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Pregnant - am I ready to go through all this again?

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the_anticarb

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I found out at the weekend that I am pregnant :shock:

I did an early test last week and it was negative, so I assumed I was out for the month and did drown my sorrows in some comfort food /drink, I was quite naughty if I'm totally honest.

Then when i had no period I did a test and - aaaargh - pregnant!

Already my body is messing me around, being insulin resistant, is this normal in first trimester (I have been pregnant before but didn't find this last time)

For example all the carbs I ate today was a small pitta bread and it shot me up to 12, that was after 6 u of novorapid too.

Usually 12 woudln't be sooo high but now it is like - aargh - I'm killing the foetus!

Also I got my hba1c today and it was 55 which isn't absolutely terrible but I like to keep it under 50 - I blame that one on christmas though.

Got my first antenatal appointment next week and I know they'll go through all my readings so trying to get them as good as pos before then without going hypo - the only way I can do this is to avoid too many carbs.

I just remember now the 8 months of hell with testing and hypoing all the time, and don't want to go through all that again but feel I have no choice.

Anyone going through same?
 
Thanks SG - last time I described it as 'hard but do-able'. I need to get my base dose sorted so will maybe just steer clear of bread and stuff for a while, I seem to remember from last time that the minute morning sickness strikes all I could stomach was bland stuff like bread and rice, and I should get a couple of weeks grace before the sickness part starts.

My consultant is a mean mo-fo, the before meal readings have to be below 5 and the post meal readings below 7, which is less than some non diabetic people!

He goes through your testing diary with his red pen and circles any that are not within his very strict range!

I know its all because he cares about the outcome though.
 
Congratulations AC I wish you and baby a happy and healthy 9 months I had my D at 42 1/2 and got through the pregnancy fairly well, but did have quite a few lows and was just taking, at breakfast, I think it was, 1 unit. It is scary, trying to get the BS right, but so exciting as well, try not to worry too much. Good luck and best wishes RRB
 
Thank you RRB.

Well I am having problems already! My insulin feels like it is not working, I am injecting massive amounts and it barely hits the sides, like today I did not have any breakfast but had my basal, then before lunch it was 8.7 so I had 2 u correction dose and then 10 u novorapid for a tiny bread roll with some steak, an hour later it was 12. After 12 ****** units!!!! I am worried, this did not happen in my last pregnancy.

I am seeing a diabetes midwife tomorrow but can't see the consultant until next week, I hope the diabetes midwife knows her stuff, she will have her work cut out with me.

Too scared to eat anything with carbs in now in case it goes high, but then again if I don't have any carbs at all there'll be no chance of fixing my ratios - aaaarghhh!

I remember now how hard this was - all worth it in the end but will I make it that far?
 

It is a worrying time and pregnancy does play havoc with blood sugars. Have a good ole hgeart to heart with your midwife,tell her your concerns and hopefully you will get all the advice, care and support you need. Please take care of yourself, and try not to worry to much,Its hard I know, babies are tough little cookies and I'm keeping everything crossed for a very happy outcome X Best wishes RRB X ( please keep us updated)
 
I hope that you are getting on ok,what a worrying time for you. Do you have plenty of support at home ?.

Take care Janine xxx
 
It maybe the case that they might change your insulin to a Humilin variety as they have a proven track record of good sugar level management during pregnancy.
 
Hi, I saw the doctor on Thursday, they are trying to get my ratios sorted out but worryingly they want to start me on a really small ratio (1:1 which I know is too little for me) and then titrate upwards. Well I am bouncing up to 12 after meals which when pregnant is too high. So hopefully they will increase the ratios soon.

I think I am going to try and keep the amount of carbs I eat each day a bit more stable in this pregnancy, something has to be stable because nothing else is!

Feeling a bit less panicky now, although it'll be a hard old slog measuring all my food and testing every five minutes.
 
Hi there anti-carb

Well we're in the same boat! I found out I was pregnant about a week before you, but this is my first (so I'm less aware of how hard it might be!). I know exactly what you mean about sugar highs - I've had the odd few jump up to 12 after eating and it's been freaking me out too... I'd heard that insulin requirements often go down during the first trimester, but so far (6 weeks) that hasn't been the case. Let's see what the next few weeks holds...

