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

[Mylittlepuds]

Hoping - there's absolutely no problem with sweet things in my book as long as can cover it with insulin!

Nothing you eat will affect your eyes - only if you can't bring your level back into range. So for example an apple that spikes your blood sugars would be as 'bad' as chocolate if it left you running high.

I really think it's BECAUSE you have had such good control after falling pregnant that you have had slight changes. There doesn't sound any need at all to alter your diet unless you're struggling with your levels. I have gone low carb ish as I get really anxious about going too low - when I was injecting loads of insulin it would be fine initially then I'd come crashing about 3 hours after.

I eat runny eggs whilst pregnant . I feel I restrict myself enough! Those with the lion stamp are supposed to be okay.

It's funny that we're all so different. Since hitting 20 weeks I can't for the life of me get myself in range whereas you seem to be having to opposite problem going too low! Up until 20 weeks I was so sensitive to insulin it was ridiculous. Hormones are funny things!

Diec - cheese=good. I eat it by the block too. What else is there?! Also I'm treating myself to a glass of tipple a week....

[SpottyTeacakes]

I like the mexicana cheese mmmm

[dieciocho]

Hoping, I know it's not the same, but dried apricots can kind of help with any "sweet" cravings I get. They also help with...going to the toilet.

Make a banana loaf using very ripe bananas as the sweetener.

No/low carb. snacks = peanuts, almonds, pistachios, popcorn (homemade) is low carb., carrot sticks, more cheese , coleslaw, beetroot "crisps" - slice very thinly and bake in a bit of oil for about 30 mins.

[dieciocho]

I know people think it's sacrilege, but I really like cheese with dried fruit in Spotty- lots around at this time of year!

[Mylittlepuds]

I've just had a bag of pistachios - gorgeous! So good for you too.

Ooh yes - cheese and dried fruit. Yum!

[Hopingforno2]

Think il need to look in to cheese :) i like peanuts too, is peanut butter ok? I havent had it in ages but really like it. Shall need to get myslef some nuts dried fruit n grapes n c how the bg goes with that. Was a bit bad earlier had a yoghurt as i hit a low n sick of seeing jelly babys time will tell if ive badly affected myself :/

Puds its only the last 5 days ive been on a constant low i have had and im sure i will again have days that nothing i do sets my bg to the right levels. My clinic isnt big on the post meal levels but rather if u r back on target by the next meal which i touch wood usually was

Being diabetic is begginig to feel like a full time job!

[Hopingforno2]

lol i meant cheese not grapes god they send by bg way up!

[Mylittlepuds]

It is absolutely like a full time job - I think that ALL the time! X

[Hopingforno2]

Puds r u fed up to? Honestly i feel like all i ever do prick my finger n worry about my next move, im jealous of all the people round me that can just eat whatever wenever :( x

[dieciocho]

Yes, it is a full-time job. It's always on my mind; I can never totally relax.

I keep thinking back to when I was a teenager and I went to school without my meter, only tested once a day and stuff - I will never know how much damage I did to myself in those years.
Thankfully, I'm on the right track now and have been pretty much since the end of university/for the last 10 years.

[Hopingforno2]

yeah i didnt react too well to it at first either, i was 17 and stupid used to stay out all night and even forget to take my long acting at times and didnt adjust according to eating or even worse in those days drinking

Even since ive had periods of time where other family emergencys have happened and my health has been the last thing on my mind now im alot better but it is incredibly hard. Im the only person in my entire family that has type 1 diabetes and only my aunty developed type 2 but i think hers is age/lifestyle related, so i def have the why me thing when im feeling down.

getting a 4d scan pacakage as my xmas present so trying to focus on that as my treat lol

[Mylittlepuds]

Hoping - yes I absolutely am fed up. For example at about 3.30pm I had an orange and 1.5u. I started to soar and so decided to walk to the doctors which is a good 20 min trek in pouring rain. I inevitably then was very low when at docs, had five wine gums as knew I was walking home. So...go high, get home and hey bingo I'm at 3.6 as we speak. I've had one wine gum and I'm currently waiting to test again. Then I'm going to have dinner, have to play insulin roulette as have no idea of my ratios at the moment - and.it.all.starts.again!!! Sound familiar? It's never ending and we can never entirely crack it.

