Any pregnant Type 1 diabetics?

[dieciocho]

Hi,
I'm looking for other pregnant Type 1 diabetics in London, just to have someone to keep in contact with and share advice/horror stories/support each other etc.
I don't actually know anyone at all with Type 1, despite having had it myself since 1989

Ooh another thing...I must have had a hypo in the night (recorded a level of 2.4) but I didn't wake up even though my CGM must have gone off! Anyway without treating it my liver must have sorted it as my line graph shows a climb directly after. I was very impressed as I've never known this to happen to me before. I suppose it's quite a comfort in a way. A T1 male I know has talked to me before about ignoring hypos if on the odd occasion he doesn't have anything on him and being fine - I believe him now!

I sometimes wake in the night thinking I'm low but in my half asleep lazy state just roll over. I know it's bad but I can't reason with myself when I'm not properly with it!

I had quite a few night hypos pre-pregnancy, but luckily/unluckily I always became really sweaty, shaky, mumbly which woke my DP.

Re: exercise, I've stopped jogging since I found out I was pregnant, but I do still try to walk a mile a day (on average). I've also bought a pregnancy yoga DVD...and used it once - it's dull!
I want to go swimming, but it costs so much!

If one more person tells me 'not to worry' I think I'll go mad. How on earth can't you worry if your blood sugar is soaring and you know each and every time it can be negatively affecting your baby?

We were at a friend's house tonight and she made us a love,y meal. Unfortunately I had no idea what to take with it and ended up having to play insulin roulette. I missed the mark by a mile and ended up at 13.2 after an hour and a half. Cue an inebriated husband saying 'don't worry' 'it'll be fine'.

How do you all cope mentally when you get it wrong (which I do a lot). Do you beat yourselves up and get angry at yourselves for not eating healthier/being more responsible etc etc or do you just take it on the chin and move on? Or s it just me that has these high readings every now and again every couple of days

Sorry. Just needed a rant. You lot understand.

Puds, after my post-Thai-meal-blood-sugar-reading disaster, I'm leaning towards not eating anything that I haven't prepared myself! Making a rod for my own back, I know, but I feel so crappy/worried afterwards.
Alternatively, I could limit myself to things I've prepared or things that come in a packet with a nutrition table on! Bluergh.

Pre-breakfast reading of 2.6 this morning; that hasn't happened for months. I was convinced that the cat had left the light on...
I didn't really know what to do about breakfast insulin; take the normal quadruple dose? Treat the hypo as I would if Dawn Phenomenon wasn't happening? Or take a slightly lower dose, but eat a normal sugar-free breakfast, to account for the hypo?
I went for the last option. Let's see what my reading is in 30 mins...

Hello ladies! Sorry I've been away.... Just been quite busy at work!

Exercise - I got married in July (honeymoon baby!) and before the wedding was going to spin classes - which incidentally I found to be hell on earth but very effective - 3 times a week. Since I found out I was pregnant I have done absolutely bvgger all! HOWEVER, I have now signed up for fitness classes with a company in London called 'maternally fit' - it isn't yoga, but more general fitness class using weights, and a ball and a bit of cardio. First classs on Wednesday, so we'll see how that goes. I'm also starting yoga in a few weeks - have to say I'm not particularly a fan, but it seems to be one of the limited options available to us preggie ladies! That is just two things a week, so to get the rest of my 30 minutes I'll just have to fit in soem walking where I can. I don't have the motivation to do a DVD at home - if I'm in front of the telly I'd rather be watching Downton

I am REALLY trying not to kick myself about the highs. Look, we have a major problem to deal with daily and we have an imperfect, blunt tool to work with to solve it. We have to eat, and we don't have a functioning pancreas, only injected insulin. There is simply NO way to avoid going high (or low) occasionally. Having said that, I do get annoyed with the 'it'll be fine' comments - easier said than believe, eh? However, if I'm keeping in range 95% of the time, I figure that is as much as I can be expected to do.

Some wet round the ears doctor saw me today and ONCE AGAIN focussed on the 6 or 7 hypos I've had in the last fortnight, instead of the 6 or 7 high readings (which I would class in the teens) I've had in the last fortnight. He even told me that hypos are 'bad for me and the baby' (incidentally the MW gave him a withering look for that). I haven't seen ANY research saying that hypos are bad for baby - of course unless you end up passed out. Highs ARE DEFINITELY bad for the baby. Once again, the wrong focus I think. Having said that, I'm pretty glad not to have got a lecture about the few bad readings I've had. I know they're bad, they're done now and there's nowt to be done about it...

Diec and Bona you've both given me a boost :-) It's so hard not to kick yourself isn't it? But at the end of the day Bona you're so right. We don't have a pancreas and as such are doing a bloody good job!

