Type 1 Diabetes Pregnancy Support Thread

[MrsNuckyThompson]

Wow - with a catchy title like that, who could resist? I was part of a lovely supportive thread like this one during my last pregnancy which was nearly 4 years ago now. I'm currently around 6 weeks pregnant with my 2nd DC. DS is 3.4

Anyone want to join me?

[Esker]

Ah ha! Found you!!
Yes please- I was hoping there would be a thread like this.

I'm 6 weeks pregnant, first child. I got pregnant last autumn but had a mmc so am feeling quite anxious about this time around, although I've no reason to believe it won't work out. I have a viability scan booked for next week.

How are you doing so far? Any noticeable changes to blood sugar/ insulin requirements?

[MrsNuckyThompson]

Hi Esker! Glad you found us! I'm also 6 weeks right now, though this is my second DC. I have a three year old DS.

Sorry to hear about your MMC. Sounds awful - hopefully the scan next week will give you some reassurance. I also have one booked for next week - Tuesday! Looking forward to it, because when I had one at a similar stage with my son I could see the tiny flicker of the heart beat. Fingers crossed all ok for both of us...

No changes to insulin yet, maybe slightly lower BG levels from time to time. Last time, my insulin requirements just went up and up and up throughout the whole pregnancy. I remember my night time dose of Levemir practically doubled! Any questions, let me know

What sort of care are you getting? My local hospital is very good - you start seeing diabetic nurse, dietician and consultant every two weeks. Does get a bit wearing after 30+ weeks of it, but it's all for the best!

[f1ddlesticks]

And me - hello! I think I remember that previous thread, I read through it all when I was pregnant with DD 3 yrs ago. Am 23 weeks now, 2nd DC, T1 for 33 years...

Place marking for now - will be back later

[Esker]

Hi fiddle!
Glad you two both have some experience with previous pregnancies - hope to learn from your collective wisdom!

Ante natal support seems pretty good at my hospital too. Like you Mrs there is a fortnightly clinic where you see the whole team. I generally have been quite pleased with the diabetes care there and they're v easy to contact etc which is nice.

Insulin requirements pretty normal so far although I have upped my night time Levemir already just like you mentioned!

I'm a teacher so on summer hols and the moment and very grateful for the chance to adjust to early pregnancy while off work!

[MrsNuckyThompson]

Hi fiddle and welcome!! Nice to know we have a few members already!

Roll up, roll up!

[Esker]

Hope everyone is having a good day. All fine here with frankly nothing interesting to report.

Taking advantage of my - so far- lack of sickness by making strong smelling foods, so tonight it's onion soup!

[Snoodleberry]

Hello all, T1 for 22 years, currently just over 19 weeks pregnant with my first baby. Team at the hospital are lovely, and only having to see them once per month at the moment.

Went through a strange fortnight at 14 weeks where my insulin dropped to nearly half of what it was before being pregnant, now back to pre pregnancy levels. Have a ever increasing waistline at the moment.....baby is on its way!

Wear a Dexcom CGM which has been amazing - the diabetes consultants at the hospital enjoy having a good examination of my results when I see them.

Good luck to everyone!

[Esker]

Wow I would love to try CGM! Did you pay for it yourself or did the hospital? I have no idea whether my NHS trust offer such things but will be sure to ask!!

Does it sync to your phone?

[f1ddlesticks]

Yes I'd love to try a CGM too... Got a pump, which is awesome, but testing 10-15 times a day is making my fingers all tough and dry!

My insulin requirements also went down for a little while somwhere around 10-14 weeks. But insulin resistance has kicked in over the last few weeks and I reckon I'm taking about a third more than before across basel and boluses. And am really counting carbs rather than guessing!

Am on fortnightly appointments too at the moment - have a great team at the hospital on both the obs / diabetes sides. It's weird - you see them so often during pregnancy then as soon as you've had the baby it's like no one cares about you any more - felt really odd last time that I didn't have my sugars checked over every 2 weeks once DD was born - I almost missed it

[Snoodleberry]

Hello Esker and f1ddlesticks

I self funded my CGM, whilst expensive it is the best bit of kit I own - would rather lose my phone than my CGM!

Reckon I will need to start increasing my insulin shortly; enjoying the lull before all the tweaking starts again.

[f1ddlesticks]

How much does it cost you, if you don't mind me asking? I was told it usually works out about £50-100 a month?

There's something else my diabetes nurse told me about the other day, where instead of doing a finger prick test you have a little sensor under the skin then wave the monitor over it to give a reading - so I'm guessing no more prescriptions for sticks either. Costs about £50 a month she said...

[Esker]

Interesting! When I next go to clinic I'll ask they're advice about what CGM equipment is available/ they recommend. I think the expense would be worth it for the peace of mind.

So far levels have been ok, although after breakfast I am always quite high one hour post meal but when I correct I without fail have a hypo... Irritating.

[Esker]

Their advice (the shame!)

[f1ddlesticks]

Same Esker - high after breakfast then hypo. Are you on a pump or injections? I just tried to have some extra carbs as it fell to catch it before it went too low...