Wanted to wish you luck for the forthcoming months - I'll let you know how I get on too! 2nd antenatal appointment this Wednesday, so I want to see what they think of my BG results...

anna x
 

Congratulations anna

AC Try not to worry to much about the ratio's, its hard trying to get it right, because every individual is different and what works for one wont work for another. How was your weekend? I hope it was a good one and for all the other pregnant ladies out there, good luck and fingers crossed for you all, byw, my 'baby' is 12 now. :shock: Take care and best wishes RRB
 
Hi Annamelissa and congratulations, how are you finding it now? It is hard to meet the targets isn't it. You'll find you can't do right for doing wrong with this game! Have you had a scan yet? Annoyingly I don't get one til 7 weeks, so just praying they'll find a heartbeat as I'm petrified something will go wrong before then or it's not viable or something.

Well I am on the hypo rollercoaster now, my weekend was good thanks RRB but I had a really bad hypo on the plane and I was on my own with my little boy, had to get the stewardess to get me some coke and sort me out as I couldn't get my fruit pastilles out they were stowed away.

I asked the DSN how the hell I was supposed to get my readings less than 7 after dinner without going hypo later, she said I'd have to learn to eat something to catch it before it went too low. All very well if you have nothing to do all day but test your blood sugar and eat but not so easy in the real world! I'm not sure how long I will last at work, my job involves driving about all day long and going to meetings, thinking of waiting until I'm in the second trimester and then saying its unsafe to drive can I work from home.
 
Hi AC.... sounds like you've been having a tough time of it! Work doesn't help does it? I'm an events manager, so though it doesn't involve driving around I'm in meetings and working late at events, and coping with a ton of pressure all the time, and I'm finding it really hard at the moment! I'm just so tired! But i have told the girls in the office and so they're very supportive which really helps.

I haven't been having any bad hypos, just a few lows where I'm trying to keep a tight reign on things, but so far I haven't lost any awareness... but I know what you mean about needing a lot of time for testing - it would be a luxury to be working from home all the time & be able to keep a closer eye on things. Generally I'm on target maybe 90% of the time - like you say it's after eating that's tricky, especially when I'm craving really bad, carb-y food! Oh and feeling sick in the mornings and evenings, seems milk & plain biscuits help a bit.

I haven't had a scan yet, the hospital have been happy with all the info theyv'e been downloading from my pump, so as far as they're concerned there's nothing alarming... but of course I'm worried! I might go for a private scan at 8 weeks, just so I can see what's what.

Hope you're week's been a bit better since posting, have a good weekend! x
 
Hey if you're already on a pump that's really good, I think they may consider me for one if things stay unstable, I seem to be getting a lot of hypos at night at the mo, got my stash of sugary sweets keep having to wake up and eat them!
Diabetes-wise it's not so so bad, just annoying having to carb count so precisely for the doses, like this morning I added a little porridge to the bowl because it was too milky, didn't think I added too much but went up to 10 after so clearly I must have.
I'm just mega-worrying about the baby - I don't know why I'm so worried I think it's because I know three people who lost their pregnancies last year so keep thinking I'll be next! Its all a lottery though isn't it. At least I know I have carried a healthy baby to term before so my body must know what its doing.

Private scans are really good, I may have one at 9 weeks or so as if all is well then it's supposed to be the same odds as 12 weeks. I'm suprised you don't get a scan earlier I thought all diabetics did. If only to save on NhS resources by getting the non viable pregnancies off the books!

Fingers xd for my scan on Thursday and I get to see the heartbeat.

Glad you've not had too many bad hypos - last pregnancy I found my hypo awareness went towards the end, which was a bind, I remember thinking I wanted my body back after 9 months of it all! But it can't have been that bad if I'm back for more.
 
