but tried my best....the result was two healthy 8.5lb babies....don't beat yourself up, stress is also not good for the baby....just try ur best x
 
Thank you Stellson, your message is really reassuring :). I've been panicking about the effect one high sugar level can have on my baby so to hear you have had two healthy children has made me feel much better. I was told by my GP to test 4 times per day and my midwife said 7 but the last week I've been testing at least 10 times per day. It's frustrating because I really want to enjoy pregnancy but it feels diabetes is a challenge everyday. I'm going to try and keep up my regular exercise throughout the first two trimesters of pregnancy but I'm concerned about the effect that will have on sugar levels too. Your story definitely makes everything worth it though :).

Thanks again
 
GemmaD said:
Hi all,

I met with my diabetes midwife for the first time yesterday and she has put me on a strict target level of control. I'm not allowed to let my sugar levels fall below 5.3 before meals or rise any higher than 7.8 one hour after meals. I understand why this has to be the case but I'm having more hypos now as I'm constantly checking to make sure I haven't exceeded my limit. Has anyone else had similar experiences of this? Do you correct if over 7.8 or wait until you next eat to give extra insulin? Each time I have three episodes of more than 7.8 I have to phone the midwife.

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Pregnancy needs very tight control so yes, with that you'll probably have more hypos. Also, in early pregnancy, hypos are very common. I call them pregnancy hypos because they're not like normal hypos - they can be totally unexpected and need more glucose and food to treat. You can also get them when you normally wouldn't be low at all eg just after a meal, middle of the night, etc.

But from what you've said, I don't think,you're talking about those - is that right? You just mean hypos because of the tight control? If so, all you can do,is test lots. I tested about 12 times a day or more. Keep Lucozade nearby and by your bed. Carry glucose tablets with you too and get in extra snacks.

As for correcting, yes I corrected if I was high. I didnt wait until the next meal (and don't even when not pregnant anyway). I'm on a pump so I could do tiny corrections. Basically, the aim is to keep below 7.8. You won't achieve that all the time, especially later in pregnancy, but that's what you're aiming for. Don't panic if you get a high - we've all had them. Just correct if necessary and keep testing. Be very careful about correcting too close to bedtime. If you have to do that, set an alarm so you can make sure you haven't gone too low. I used to,set an alarm for 2am every night anyway just so I could check all was ok.

You mention your midwife has given you a lower limit. Is that because you're prone to hypos?
 
Hi Azure,

Thank you for your reply. The testing before bed is the one that worries me the most. My sugar levels are always higher in the morning than at night so, for example, if they are 6.0 before bed, I normally wake up with a sugar level of 10.0 or more. I'm always in two minds whether to have something to stop it dropping low in the middle of the night and then ultimately high, or whether to leave it with the hope it stays around the same level. Regardless of which option I choose, it's always high.

I'll keep testing regularly throughout the day because it puts my mind at ease. My midwife have given me a lower limit because my hba1c was 8.0 when I found out I was pregnant so I'm very worried about the damage I might have already caused. I'm seeing the doctor and midwife in 1 week so hopefully they can give me further guidance.

Thanks again for your help :)
 
@GemmaD The morning higher sugar sounds like Dawn Phenomenon. I get that, but I have a pump so my basal rate rises to control it. If you don't have a pump, you could ask advice about possibly taking a correction dose during the last part of the night to stop the rise. I know that would be a nuisance, but some people here do do that on MDI so it's just something to ask about :)

I guess the minimum level you've been given may have been set to make sure your HbA1C doesn't drop too quickly, but you could ask about that too. Knowing the thinking behind advice can help a lot.
 
Hi Gemma D if you keep waking up high it could be your background insulin needs increasing? Maybe ask your Dsn? x
 
Back
Top