Literally all my mates are pregnant at the moment and they're all moaning about morning sickness, bad backs, getting fat etc etc. They have no idea and I do feel jealous as if it wasn't for the diabetes I really would enjoy every minute of it. When they ask how I am I've stopped bothering trying to explain about worrying about heart scans and baby defects etc as they just think I'm a neurotic mum to be and that being pregnant is worrying for all women. Their eyes would kind of glaze over...

Diec you are so right when you say you can never truly relax - that's how I feel. Out with the pram, in the bath - am I high, am I low?

Or is it just me...

[Hopingforno2]

no puds you are not on your own, im the same i really feel like its a battle im never winning!! last night my bg was 2.2 i ate 5 jelly babies in the 20 mins that is meant to help it was still the same so i had another 3, 1 hour later had gone up to 7.4 i then went to bed at 3am i was 2.9 :( had jelly babies no help so caved and had a choc chip cookie fell asleep bg was 7.2 this morning and been hitting lows ever since just about to get dinner dreading testing as had to treat a low about 2 hours ago :(

I honestly dont feel low at anything above 3.2 now do u still feel it the same?

[newbie6]

Totally agree littlepuds, awful as it sounds but I'm fed up listening to women who think being pregnant is the same for everyone, I'm not suggesting anyone has it easy but I do wonder if they have any idea how happy most diabetic pregnant ladies would be with just the usual pregnancy worries. Like you, you attempt to explain and then give up as no one understands probably because they can't see anything physically different.

Hopingforno2, I have mild diabetic retinopathy and what the others have said is right, when you take control it can sometimes affect your eyes. Mine got worse before they got better just because my control improved too quickly but the good news is that once they get used to your good control, a lot of the time they improve themselves so try not to worry, you may just need to give them a few months to settle, just make sure you get them checked regularly and I'm sure you will be okay. I have had mine checked every 3 mths whilst pregnant.

As for my sugars, am 34 weeks now and def not having to take as much insulin as I did in trimester 2. I'm fine at 3 and always have been but doctors don't like me that low but I check my levels every 2 hrs and whilst its a pain in the neck, it has helped me keep my levels steady and understand how what I eat affects me as it has been v different in pregnancy, scarily so and sometimes despite my best efforts my sugars did go up despite correction doses.

Ann, the joys...I think we are all doing great and I swear to god, I learn more on here than I do from the so called experts at the hospital!

Xx

[Mylittlepuds]

To be honest I check that regularly (and I'm on self funded CGM) I usually catch a low at around 3.8 so never get hypo symptoms. At the beginning of the pregnancy I would drop that quickly though I wouldn't catch it - say 2.5 - and I would feel it. Shaky, hungry etc. I just don't trust myself any more though and perhaps I should more.

[Mylittlepuds]

Newbie - me too re. the learning things on here!

[Hopingforno2]

Hi newbie

Im finding alot of things affect by bg more now last night was another fail :( had a low around 10pm corrected went to bed at 5.9 tested at 3am and was 10.4 took a correction and was 7 this morning i just cant seem to win at all.

Is the cgm big? Does it interfere with how u lie in bed etc? To be honest i doubt id ever be offered it on nhs and i wouldnt be able to fund.

[Mylittlepuds]

CGM is £1000 and then £250 a month! We struggle to pay it but for me it's worth it as I have big anxiety about a dangerous hypo. We requested funding but it got turned down.

7 not too bad on a morning hoping

[Hopingforno2]

Ooh no def couldnt fund that much myslef :( how do u apply for funding? Does it get in ur way much puds? Ive never seen one but they sound like a good thing. Where do they site it? And how big? Sorry for all the questions lol x

[Mylittlepuds]

Hi Hoping. You go through the PCT. No it doesn't get in my way - but I suppose my toddler kicks it off sometimes! And you are hyper aware of your levels at all times...It goes on your tummy or the back of your arm and it's about three in by two in.

