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Conception

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Any Type 1 Diabetics out there also TTC....?

88 replies

confusedforever · 08/03/2011 20:22

Hello, I am diabetic this type and am on the first month of TTC. I have good blood sugar control etc but, and this is also apparently due to my age, been told that being diabetic can be a bit of a hindrance. Is there anyone else out there in the same boat? (I know there are lots of type 2's or people with gestational diabetes but not so many type one's) If there is, I'd like to hear how you are all going about things while having a fairly normal / relaxed life at the same time...

OP posts:
Ilovekittyelise · 18/03/2011 08:34

PS i forgot to say, i managed to avoid the carb counting course.

Oblomov · 18/03/2011 09:30

Well, I've never been on a daphne course. I think because my diabetes shows that I know exactly what carb counting is. How do they think I've managed for the last 37 years ??? My previous diabetic pump nurse said I could probably teach them a thing or two !!
Kitty, do you not use the bolus wizard then ?

they set your carb ratios for breakfsat, lunch and dinner. say they think you need 1.4 units per 1 carb ( when i say i car, 1 = 10 grams of carb, like the old fashioned 'portion' - god, I'm really showing my age here. so i digestive biscuit = 1, 1 potato = 1.

so it you did a blood test, say 11.3, and then put in 2, for the fact you were about to have 2 carbs, it would automatically give you say 3 units. this is becasue it give you the 2.8 for 2 carbs, 1.4 for each. but it also gives you the extra 0.2 for being a bit high in the first place. the whole operation takes about 5 button presses and its done. fab.

who was it earlier in the thread who said their pump wasn't very discreet ? I too have just got funding for the VEO, and am waiting to get one. quite excited. but worried about it being heavy and non-discreet.

confusedforever · 18/03/2011 10:48

Thanks for answering my questions, both of you.

Like TTCing, it's a whole new thing for me (the idea of a pump.) So, to get this straight, it gives you the same as you would have to inject but works it out for you depending on your carbohydrate and also the current blood sugar reading? I do this myself easily enough, so why is pumping easier? (Am asking as I want to know rather than with scepicism!)

Until very recently I have always not cared where I have a jab, and can do it very quickly and easily but have got a bit more hesitant in recent years as I hate the associations with Type 2 (and we all seem to agree on that one!) I did a quick Google last night and I saw that somke pumps also appear to have a glucose monitor attached - is this the case?

I was diagnosed when I was 5 and lived in the middle east - the care I got there was absolutely brilliant (it was British staff but a private and brand new hospital). They taught me about carb counting (exchanges and carbohydates, did you learn that here...?) I used to have a little book where I drew pics of what I had eaten and what it amounted to (pls note, I was 5!) The reason I asked to be put onto Humalog when it came out, or when I heard about it, was because before I was on a 30/70 mix which wasn't great for tight-ish control (especially when going out on the piss!) The Levemir / Humalog combo I am on now works really well and has done for ages, although there is always going to be a degree of room for improvement unless, and I would be more so if I was pg, I was fanatical.

BTW I was on Insultard before but was told by the diabetic nurse (the good one, the one at the hospital) that there was a very small chance that it was associated with cancer in the babies of diabetic patients, hence I changed over to Levemire (much to the GP's disgust as apparently it costs more.)

As re your birth drama's Ilovekitty I too would not want to be induced etc etc just as I am diabetic. If there was a genuine medical reason, then of course I would, but I would question every suggestion. This is why I am adverse to the drips in the hand scenario. I can see why it works quicker, the glucose and the insulin, when via a vein but it's not like either the Humalog or the glucose takes a long time when either injected or taken orally. I also think that perhaps being attached to machines and less able to move around would make the process more drawn out and therefore be counter-productive. If there was a genuine medical reason, then fair enough, not I am not wholly convinced there always is. I think I have had too many negative experiences with 'health-care professionals' to simply accept what they have to say and yes, I sometimes so also suspect that having diabetes also means you are dead from the neck up with some docs!