Hypos catergorically don't affect the baby. He was wrong to say that to you - and subconsciously it's a worry if a health professional tells you something like that. It's going to play on your mind. My consultant is world famous in diabetes care (get me) and this is something that troubled me throughout the whole of my last pregnancy as it was spent what felt like in a blur of hypos. He said that there is absolutely NOTHING to suggest low blood sugar affects the baby. If the baby needs more sugar it takes it. Simple as. They are parasites!

Re. Exercise I'm determined to do at least 30 mins brisk walking a day. It feels just right rather than worrying about the intensity.

I have to say I'm finding this thread a real relief. MW appt 2moro - hoping to hear baby's HB. Wish me luck ladies!

Not another idiot one Bona!
The best (let's face it, all diabetes appts. are crap) appointment that I've ever had was 6 months before getting pregnant and being told by a youngish doctor that he didn't want to lecture me because after 20 years I definitely knew more about my condition than him! Yay!
It made DP really worried ("What? Isn't the doctor qualified?!"-type comments)

However, I felt like someone had finally recognised MY expertise and intelligence and desire not to kill myself.

28-week scan tomorrow; wish me luck. Just..got a funny feeling..I can't articulate it. I'm a worrier.

Oh and good luck Puds too.
I agree; I've learnt/confirmed more on this thread than from any appointment with an "experienced" medic.

puds - glad to hear that your consultant is more switched on. I always kick myself afterwards because I KNOW I'm right to be more concerned about highs than lows, but I never say anything, just secretly content myself with being right! The baby takes energy from us but has its own blood stream and pancreas. Just because our blood stream has low glucose, it does not mean the baby does!

Yay! Glad you get to hear HB tomorrow. I heard mine again today and it was just lovely. Remind me how many weeks you are - I heard mine about 15 weeks, so good luck! I had convinced myself in the last few weeks (again) that the baby had somehow disappeared as I've been feeling so well, so it was lovely to hear it thumping away in there and wriggling about just as much as usual.

20 week scan on Thursday... Eeek!

18+6

Aw good luck Diec! Not long now. And Bona for your 20 weeks. So funny Bona but I've kind of convinced myself 'something has happened' to the baby too as have been feeling fantastic and entirely non preggers so will be nice to (hopefully) hear the heartbeat tomorrow. 15+5.

I am pretty sure I was 15+6 and the lady found it straight away - exciting

It is very strange when you hear them moving about so much through the doppler when I still can't actually feel him / her moving...

Can't decide whether to find out what we're having. Eeek!

My mw found a HB for me at less than 13 weeks :)

Oh I hope she can Bona. I'll be holding my breath till she does as I feel distinctly non preggers.

Aww how exciting! We're not going to find out but DH would quite like to I think. Pros and cons either way!

I am very undecided, but keep coming back to NOT finding out. It will be soooo tempting and EVERYONE has an opinion one way or the other.

Bona, you'll push harder if you don't know!
Apparently.

Urgh. Think I forgot to take Levemir before bed. Woke up feeling thirsty and awful at 3am - 15.6

Feel like such an idiot and am still hovering around the 8 mark and valiantly trying to force it down.

Oh Bona. That's so bloody frustrating for you. You are human though and allowed to make a mistake. It's just infuriating! Hope it comes down soon. 8 is fine for now :-)

Thanks, puds, helps to hear it

A question for those who have done this before: at the 20 week scan are they able to give you an indication of how big the baby is measuring, or is it still too early for that?

Bona we were given an estimated weight at 20 weeks. It was about 340g, but not sure about length.

My 28-week scan measurements this morning said baby now weighs an estimated 1.1kgs!!!
And all measurements are around the 50 percentile, thankfully.
(Horribly unfriendly sonographer).

Oh die that's a nice weight! Mine is on the top measurements for tummy, head and weight

Bona they should give you head circumference, abdominal circumference, leg length, estimated weight and then fluid measurements :)

Wow - sounds like your little one is well within normal range (slap bang in the middle in fact!). Will ask the question about length.

Sorry you had a horrible sonographer. Why do people like that do the job? Surely they understand how exciting / wonderful / scary / tense the whole thing is and that they can make a difference?

Speaking of which, I had THE most lovely MW at my appointment yesterday. I've seen her once before and she is just so kind and warm and really caring. She must see scores of women each week, but she makes it feel like she cares about ME and MY baby. Urgh, just hope to have someone like that on b-day!

Oh my specialist MW is lovely I think I would like to live with her wish she could deliver, I might demand it once in labour, she works downstairs in the antenatal clinic so surely she could pop up and see me?!

I can't remember being give an estimated weight but DS was totally off the scale with tummy. Like actually off the scale! By loads! Was very upsetting but was reassured it was 'normal' for a baby with a diabetic mother. Diec considering that your measurements are fantastic!

Dare I ask if your little ones went into newborn clothes? 0-3 months?