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Will I have an early scan because of diabetes?

S

salamander

Active Member
Messages
35
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi, just found out I'm pregnant :thumbup: only 4 weeks atm

I've heard you get an early scan when you're diabetic between 6-9 weeks. Does anyone know if this is correct? Do you still get the 12 week scan as well?

I'm so anxious to find out everythings ok so really hope I get an early scan. Just want to be armed with info just incase doc/midwife aren't aware.

I'm type 2 if that makes a difference.
 
I would ask your diabetes nurse to refer you for one, you could always say you have no idea how far along you are! I got mine this time at 8 weeks, I wasn't given a 12 week one though, but with my last baby I had my first scan at 12 weeks, I think it depends what area you are in and who you see first. I didn't have any contact with my diabetes team until far along with my last baby but I've seen them regularly from word go this time x

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It's supposedly in the nice guidelines that we should be offered one between 7-9 weeks so hopefully I will be

I don't really have a diabetic nurse atm. At university and the nearest nurse was difficult to get to (couple of buses) so I'm just seeing a GP atm who has some training with diabetes. Unfortunetly he is really hard to get a hold of because he only works one day a week and last time I made an appointment with him he went on call and I had to see someone else who had no clue :?

Will ask the midwife when I get referred, going to the docs on monday if I can get an appointment.. hopefully she'll have a clue.

Thankfully will be moving back home soon and they have a lovely diabetic nurse available there

Thanks Hellbunny xx
 
I hope you was able to get an appointment, i always struggle getting doctors appointments they are always full! How are your levels at the moment? From very early on (around when i took a test) it all went abit haywire, lots of highs, then around the 12 week mark i had lots of lows, i'm now 25 weeks so very insulin resistant, i keep upping it almost daily! xx
 

I saw my diabetes doc today and he didn't seem too concerned about my hba1c but he's told me to increase my metformin gradually so I'm eventually taking 4 tabs a day- only taking 2 atm. I've not really been testing much but I just tested and it was 17.4 :crazy: Did have a naughty dinner today though- sweet and sour chicken. Hopefully it'll settle down with the increase of metformin and hopefully like you it'll be better after 12 weeks.

I'm moving back to my home town next week so I'll be getting in tough with a midwife and diabetes nurse there asap.
 
Do you think they will start you on insulin? I was so shocked when my readings started going high, until pregnancy they had been pretty on target, i remember coming back from shopping in december and i had that "high feeling" felt tired/thirsty etc, i checked and my reading was 15, after walking round all afternoon too! That's what made me take a test as i wasn't used to it going high. Sweet and sour chicken sounds lovely! I'm sure it will all settle down abit soon, until insulin resistance starts :lol: :shock: i've just had to put my insulin up from 1unit per 10g of carb, to 5units per 10g this week, seems a drastic change but they told me theres a pregnancy hormone which blocks insulin, so i'l just expect it to keep increasing! xx
 

They might do. The diabetic nurse in my hometown is much more involved then my doc at uni so she'll probably have something to say about my highs. My fasting level this morning was 12.7 so I'm definitely worried about that. Increased my metformin today so obviously I've had a horrible upset stomach I'm worried that the baby won't be getting the nutrients it needs if this keeps up for a few weeks. I wouldn't mind but after it settles down I have to increase Met again so it's going to be another few weeks of troubles. I think insulin would be a blessing at this point! Although I've got no idea what the side effects of insulin are so maybe not :lol: xx
 
In terms of the baby, insulin is the best med to be on as it doesn't cross the placenta, they will probably put you on a long acting and a rapid acting, so the only side effect is having hypos, lucozade at the ready lol, I got through so much in the first few weeks x

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Hopefully they'll put me on that then Think I'll keep a diary of all my bloods until I see the nurse in a couple of weeks so she can she how bad they are. Hopefully it'll encourage her to put me on insulin. xx
 
Try not to worry, pregnancy just makes it all go haywire, i've often felt guilty (especially in the first tri as hormones were mad) but all you can do is take one day at a time, and try not to panic if one day you are okay with a meal, and then the next week you are into double figures xx
 
They will give you a viability scan ASAP. I just had mine last week and I was 7+5. Insulin is the best for pregnancy. Rather strangely I have found my ratio has dropped since falling pregnant. Got my booking appointment on Friday so ill be asking about that


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Diabetics get a viability scan around 7 weeks also considered the 'booking in' scan - they usually take bloods on the same day to test for all the usual things, iron levels, blood type, rhesus status, etc
You should then get scanned at 12 weeks. At this point it is up to you if you want to have the NT screening for Down's syndrome. If you have the NT screening, then you also have a blood test
Your next scan will then be around 18-20 weeks - the anomaly scan, where they look for any abnormalities - they can tell you the gender of the baby at this point as well
Good luck
 
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