[Snoodleberry]

I pay £205 for a box of four sensors, and each sensor normally lasts me just over three weeks, so a box of four lasts 12 weeks, so a bit under £68 a month. You do need to buy the transmitter and receiver as well though - they used to be much more expensive but now you can get them direct from Dexcom and they are cheaper.

It is great to really know what makes your blood sugars rise (bananas and oranges for me!) and what doesn't (strawberries and raspberries quite randomly!). I now know that if I want to have some chocolate, then late afternoon or late evening is perfect timing for me, as it almost has no effect on my blood sugars at that time - if I have it early afternoon or straight after supper it is a disaster!

Re post breakfast rises, am on injections not a pump and found that if I inject 30 minutes before I want to eat, and then eat when I just start to see my blood sugars gently beginning to drop, I don't get the post meal surge. It also seems to prevent the two hours later drop as well.

We are all very different though, and is amazing how differently we all respond to insulin/carbs/exercise etc......!

[Esker]

I'm on injections, which I'm happy with, but have been offered a pump, so I may take that up at some point.
Do you find a pump much better Fiddle?

How interesting that the CGM has helped you understand those patterns. I'm really tempted! I tried the early injecting today to help the post meal high and it was much better. Benefiting hugely from the thread already, so thank you everyone!

[MrsNuckyThompson]

Oh hello everyone and welcome!!

I had a BGM which I self funded in my last pregnancy. I think it was just the particular model that I had but I have to say I didn't like it at all. This was 4 years ago now, so perhaps they have improved, and also because I did it on my own I didn't have any support from the hospital, so I found the whole thing rather trying and gave up after a few months...

snoodle - I find the same that if I take insulin 15-30 minutes before I eat I have the lowest spike in blood glucose. Of course just don't get distracted and forget to eat when you'd planned to...

Last pregnancy I found the best way to keep stable blood glucose was to knock the carbs into touch as best I could. Obviously you can't cut them out, but eating them in low - moderate amounts really really helped. I had hba1cs of around 5.4-5.7% throughout that pregnancy and am sure I haven't had such good results since!!

Need to get back on the bandwagon - it is amazing how having another little person to think about makes you take it so much more seriously than when it's 'just you'...

[MrsNuckyThompson]

Hi all - had my first clinic appointment today and an early scan. I'm measuring 6 weeks which is about what I thought and saw the heartbeat flickering away, which was lovely to see. Hope the rest of you are doing well.

[Lindtnotlint]

For those self funding cgm you might want to look at the freestyle libre. Much lower upfront cost. Sensors still 50 quid for two weeks' use. Is awesome. Doesn't have alarms like a cgm but very easy to use, no finger pricks and usually v accurate. Godsend in my last pregnancy.

[Esker]

Great news MrsNucky! How lovely to see a little heartbeat!
I have an early scan on Friday and am gnawing my fingers with impatience.

Thanks for the pointer on CGM Lindt. Maybe when I go to clinic I'll ask the nurses and dieticians if they have any recommendations.

[MrsNuckyThompson]

Good luck Esker - hopefully all will be well, and it is so nice to see!

[f1ddlesticks]

Nice one MrsNucky! Lovely to see a heartbeat... And good luck on Friday Esker.

I had my eye appointment on Saturday just gone - all fine thankfully though I've had laser treatment before during my last pregnancy. Thankfully stable now. And the best bit - for some reason they said they didn't have to dilate me because of being PG! didn't even realise they could do the scan without & have always been dilated before. Was super happy though - hate spending most of the day in a bleary bright haze.

I found during my last pregnancy my control was amazingly good, same as you MrsN, always around 5.5 or so. This time with a toddler and crazy work schedule I've found it that much harder to focus on so HBA1C has been around 6 and I feel really guilty! But the consultant told me that's totally fine and to stop being so hard on myself.. Can't help worrying my baby will be enormous! Though thankfully 20w and fetal cardiac scans were both normal. Agree about keeping carbs under control, especially in the evening though I do save my evening carbs so I can have a magnum for pudding

[Snoodleberry]

Off for my 20 week foetal heart scan on Friday, am guessing it it fairly similar to the 12 week dating scan - does anyone have any advice/prior experiences of the scan?

At the hospital they were unsure about whether to send me for it or not, but decided to send me 'to be on the safe side'....

[f1ddlesticks]

Hi Snoodle - hope all goes well tomorrow. The fetal cardiac scan is more like the 20w scan where they check for anomalies - but they focus purely on the heart, making sure all the chambers are there and working as they should, and the check the blood flow between them and in and out of the heart itself. Providing they can see everything (ie baby isn't lying in such a way they can't view what they need) it really doesn't take that long, maybe ten mins, with DD I had to go away for 20 mins and drink something to try and make her turn round - this time baby was in the right position.

Fingers crossed all will be well!

[Esker]

Good luck with your scan today snoodle! Fascinating to think they can observe the heart so intricately. Fingers crossed for everything in beautiful working order!