Type 2 and currently reducing glucose levels to beable to try for a baby

[Georgie38]

Hi

I am type 2, I am under the care of Pre-conception clinic and wondered if there was any other ladies out there with experience of this process or currently going through it aswell?
Would love to share experiences and generally talk to other women who have been through it/going through it.
My HbA1c was at 80mmol when I started and latest HbA1c was 55mmol, that took 7 months, so think its going ok! Target is 43mmol.

I got married 3 years ago, got pregnant on our honeymoon and unfortunately miscarried about 6/7 weeks, the same happened again 3 months later. Then a few months after that I was diagnosed with Type 2. For the first 1.5 years I was just on metformin, diet and exercise. Then out of the blue in December 2013 was referred to a pre-conception clinic.
From there Insulin was introduced and gradually built up to 2 injections, breakfast 8 units and evening meal 10 units.

Would love to hear from anybody out there
Georgie x

 

[DutchgirlT2]

Hi,

I'm also type 2, diagnosed since 2010 and at the moment busy with getting ready for pregnancy.
I am on insulin for 3 months now and have reduced my HbA1C to 6.3 mmoll/l.
I use novorapid 3 times a day and lantus 1 time a day.
Next month we are going to try for the first time and i'm very excited.

In total i was busy preparing for 3 years, this includes weight loss. I've lost 30 kilo's in 3 years.
At the moment it is just waiting for a positive test before i can call the hospital. Then they will take further steps
In guidance.

If you want to talk sometimes then i would be happy to listen to you.
I'm living in the netherlands and i haven't come across another T2 who has also plans to become pregnant so i'm glad
That i found at least one other person who has exactly the same situation as me.

Greetings Annemarie

 

[just_jenn]

Hi Ladies,

I'm in the really early stages of planning for preconception with T2. I had GD diabetes with my son and it never really went away. I fell unexpectedly pregnant last year and miscarried around 12-14 weeks because my BG was uncontrolled (around 10). Had a bit of a rough time of it since but trying to get back on the band wagon and eat healthier, get numbers down and lose some weight but it feels like a massive struggle sometimes. Lovely to meet some fellow type-2 folks

How did you find the preconception clinics? I'm about to be referred to one.

 

[Adelle0607]

Hi ladies!

I was diagnosed with t2 last feb with pcos. I'm also preparing to have a baby by next year. Currently my blood sugar levels are controlled and hope it stays that way, I want to sort out my health first before conceiving. good luck with preconception clinic x! Hope the appointment turns out well xx

 

[Georgie38]

Hi Annemarie,

Thank you so much for sharing your story with me, you have done really well with your weightloss and BG reduction! Fingers crossed on the next stage, cant wait to hear all about your progress.

Hi just_jenn,

I think the preconception clinics are amazing, I have had a very positive experience. They give you so much support, I have 3/4 monthly consultant appointments. I see a diabetic nurse every 4 weeks and have had appointments with a dietitian. Really I have lead the level of support I needed, so they seem to really tailor to your individual needs.
New medication was introduced gradually at the start and really controlled with regular phone calls to review my BG levels.
They have also given me emotional support and just listen to you properly.

They also introduced Liragutide after 2 months to help with reducing my HbA1c, which was a big decision as you need to be off it again for 3 months before trying to get pregnant. It has certainly helped me.
I have always tried to be really honest about how I feel and how I am coping, it has paid off as they really stepped to the mark each time I had a wobble.

Georgina

 

[Georgie38]

Hi Adelle,

Any good tips on controlling your BG? My diet is really healthy with lots of alternative ideas for treats but always on the search for new ones!

xx

 

[Adelle0607]

Hi Adelle,

Any good tips on controlling your BG? My diet is really healthy with lots of alternative ideas for treats but always on the search for new ones!

xx

Hi Georgina!