In other news I've just hit 16 after a packet of crisps and a sarnie after 90 min! Panicked and went for an absolute power walk around the city for about half an hour and now I'm dropping - and fast. This isn't stressful at all...

[dieciocho]

Puds, what did you inject for your crisps and sandwich? For me that'd be about 15u.

I've had two stupid comments from family members this weekend - lovely cousin asking if I was enjoying my pregnancy; yeah, right!
And then DP saying something about how it can't be that much easier being non-diabetic and pregnant!
Well, of course I'll never know about the latter, but I flipping well doubt it's anywhere near as stressful/guilt-ridden/worrisome as it is for us.

Grrrr.

[Hopingforno2]

Puds id say my awarness is dropping esp for lows and not much better for highs if im honest. I cant see nhs giving me one but asking my consultant wont do any harm. Poor u!! I inj 15u for 2 rolls, crisps and an orange about 3 hours ago and in 4.8 now so may dip b4 i get home for dinner, was at 6.9 this morning took 9u for massive bowl of cereal n dropped to 2.7 around 12pm my patience is wearing really thin.

Diec i agree unless u have other complications a non diabetic has got to be easier, imagine being able to eat what u want when u want!!

A general question diabetic/sugar free choc does any eat this?

[Mylittlepuds]

Diec! Oh my God I'd have punched him - ha! My husband is very 'positive' about things and that tends to be drives me crazy. He always say's "Don't worry! It's fine,". Arrrggghh is it really?! No!

I injected 9u even though my ratio is 1.8u per 10g at lunchtimes and so should have really injected 13u. I'm at that funny stage though where my resistance has gone up in the last week massively and two weeks ago that amount would have actually killed me...so I'm so cautious. Is anyone else like this when their ratios change or is it just me who's frightened to death of overdosing on insulin?! I know what I should be doing - taking more insulin - but I find it so hard not to panic as have had a few tricky hypos that wouldn't shift. Advice really appreciated on this.

If only people knew the daily battles we had they wouldn't make silly comments - even though I'm sure it's just trying to be pleasant. I don't want to sound 'oh feel sorry for us' as I'm sure worry is all relative BUT you can't deny it's a pretty sorry and shit state of affairs sometimes! Oh to eat what I wanted! DH had a McDonald's late on last night and I was so jealous. Let's hope that this is our main challenge in life . I'd be happy with that - and a healthy baby of course.

Let's have a quick think of the positives...

• Hopefully we won't get too fat as have to be so controlled with our eating
  
• Hopefully not injecting too much 'bad for you' stuff as we have to generally make wiser choices
  
• We possibly do more exercise to try and keep on an even keel?
  
• Get lots more lovely scans and special attention during labour etc
  
• Ability to deal with stress in epic proportions
  
• Um...free presecriptions!
  
  Anyone for any more?
  
  Hoping no - I just have the real stuff! I was terrible my last pregnancy re. the choccy toward the end...But I think I was still being helped along by my pancreas which was still producing a bit of insulin. No such luck this time around I'm afraid!

[Hopingforno2]

Puds i just cant get a handle on what my ratios are at all :( which why im up n down n think i must be over doing it alot to be getting these lows :( but im scared of being too high not that i want to be low of course
Just had a chicken curry and fried rice as didnt get in from work till 7 n couldnt be bothered cooking id normally take around 21 for this but as im low and cut out choc ive done 17 no doubt il now be high

[newbie6]

Hi

This is probably going to sound an exceptionally stupid question but here goes...I'm 34 + 5 and still injecting into my stomach but suddenly worrying if I might be harming the baby as I am just bump, seem to have been v lucky and not put weight on anywhere else and they say at this stage baby doesn't have much room so wondering if when I inject is there any risk of me affecting the baby?

X