Hi there, I am having exactly the same problem as you. Have just found out I am pregnant with my third baby and my glucose levels are so out of control already. I
t seemed a lot more managable with my second child at the beggining for some reason and it is a little worrying so I totally understand what you are going through.
Just make sure you get your levels written down and disscuss it with your specialist team at your next appointment.
I am still waiting for my first appointment to come through and am a little anxious because the GP I saw didn't seemed to have a clue what she was doing!
I had to tell her that it was a higher dose of folic acid that I needed as I am diabetic and she didn't believe me and decided to look it up in her book! Won't be going to her again!
Hope you manage to get back on track and get your levels more stable.
Good luck to you :-D x
 
Congratulations Hales. I hope you have managed to get a referral now - if your GP is being slack you may be able to self refer if you phone up antenatal and ask to speak to the diabetes midwife. At least you have done it before so know what you are doing! I think sometimes GPs are winging it particularly when it comes to quite complex things with diabetes which we all know a lot better than they do. I guess they have to deal with so many different illnesses they can't know them all inside out.

My sugars are a little better now, it is hard to get them low enough without going hypo though. My hospital has ridiculously low targets - 7 after a meal and 5 before. I have to eat my breakfast in two halves now, injecting all my insulin at once but eating half straight away and half an hour later. Annoying but the only way to avoid the post breakfast peak.

I'm off to antenatal tomorrow, will let you all know how it goes.
 
Hello, I am 21 weeks pregnant and Type 1, I have a toddler but was not diabetic with that pregnancy. It is so interesting to hear other peoples experiences; I have had to substantially change my dosages of levemir morning and evening, between 8 - 16 weeks this could even be on a daily basis. I do have high readings, sometimes after eating and sometimes randomly - 17.5 mid afternoon the other day! I would usually have a low carb diet but have significantly increased my carb intake, and have to go to bed with a minimum reading of 10 or i will hypo in the night.

Luckily I have had lots of reassuring scans, the first at 6 weeks. I have experienced lots of hypo's, although that has significantly improved in the last 4 weeks. Apparently glucose control becomes very tricky from 24 weeks though, so had best make the most of this stage! But, aside from my increase in carbs, both in the form of pasta, rice etc but also sweet treats, I had a recent hbac1 41. I take insulin with everything, and also often split breakfast as i find in the mornings i need double my normal ratio of insulin to carb. Apparently it is when the pregnancy hormone is strongest in your system?

Anyway, just wanted to say hello, and thanks, as I have looked on this forum for months and it is reassuring to hear what other people are experiencing
 

AC good luck at the antenatal clinic today, hope everything goes well for you :thumbup:

With best wishes RRB
 
Hi

I had my scan last thursday and it all looks good, little squiggle shaped embryo in there with a good strong heartbeat! I'm 7w3d now so not quite out of the danger zone mc wise yet, but another few weeks and hopefully I will be able to relax a bit more.
Congrats ABC1 sounds like you are getting to grips with it all. You will find your insulin doses go up massively towards the end, my DSN said the first trimester is the worst but I have to disagree, for me it got worse as I got further along as the more insulin you inject the more room for error. I could not wait in the end to get my body back! Unfortunately all that insulin led to 4st weight gain, like you I was doing low carb before I got pregnant but it's not advised in pregnancy nor is it very easy when you've got morning sickness and the thought of eggs and sausages in the morning turns your stomach!

How many hypos are you having per day? I consider myself lucky if I can get through a day without one or maybe just one mild one. Most days it is at least two. What I also found last time, and you need to watch out for, is that my hypo awareness went as I was running my bloods so low. Normally this is easily corrected by running high for a couple weeks which of course you can't do if pregnant. So i couldn't get my hypo awareness back until after I'd had the baby. I may need to give up driving if it gets bad - I had a nasty scare at 8 months pg last time when my bg's dropped whilst driving - its not worth the risk!

Well, I just want to get on with being pregnant now. first trimester sucks - fear of m/c, sickness/tiredness, hypos, can't tell anyone and nothing to show for it.
 
I had no idea this part of the forum existed! Just want to say a big congrats, I am on my 3rd pregnancy (in quite young) and im finding things so difficult level wise, I noticed insulin resistance right from word go, this is what made me test. Do you have to keep your levels at 7 one hour or two hours post meals? My target is below 6 in a morning and under 7.8 one hour after meals, this of course means hypos after each meal though my dsn can't understand why Lol to me its fairly obvious. X

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
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