I'm currently doing a plant based diet and oily fish, avoiding dairy and grains. I have two servings of fruit a day and eat lots of vegetables xx

 

[Adelle0607]

@Georgie38, congratulations on your hba1c btw! I'm the same as you, I conceived and also miscarried three years ago. During that time I didn't have t2 then but had pcos. that's why I'm extra careful with my health at the moment, making sure I hit the right numbers before trying...It's quite daunting to start thinking about having a baby again. X but still want to try! what's your current diet @Georgie38? And hopefully you're also getting lots of support from family and hubby xx

 

[Georgie38]

My diet is the British Heart foundation one, recommended for T2 but only allowed 6 portions of starchy carbs a day.
I have lots of alternatives in replace of starchy carbs, such as courgette spaghetti, cauliflower rice, root veggies in replace of potatoes.
My diet is also based around the Well being plate, to get the right portions of different food groups in a day.
My husband is celiac so its easy to keep the starchy carbs low and 'naughty' food out of the shopping trolley as he cant eat them, So a T2 and celiac is a good combination!!!
Yes couldn't ask for more support, everybody is right behind me.
Whats the basics of plant based diet, sounds really interesting.

x

 

[Adelle0607]

Yes that makes it an easy partnership! With the plant based diet, I eat mostly green leafy veg and small portions of fruit then get fats from avocado and lots of nuts, olive oil and oily fish such as salmon. Its sort of like a hybrid of "low carb high fat diet meets Mediterranean diet without the grains, low GI ". It works for me and I feel energized and overall, happy with this diet. And I try not to eat the bad stuff lol like choccies whenever possible. And I exercise everyday!

But there is also a website called

Www.dietdoctor.com and
Blood sugar 101

and most of the t2s and t1s around have recommended it too there are posts on the website regarding women who have conceived using the lchf diet most of them eat eggs, fish, bacon, etc you might want to check it out.

Glad you're getting lots of support! X

Did they say that you have to take meds for fertility? I was prescribed to have clomid and metformin two years ago.

Adelle

 

[jack412]

LCHF is good, but I'd be wary of cutting the carbs down to the level of a ketogenic diet, without doing reading up on it. As an embryo mouse study threw up some concerns
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/13/109

 

[Georgie38]

Aww thanks Adele. Thats really use full information. I have been on metformin since being diagnosed T2 but I am aware of its other uses.
Had all fertility checks done and no issues there. Just got perscribed 5 mg folic acid because we just use condoms, so just precautionary.
Fingers crossed conception will be as straight forward as last time.

Dont worry Jack, I am sticking to my medical teams advice to still include starchy carbs. Its a challenge to keep it to just 6 though, so hearing about other diets is really helpful for my meal planning.

 

[jack412]

@Georgie38, you will be fine, I should of tagged @Adelle0607 who is LCHF and I don't know if she goes very low to ketogenic

 

[Georgie38]

@Georgie38, you will be fine, I should of tagged @Adelle0607 who is LCHF and I don't know if she goes very low to ketogenic

Thanks Jack, well done on your weight loss!

 

[DutchgirlT2]

Hi Ladies,

Good to see and hear more T2's with plans to get pregnant!
@just_jenn: sorry to hear that you've had such a rough period in your live. A miscarriage at 12/14 weeks is very heavy. Last year my younger sister also had a miscarriage at 12 weeks and i was pretty shocked about that. She doesn't have diabetes but nevertheless it was very sad for her.
I agree with you that you first want to get your body in shape and your BG's down. How much weight did you lose so far? I went from 127 kilo towards 97 kilo's and i can't get more off so i gave up that mission (impossible sometimes LOL)
The preconception clinics in the Netherlands are very good untill so far. I get al lot of guidance. In the beginning i had an appointment with the diabetes nurse every two weeks, this was when i just started using insulin. As time progressed it went to every 4 weeks 1 appointment and know i will have to call the nurse when i'm pregnant. But they always have a good listening ear for your troubles and questions. If i have questions i can always send an email to her en she responds the next day. I also mail my BG stats so she can check them. Perfect for me.
Wish you lots of luck for the time being and keep us posted about your situation.

