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

Hi again Hoping

I definitely know that sudden rapid improvement can cause changes as that's generally why they faff about with your eyes so much during pregnancy. I hope that you're less worried now - although I totally understand your concern as anything eye related sends me into a frenzy of panic! Not to predict anything but I reckon if you now remain quite steady with your control things won't change again. My sight went weird, blurry and double in my first trimester but they couldn't find anything. I often get 'shadowing' too when my levels have been high.

Right I had something weird last night and need advice!! My levels have been shocking this last week (hitting 12s 90 min after eating v regularly). I've been doing my best to go out for a walk and correct as and when required - not always with great success. Does anyone else have periods like this or is it just me?

Anyhow...last night I was late home from work and so bloody hungry. DH had made a big fatty cheesy pasta dish. I ate loads of it but gave myself plenty of insulin. 2 hours later I was sitting around 8 so not toooo bad... Anyhow I woke up at about 1am and could see from my CGM that my levels had from about 11pm randomly started to soar and when I tested to make sure it was right I was at 12.8! Argh! Anyway I corrected and two hours afterwas still at around 11. And then when on to correct TWICE more to only come back into range at about 7am. Without doubt the worst night I've had all pregnancy.

So I did a bit of midnight research. Had anyone heard of a liver dump? Could this have been caused through my cheesy pasta pig out? Has this ever happened to anyone else?

Also when you have a couple of really tough days keeping things under control do you worry that the baby has been out under extra stress trying to deal with the excess sugar? Does anyone know of any risks other than the baby becoming ginormous after 20 weeks - eg miscarriage etc - associated with lack if control?

Sorry for the rant, just really worried. Nowt new there then!

Okay..so rang my lovely, lovely diabetes nurse. Definitely a glucose dump caused by the fatty cheese. No harm done to the baby

What a worrier I am. Sorry ladies! Think I just needed to vent to get it all out there!

My HV is diabetic!! She totally knew that Felix won't stay on his line and was more than happy with him. Especially as he's put on 5oz in three days so nice to know the feeding is going well

So i spoke to a screening person and she said i have 1 microaneursym in my right eye thats tiny n 1 in my left eye plus a spot in my left that she said that the spot looks to be resolving and that this may happen with the other 2 as well. Hopefully it will resolve after delivery though no guarentees obv. I'll be screened again in feb.

I just really hope it does resolve, easy for them to say dont worry but i still will.

Hi littlepuds

Ive had days like that in fact having a bit of one today, i was 2.8 before lunch 8-( n then 30 mins later (checked due to low level prev) after correcting hypo and then having lunch 9.2 now 5.6 1 hour later so might be heading to another low :( im having days i cant keep by bg up! Others it seems to shoot up hours later for no reason but my hba1c is good. How is urs?

Good news Spotty. That must be reassuring to have a diabetic HV.

Slap my wrist everyone; I'm currently working my way through a whole tube of Pringles. It's because it's so cold - I need some calories...
I'll have to inject about 20u though.

Hoping glad it's not just me with up and down days! I find it so frustrating. When I don't hit target I head out for a walk and then hypo and then over correct etc etc etc! We deserve medals!

HBA1c was 5.8 so was delighted at Dc2 was a 'surprise' and when I had it done first time after we found out it was 7.5! I freaked out, managed to get it to 6.5 in the first three months and then found out at my 20 week scan it was 5.8 last week.

BUT - and this is a big but - I really do struggle to hit target. I aim for 7.8 within an hour and a half although I know others on here aim for 7.5 within an hour which is something I just couldn't do without hypoing big time/ having low carbs. So I really am surprised that overall things are okay! I've had three or four days from hell with my levels but they have seemed to have settled today.

What about you?

Ooh Diec - Pringles!!! Yum!

Me too hitting those nos post meal seem to be impossible :( if i actually do then i hypo about an hour prior to next meal, i actually got told off for correcting between meals unless my bg went above 10 and/or i was way above target at next meal but in the same conversation got told they werent happy if i was having too many lows i could scream sumtimes!

Ive tried to cut out chocolate tho its so very hard and was only told to count the carbs in my meal not that i couldnt have pasta etc? I was told the danger of high bg is developing ketones as they r really bad for baby and that if i ever got a reading of 10 or more i should test for them. Is everyone else using a meter that tests for both glu and ketones by using different strips?

Hoping you sound very similar to me

To be honest I go over 10 almost every time I eat and then (hopefully) come back into range. I never test for ketones unless I feel really thirsty as for me it's a sign. I suppose I'd also test if I'd spent a night high. I had a really bad night last night - which is rare for me. Spent around 11 all night! Tested ketones this morning and there weren't any. I didn't realise they were harmful to the baby though! I know those who low carb have them a lot. Mine is a separate meter.

