Pregnant: How to do a basal test with all day sickness?

[Serenede]

Hi,

I am 6 weeks pregnant and the morning sickness has started to get quite bad now. I'm noticing my blood sugars are creeping up and would like to do a basal test to see if it's that or my carb ratio that needs changing. Problem is I feel so sick I need to keep eating regularly or it gets worse. Any suggestions?

 

[azure]

@Serenede The simple advice is don't. Basal tests aren't appropriate in pregnancy because you need to eat regularly.

As you've found, eating helps the nausea too.

I suggest you speak to your maternity DSN and give them your numbers. They can then make suggestions.

When are you going high?

What I did was concentrate on keeping in range and I didn't worry about what percentage of my insulin was basal or bolus. I increased my basal slightly and very carefully in early pregnancy. That helped a lot. I then had to decrease it when the lows started at approx 8 weeks (very approx).

 

[Serenede]

Hi Azure,

Thank you for your comments. I have been told my my maternity diabetes team that it's even more important to do basal tests. It's easy for them to say though when they aren't the ones feeling rough! I can see what you mean though with the constant changes surely it will be hard to get it right.

I was going high on getting up in the mornings but have managed to sort that. I'm now noticing highs mid morning and then from 9pm-2am. I'll have a go at tweaking a bit and maybe just adding more to my bolus insulin at this point. I just hate seeing highs! During my last pregnancy 6 years ago I wasnt on a pump but am confident in changing things around, I just wish there was some pattern! My latest HbA1c was 37 so I can see it going up!

 

[novorapidboi26]

as mentioned, you cant, or shouldn't do the basal test when your sick......

if you do feel up to it though and your conscious of the effect the sickness may have, it wouldn't hurt to do more testing anyway and write it down...

 

[azure]

@Serenede I can't contradict your team, but I was told not to basal test as restricting food intake wasn't appropriate in pregnancy. My own instinct confirmed this for me too. Moreover, as you say, insulin needs change frequently during pregnancy so what's right one week isn't the next.

I suggest you make notes of your high periods to make sure there is a pattern rather than just random highs. I did that, and if I saw a pattern over 3 days (3 days always high at a certain time) I cautiously made adjustments and then monitored to see how that worked.

If you're on a pump, you're laughing as adjusting basal is so much easier. Just be prepared for your needs to drop soon. I had highs very early but they only lasted two or three weeks, I think (sorry - my memory is bad with a toddler!)

If you're actually vomiting, then that can make your BS erratic too. Keep testing frequently and adjust as required - ie eat if going too low, consider correcting if too high. That level of control - constant tweaking - is part of pregnancy, but gratifying when you see tight control.

Congratulations on your pregnancy, by the way!

 

[Serenede]

Thanks, I will give those things a try and look out for the lows that may arrive. I'm not vomiting yet but had hypermerises with my daughter so dreading it getting that bad.

I have a scan on Wednesday as I've had three previous miscarriages so just hope all is well in there.

 

[azure]

Good luck @Serenede xx