@Adelle0607: I totally agree with you that you first want to do the necessary preparations before getting pregnant. I'm doing the same for almost 3 years now. I must say my patience is on its limit right now but we finally got the "green light" to start so now i'm excited and a bit scared also because i don't know how my body will react once i'm pregnant. As a control freak i tell myself to let things go right now and wait for a positive result and trust my body. The last thing is a bit of challenge for me
Wish you all the best in your preparation stage and keep me posted ;-)

@Georgie38: lots of respect for your preparation with food and everything. I think that when you've had a miscarriage you're always scared to try again but try to stay positive. I'm convinced that mother nature takes care of it when its strong enough. I wish you lots of luck with your next pregnancy.
Do/did you also weigh too much? My doctor says that its better if i should loose another 30 kilo's but i've been stabile for a year know even though i increased my sportlevels and have a better diet. Nevertheless he had given clearence to get started so i think its all about getting yourself in shape and stay healthy and not so much as how heavy you are.
Keep me posted with updates on your situation. I'm very curious

 

[Adelle0607]

@Georgie38 yes fingers crossed! Hope will get positive results soon on the pregnancy hcg tests. Keep us updated x did the doctor say it's good to stick with starch? That's interesting to know!

@jack412. Thank you for the info! I'm planning to conceive mid year next year. At the moment, just looking after myself---sugars making sure it's stabilized before we start going to a fertility clinic by next year.

 

[Adelle0607]

@DutchgirlT2,
Glad you got the green light! I guess this is the waiting part isn't it, yes,
When I first got pregnant I got a bit scared too and happy, mixed feelings really. But I bet you are very excited! Hope things work out well and you might pop in with some positive news for us here in the forum soonxx! the prep bit would hopefully pay off soon *fingers crossed* the challenge would be the pregnancy itself how our bodies can cope with it but worth it of course!

 

[Adelle0607]

@just_jenn
Sorry to hear about your miscarriage too, but hopefully yes will be able to get back on track with the sugars and diet xx keep us updated!

 

[Georgie38]

Hi Ladies,

Good to see and hear more T2's with plans to get pregnant!
@just_jenn: sorry to hear that you've had such a rough period in your live. A miscarriage at 12/14 weeks is very heavy. Last year my younger sister also had a miscarriage at 12 weeks and i was pretty shocked about that. She doesn't have diabetes but nevertheless it was very sad for her.
I agree with you that you first want to get your body in shape and your BG's down. How much weight did you lose so far? I went from 127 kilo towards 97 kilo's and i can't get more off so i gave up that mission (impossible sometimes LOL)
The preconception clinics in the Netherlands are very good untill so far. I get al lot of guidance. In the beginning i had an appointment with the diabetes nurse every two weeks, this was when i just started using insulin. As time progressed it went to every 4 weeks 1 appointment and know i will have to call the nurse when i'm pregnant. But they always have a good listening ear for your troubles and questions. If i have questions i can always send an email to her en she responds the next day. I also mail my BG stats so she can check them. Perfect for me.
Wish you lots of luck for the time being and keep us posted about your situation.

@Adelle0607: I totally agree with you that you first want to do the necessary preparations before getting pregnant. I'm doing the same for almost 3 years now. I must say my patience is on its limit right now but we finally got the "green light" to start so now i'm excited and a bit scared also because i don't know how my body will react once i'm pregnant. As a control freak i tell myself to let things go right now and wait for a positive result and trust my body. The last thing is a bit of challenge for me
Wish you all the best in your preparation stage and keep me posted ;-)

@Georgie38: lots of respect for your preparation with food and everything. I think that when you've had a miscarriage you're always scared to try again but try to stay positive. I'm convinced that mother nature takes care of it when its strong enough. I wish you lots of luck with your next pregnancy.
Do/did you also weigh too much? My doctor says that its better if i should loose another 30 kilo's but i've been stabile for a year know even though i increased my sportlevels and have a better diet. Nevertheless he had given clearence to get started so i think its all about getting yourself in shape and stay healthy and not so much as how heavy you are.
Keep me posted with updates on your situation. I'm very curious

Hi Anne maire

Yes my weight is very similar to you. The medical team have never stipulated how much I should loose. But I am well aware my BMI is too high and obviously it is directly linked to all the issues. I have gradually lost 3 stone over the last 2.5 years. But like you I should loose about 5/6 more stone. But thats not going to happen.
i have also plateaued with my weigh loss. So trying more intensive exercise at the gym.
I have been told by really varying my exercise patterns I am 'tricking' my body, so it does not know what to expect and will have the most effect. The exercise is really good but really achy and sore for 1/2 days afterwards.
But it must be working, as the muscles are still churning up the BG a few days later aswell. It really shows in my readings.

G xx

 

[Georgie38]

The main aspect with weight that the medical team check it that I dont put any on now I am on Insulin. x