Pregnant - post-breakfast numbers falling

[hose1975]

Hello all,

I thought I might have more luck posting in the questions section than in use GD section, so here goes.

I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant and using insulin 4 times per day to control gestational diabetes. About two weeks ago the diabetes registrar recommended that I change my breakfast from porridge (for which I was taking 9u of Novorapid to ensure a one-hour post-breakfast reading of under 7.8, but which was giving me terrible hypos half an hour later) to a low-carb breakfast of Greek yogurt and fruit. This has been very successful, and I started out on 5u to cover this. I no longer get the hypos.

However, over the last week I have needed to take less and less insulin, to the point where today I took 2u and got a reading of 4.3. Should I be concerned? At this srate I won't need anything to cover my breakfast!

Thanks

Jo

 

[Mileana]

If you get numbers very close to 4 while on insulin, you should reduce your dose again.

Some people on here find that they tolerate that sort of food very well also on type 2 on minimal treatment, so it makes sense to me.

You inject insulin to control your blood sugar not because you 'have to take a certain dose' so go by what your meter tells you.

Generally, you want to be at +2 mmol after a meal compared to before. If you're high to begin with, this of course changes a bit, but personally, I'd want to be around 5.5-6.0 2 hours after a meal, not 4.3 on insulin.

This should allow a little room for your BG to drop slightly more until lunch (if you don't snack) and before lunch would then be in the 4.5-5.5 range which is pretty sensible.

So no, don't be concerned, you're doing it fine. Just adjust your insulin so you don't go too low (normally defined as below 4.0, you may get symptoms (shakiness, blurry vision, irritability) anywhere between 4.5 and 3.5 at which point you should treat it with something sugary (which is better to avoid, and can be dangerous if not treated). So well done for getting it down there, now as you 'don't have a headache, don't take the headache pill' or at least not as much of it.

Keep something on hand until you know that you won't go too low. As your insulin will be injected and not turn off itself when your blood sugar drops, having a couple jelly babies, a biscuit or glucotabs on hand is a good idea.

-M

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hello all,

I thought I might have more luck posting in the questions section than in use GD section, so here goes.

I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant and using insulin 4 times per day to control gestational diabetes. About two weeks ago the diabetes registrar recommended that I change my breakfast from porridge (for which I was taking 9u of Novorapid to ensure a one-hour post-breakfast reading of under 7.8, but which was giving me terrible hypos half an hour later) to a low-carb breakfast of Greek yogurt and fruit. This has been very successful, and I started out on 5u to cover this. I no longer get the hypos.

However, over the last week I have needed to take less and less insulin, to the point where today I took 2u and got a reading of 4.3. Should I be concerned? At this srate I won't need anything to cover my breakfast!

Thanks

Jo

Hi there Jo and congratulations when I was pregnant ( full time type 1) I eventually had to take very little Insulin, I remember for breakfast, only 1 unit but it does vary throughout the different stages of the pregancy. Throughout my pregancy I was taking a very small amount of insulin to what I would normally take. You would need Insulin to cover the meals, but maybe only a fraction. Good luck and take care RRB