Pump & Pregnancy

[ajvstewart]

I have been type 1 for over 30 years and have had 3 children already. I am on my 4th pregnancy and am getting a pump next week.

What do you find the most comfortable/ convenient accessory for attaching the device to yourself? Is there a particular online seller with useful products?

Has anyone else been pregnant and had a pump? I’m wondering how awkward it is to have inserted considering your increasing stomach size? And also what happens during and after labour - do you take it out and just have insulin drip inserted or if not how do you manage with the baby monitoring straps attached round you as well? And following birth when do you reinsert?

thanks for any help

 

[ArtemisBow]

I got my current pump, an Insight, when I was pregnant with my first daughter. I use a Hid-In band to wear the pump just under my bra. I actually found having the big belly made it a bit easier to rotate sites - more acreage to cover! The needle doesn’t go in that far, I didn’t find it uncomfortable. Biggest issue was having long enough tubing to reach the lower part of my belly.

For my first labour I was put on a sliding scale so came off the pump for that and then reattached about 1 hour after birth. I had my second child end of last year, and for that labour we agreed I would keep the pump on and not use the sliding scale at all - I don’t have long labours and that worked really well.

 

[ajvstewart]

Thanks for your response I’m sure Once I’ve had it for a while I’ll be fine with it getting in during pregnancy When you are all over the place anyway is just a bit daunting.

 

[ArtemisBow]

Absolutely- pregnancy is a tough time for anyone, tougher when you are diabetic, especially tough when you are getting used to a pump! It does take some getting used to, give yourself time to adjust. But honestly moving to a pump made diabetes so much more manageable for me, both during my pregnancies and afterwards - I wouldn’t be without a pump now. Good luck!