Will stop before I too get on a rant (am also typing sneakily at work and this may be a bit disjointed - that's my disclaimer anyway!)

OP posts:
tiggersreturn · 18/03/2011 13:35

I know about exchanges too oblomov.

Ilovekittyelise · 18/03/2011 15:56

oblomov, no, never use bolus wizard. i just find that with different food types and so on, and when i know im going to be swimming an hour later or whatever i end up flexing things anyway for factors the pump doesnt understand and prefer doing the sums in my head; it also makes it easier to do stuff like superbolus when im insulin resistant and large carby meals which my body seems to take eons to deal with these days (pregnancy is so fun)

confusedforever · 02/04/2011 23:30

Hi all, is anyone still reading this thread...?

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HedgeSparrow · 06/04/2011 13:55

Hi confused, just checking in now. How are you?

Still no BFP for me, but I'm feeling more positive this month as have been doing OPKs and temping for the first time and got a smiley face this morning Smile. Hopefully we can take advantage of this, and at the very least it's eased my paranoia that things are NOT WORKING.

confusedforever · 12/04/2011 13:50

Ooooh, just having a look on my phone and saw recent updates. Hope you managed to do the deed Hedgesparrow! Am wondering about OPK sticks myself although its only month 3 of trying. And both working silly hours so VERY unlikely to have worked this month. Close to nil in fact, and parents and in-laws about at the right time next month so can't see much shagging happening then either!

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Cloclo15 · 12/04/2011 15:29

Don't want to hijack thread as a slightly different question, but my dh is a type 1 diabetic and I wondered if any of you know whether this can have an impact on ttc? He is healthy, 31, landscape gardener, tends to run low if anything though recently been a bit high at night.

Can his diabetes have an effect on sperm etc?

HedgeSparrow · 12/04/2011 16:31

Haha, confused, we did take advantage! I'm now 4 days post ovulation and just waiting to see. I can actually say that with confidence now I have been plotting my temps on fertility friend. I'd recommend doing this stuff if you want a bit of control back (I got fed up of vaguely wondering and hoping) but if you're feeling happy enough with things i'd just enjoy ttc for a while. Though I sympathise with timing issues and it was definitely galvanising seeing the +ve ;-)

Hi Cloclo, I'm afraid I don't really know the answer to your question. I have a male Type 1 acquaintaince who has 3 kids (non-scientific anecdote allert!) I guess that's one for his next diabetic check-up appointment (though men can be cagey about that sort of thing!) There might be some info on the Diabetes UK website?

confusedforever · 14/04/2011 23:21

Oooh, Hedgesparrow, do keep us posted!
I think I do want to do a bit of plotting. Even though it's only the third month the extra careful control business is wearing a bit thin. I think it would wear even thinner if I am still doing it (or meant to be doing it!) in six months time! While I realise that these things often take far longer than one would hope, I would like to try and help things along if I could!

Cloclo - I don't think your DH's sperm count would be affected, tbh. Not if he was generally okay I wouldn't have thought. I am not basing this on anything, by the way, but reckon it ought to be fine.

OP posts:
HedgeSparrow · 15/04/2011 13:24

I have to say temping does appeal to my inner 'project manager' LOL!

confusedforever · 21/05/2011 17:49

Hedgesparrow - did you get your BFP? I have just re read my previous posts about not having much chance to do it at the right time last month but, shockingly, we managed it and I got a BFP on Sunday! Was more than gobsmacked, I have to say!
Now have very sore boobs and sugar that seems to leap upwards over the slightest thing (don't normally.) Have mentioned this to midwife, my first appt is meant to be 6th June, and she didn't seem too fussed which I thought was weird. Going to call again on Monday and stress I want to speak to someone (am on a 3rd more insulin than normal already) as it strikes me as a bit odd.

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