I think I was told if I had two consecutive readings of over 12 to test for them. 10 sounds a bit low!

Yes, Puds, I was given the same advice re: ketones = two consecutive readings of 12 or over.

My meter is a separate one too, and it's gathering dust on the bookcase!

The Pringles have disappeared and my reading was 6.8 one hour after. Yay!

Im up in glasgow so advice will likely differ, my bg meter also tests for ketones in the same way with blood its just a purple strip insted of green ive found that even a few hours above 10 or an hour over 11-12 i sometimes have a trace of ketones but so long as i correct and drink a pint of water ususally i get rid of them. I was told if i get a level of 0.6 ketones that dont disappeae quickly i have to ring maternity triage. Touch wood since 2nd trimester highs like that only happen once in a while after a hypo. Still they seemed happy with tge hba1c.

I know the original post says London hoping, but we're actually all over the UK!

Ok, im thinking all consultants will have their own ideas of how they want you test etc the ketone thing scares me as i was told its poisonous to baby if the levels get high? Now obv i have my eyes to worry about too :( wish i could get away with snacking but it just upsets my bg too much x

Try not to worry about the ketones - there isn't much research on it at all and the research that has been done doesn't show a direct link to any harm to the baby, just the mother (and I would think that's only if you go into DKA over a number of days.) The truth is even non diabetics spill ketones every time their body burns energy rather than burning food. It happens to pregnant women quite a lot as the baby sucks up most of our food energy and so that's why we are more prone to them. This article is really interesting typeoneandttc.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/ketones/

O hoping - I really do understand your worries about your eyes. I'd be exactly the same. For what it's worth though I really think what you've been told is really encouraging. If they had concerns they really would whip you straight in and take action. I hope you can take your mind off but I totally understand. X

I know what you mean about snacking too but sometimes I'm so hungry I just have to! I think that the baby must need it and try and take any resulting high level on the chin. I try and stick to cheese, nuts, oranges, sandwich ham, eggs! I nice one is a piece of ham, spread with Dairylea and rolled up! Not as nice as choccy though

I find cheese good for snacking too. You could also try cheese spread on cucumber (thick slices) or marmite. Pâté is yummy but obviously not in pregnancy....

Ooh I'm trying the cucumber. Oh Spotty I've been craving pâté so badly!

Ive never really thought of cheese, do like it. Do u find that it had much of an effect on bg? I seem to be really craving sweet things :( prior to my eye results i was sneaking a little but in after meals with no big effect to my bg now im too scared that i will be doing more damage so not allowing myself any at the moment i might let myself off with a pudding after xmas dinner what donu think?

No effect at all . Also do you like poached eggs? I do myself a could in the microwave, sprinkle on a bit of cheese and a tiny squeeze of tomato sauce. Egg mayo without the bread and coleslaw are good too! Ooh ham with coleslaw rolled up in it!

I know what you mean abou sweet things. When I'm having a good run of things I let my hair down a bit but when trying to get a handle on things they have to go yes of course have Christmas pud! I will be. And a glass of Champers.

• a couple

Thought I'd posted a reply already but don't see it, so until the scare I'm having with my eyes I'd been having pretty much the same readings including a little bit of something sweet alongside my meals now I'm obv excluding them despite reducing my insulin I'm suffering lows pretty much at some point between all meals :(

Are u allowed poached egg wen ur pregnant??

Puds, I got dp to bring pâté in my labour bag so I could have pâte on toast straight after!

Oh the cheese!
I'm eating a whole block a week to myself at the moment. So bad/good.
It's for the baby's calcium, right?
Often I have cheese with a gorgeous tangy apple, but that is what really buggers up my sugars - apples never did anything to me before pregnancy. Now I need about 3u for a medium one.

I've promised myself one glass of wine/cava (don't like champagne) on 25th, but I totally forgot about 31st!
Maybe I should allow myself one on 31st too.

Hi how is everyone doing today? I wound up phoning the dsn again as the worry about eyes ive been limiting my carb intake a little more but despite bringing down my doses my bg keeps on dipping :(

Prior to the eye results i had been naughty and allowed myself some chocolate as long as it was with a meal and covered by insulin which i thought stupidly would be ok as my hba1 and bg were in general good :( I tried asking ig it was ok every now and then and was told yes, so confused. Chocolate and cake are the things i really miss not overly fussed about crisps, jelly sweets etc

Any ideas on things that r safe for us diabetics to help with these sweet cravings? Actually they r worse now than pre pregnancy esp at this time of year. Also snacks that wont affect my bg? So hungry n scared to eat :( is yoghurt ok?xx