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

[RueDeWakening]

Eek, after posting earlier in the thread just to say it can be done...I'm doing it again tested this morning, so v v early days but will be off to the docs for a referral to the joint diabetic/antenatal clinic in the next week or two, so I can get my viability scan sorted.

What have we done?!

[RueDeWakening]

puds my insulin sensitivity goes mental from about weeks 8 to 16. To the point where I've woken up looking at some lovely paramedics both times after swinging hypos. I normally drop requirements by about 60% in all.

[Mylittlepuds]

Congratulations Rue!! Welcome back to the world of diabetic pregnancy?! How far do you reckon you are? Is it your second pregnancy? It's my second and although DS is only 17 months I seem to have no recollection of what actually happened insulin wise during my last pregnancy! Just that it was a bloody hard time. Smiling at my computer for you.

Ah thanks for remembering that. It's made me feel very relieved. It's just so strange for me to be taking so little insulin - my requirements had gone up by x3 in the morning and x2 lunch and dinner (i'm only 10+2). Now I'm back to 1 unit to 10g. I am a worrier so tend to think the worst. My nurse did tell me it could be a bad thing so I take that as gospel rather than her saying your requirements can reduce by 10% to 20% (I've found women online last night who have been similar to us where they've gone down by 50% and more). Fingers crossed it's all okay :) x

[RueDeWakening]

Thanks. I'm only 4 or 5 weeks yet, not much really. This will be DC number 3, but DS is a surviving triplet, and I've had a mmc in between DD & DS. Looking forward to explaining that lot at booking in...

[Mylittlepuds]

4/5 weeks means only 3 weeks till first scan - yay! How exciting. Oh God I know what you mean - my medical notes are like War & Peace! Congrats again.

[dieciocho]

And congratulations from me Rue; I hope it goes well.

So many of you seem to have had 8-week scans, never heard of that at my hospital.


I rushed to the hospital after work yesterday as I'd had reduced foetal movement all day - cue big panic as I'm only 22 weeks.
It turns out the heart was beating well; the midwives were ridiculously nice to me, even though I'd wasted their time (my feeling.)
Now we're thinking of renting a Doppler, they're about £10/month.
Has anyone else done this? Is it over-the-top?

[RueDeWakening]

Thanks

8 week scans are helpfully called "viability scans" at my hospital - I get one because I stop taking ramipril for kidney protection as soon as I get a +ve, and if the pg isn't viable then I go straight back to taking it again. My last 8 week scan is when I discovered it was triplets, only I'd stopped listening after she said she'd found the first heartbeat and she had to explain it to me again while I tried not to fall off the bed from shock

[SpottyTeacakes]

Congrats Rue :)

dieciocho we bought one off eBay for £20 (new) where is your placenta? We find it hard to find the heartbeat because mine is right at the front, but it's getting easier now baby is bigger than the placenta! I went to labour ward after a car crash, even though I could feel movement etc I think they are always more than happy to check these things out as they know what a worrying time it can be

[BonaDea]

Congratulations Rue.

At my hospital (Kingsont) diabetic women are routinely given an early 'viability scan' (I agree - horrible name!) basically as soon as they find out. I got mine at 6+1 and was able to see a heartbeat at that stage.

dieciocho - so pleased that everything was ok and I really don't think midwives mind people panicking: it's only natural! The only thing I've read about dopplers is that they can unnecessarily panic you because the ones you can buy are not as sensitive as the hospital ones and without being properly trained you might not be using it properly at any given time. But as an extra level of comfort, I guess why not?

[BonaDea]

p.s. horrendous blood glucose for me overnight - woke up at 3am needing the loo and was 16.8 Was not best pleased, took a correction dose and still woke to 13. Not sure if I just completely screwed up last night's dinner dose, or whether I might be having a hormone surge or something. Cripes!

[Mylittlepuds]

Oh Bona. Happens to the best of us. SO bloody infuriating thought! Sounds like hormones to me.

[dieciocho]

Spotty my placenta is apparently anterior, so I suppose that would mean we'd have the same problems you had with "finding" the baby.

[RueDeWakening]

Anterior placentas cause even MWs a bit of trouble, they kind of muffle everything that's going on behind, eg you're later to feel movement and detecting the HB is tricky because you're just as likely to pick up your own HB pulsing through the placenta as you are the baby's.

Mine have both been anterior to date, I expect this one will be too, time will tell.

[SpottyTeacakes]

Yeah placenta sounds more like a woosh

[SpottyTeacakes]

Having a crappy week day so have eaten one hundred bourbons and now too scared to test

[Mylittlepuds]

Oh Spotty! Ha! Test and correct :)

After my requirements went through the floor my levels have been all over the place - I'm in a hypo/over treating hypo cycle. It's very hard not being so hard on yourself and worrying sick about the baby. So I've had a pretty crappy diabetic week top. I long for the day when I can have soaring levels and not worry I'm hurting anyone but me!

[SpottyTeacakes]

Eek woke up with 9!

[Mylittlepuds]

9 isn't a travesty - just think even 'normal' people can go up to 9 after eating. I bet things have been ok through the night and then slowly risen in the early hours. X

[SpottyTeacakes]

Ok so I gave myself 16 at breakfast (12 for toast plus 4 corrective) and its 10.something an hour later. Should I correct now or retest in an hour? It was 8 when I went to bed but I was expecting that.

[Mylittlepuds]

I'd personally wait another half an hour as it takes an hour and a half for rapid to properly kick in. I bet you find it starts coming down.

[SpottyTeacakes]

Thanks puds it's 8.2 now so I'll just leave it until I have something else to eat.

[Mylittlepuds]

Ah good - it's always a little relief when it comes back into the realms of normal!

[BonaDea]

Quick question please: has everyone over 12 weeks now stopped taking their 5mg of folic acid?

I asked my DSN who said I could now stop, but I kind of got the impression it didn't matter either way. I am still taking pregnacare which has folic acid in it but only 400 micrograms so a tiny dose in comparison...

[SpottyTeacakes]

I think I stopped taking it at 13 weeks. I don't think you need to carry on, the baby is past the stage where the folic acid is beneficial in reducing the risk of problems

[dieciocho]

I stopped folic acid at 12.5 weeks and everyone seemed happy about that.