Pregnant type 1 diabetics, step over here...

[RueDeWakening]

I seem to have filled up the old thread and thought I better start a new one! Still got ages to go, don't leave me now...

Am currently sat waiting for my 16 week antenatal appt, been here an hour so far and just had BP done and that's it.

[RueDeWakening]

Hi Gilby, glad you found us. I'm 16 weeks with number 3 - have a 5yo DD and a 2yo DS already. In both PGs previously I had severe hypos, inc paramedics and the lot. Fortunately I seem to have avoided that this time round (it all eased off at 16 weeks last time, so hoping the same would be true again!). I have had some evil hypos though, so I don't know if I'm just better at picking up on them, testing and catching more, or what. My fingers are nearly at the point where if you squeeze them, I start bleeding from various holes... :o

I also use a pump so am quite happy giving small regular "injections" to cover carbs, as I don't actually need to inject IYSWIM.

Hoping my fetal medicine consultant told me that baby growth spurts totally affect blood sugars, and just to try and take it in stride. He made total sense at the time! (Wasn't my consultant for diabetes reasons, more for DS being a triplet reasons, but he did seem to know more than my regular consultant!) Also don't forget that insulin is a hormone and other hormones - of which we have quite a few knocking about in PG! - can affect how it works. As if we needed other fun stuff to deal with...

[dieciocho]

Thanks for the details newbie. I've not noticed any change as yet (34-weeks yesterday), but I'm hoping I do! I feel so guilty with these ginormous 20u injections, even if that's only to cover some oatcakes/toast.

[GilbyChunks]

Hi puds and hoping, DD is 2.6. I often make the mistake of forgetting to have a snack and going low or 'helping' DD with her snacks and not taking any insulin. I'm not back at work now until 7th Jan so just really need to focus on my readings (as well as DD and Christmas of course).

Hi newbie. I did wonder if yesterday's highs were down to a growth spurt ( or some random, unexplained event) as I did have a bit of tummy ache and bump felt very tight. Seems ok again this morn so we'll see what happens today.

The correction doses I took last night seemed to take a lot longer to work than usual. Tested at 12.30am and was 6.5 so had a few oatcakes and woke this morning with a 3.3 (no great shock really).

Thanks everyone x

[Mylittlepuds]

It's loads of fun isn't it?! Settle down for bed and them it's a series of bloody beeps through the night.

I'm no consultant but I certainly think growth sprurts affect things as seem to have unexplained random lows at times - and yep for hormones too as some days I'm running high all day no matter what measures I take! I like the days where I think "God I haven't been stressed to death today with highs or lows - or both!".

Remember to bear sleep in mind. If you have a bad night it really is shown to make you run higher than usual.

[dieciocho]

Yes, Puds, that's right; losing out on sleep apparently raises your blood sugar.

[GilbyChunks]

Rue you are my hero, DC3? This time round I've said no more, but then I said that last time . My fingers are so sore and I often forget to change the lancet so that probably doesn't help.

DD is going through a very clingy faze and keeps having horrible night terrors (that's a whole other thread). So we are having quite a few broken sleep nights. Even if if DH gets up I'm still wide awake as cant sleep through a hysterical child screaming. Think she's preparing us for life with a newborn, although at least I can feed the new one back to sleep.

Had 28w scan on Monday, baby's tummy is 75% but they didn't seem too concerned and would check again at 32w. DD was always bang on 50 but put on weight towards the end, maybe due to the fact that I had to be signed off from work at 32w with bleeding from low placenta and wasn't allowed to move!

I always handover my readings to the diabetes team with a look of dread on my face, but they always say I'm doing well. I leave thinking did they actually just look at my book?!

[Hopingforno2]

Morning everyone how are we all?

Rue im sure the baby is right now having itself a growth spurt or something :) but i feel like i get sorted more or less for a day or so then its all over place again even tho hba1c is good.

Honestly i can have my dinner at 6-7pm have a nice bg around 9pm then from 10 onwards it steadily rises?! I have been taking a cpl units before i go to sleep if above 7 that seems to work for at least some nights.

Puds im the same but have to set an alarm for 3am to test :(

Gilby thats how i feel when they r looking at mine like im hoping to pass an exam i didnt sign up for lol

Diec i try to make myself feel better by thinking a non diabetic persons pancreas would be producing whatever insulin they needed to cover what they eat whos to say its not alot

[dieciocho]

That's true hoping, I hadn't thought of it like that.
So, when DP has a massive curry, with rice, naan and onion bhajis...that's his pancreas releasing 20u.
Good.

[BonaDea]

gilby - welcome to our little gang which, all things considered, is very cheery

75% sounds great. Don't forget that is still well within normal ranges!

As for what they say about your book, both the nurses and the consultant have told me (especially in weeks when I think I've been dreadful) that compared to many people they see my readings are great. I think a lot of people - perhaps including those with gestational diabetes who are completely new to the whole thing - probably have much worse readings compared to pretty conscientious people like us. The very fact that you are thinking / worrying / posting about it on the internet probably means that your level of dedication to good readings is on the high side!

[Mylittlepuds]

Agree with Bona there - my nurse tells me her tales of women who really don't care or, more likely and sadly, are not informed enough to know to care. One had a hba1c of 13% but she wasn't sure if the pregnancy could/or would continue. She thinks I'm a breath of fresh air which is nice . Another had ridiculously, constantly high readings for two weeks and didn't think to do anything. Eventually phoned the nurse. Baby was fine but had massive growth spurt!

I was in the waiting room for a clinic a few weeks back and a fellow diabetic (not sure if T1,T2 or gestational - but doesn't matter when it comes to pregnancy) casually turned to her partner whilst scoffing Quavers and said 'Eee I hope this diabetes hasn't affected the baby'. Like as if it had only just occurred to her! Not that it was her all day, every day concern to control it. I had to say I felt a bit envious at her laid back attitude.

[BonaDea]

puds - you won't be jealous of that woman's attitude when she is blind from retinopathy and having her foot amputated because of neuropathy at the age of 50!!

[Hopingforno2]

Diec its how i justify having a takeaway or going somewhere nice out for dinner where i need much bigger doses, u get people that go hypo without being diabetic so their body has the opposite prob and they have to eat every couple hours. We have to do the job of our pancreas a 'normal' persons must release different doses surely or they would have high bg/go hypo.

Bona i agree we r trying our best what else can we do :)

Puds surely to have such a lax attitude it was her 1st visit or at very least 1st baby, i wasnt as stressed(was still careful) with 1st due to being less aware of complications. Tho i have to admit outside of pregnancy i have went through periods of time where i was in denial hardly tested and took the same doses all the time. Now id really like to go on a dafne course and worry about everything!!

[Mylittlepuds]

She was a very, erm, large lady...

[Hopingforno2]

So prob a gestational or type 2 im sure if ur new to it a lax attitude is more likely tho i have spoken to a cpl type 2 in work who dont seem to worry. Im not sure obv but shouldnt they be just as careful more infact as if not on insulin how do u correct a high?! That said i asked how often do u test and it wasnt always even once a day

[Mylittlepuds]

They have to go on insulin when pregnant so I'd imagine it would actually be bloody harder as getting to grips with insulin as well must be a nightmare!!! There was a last on here who was type 2 but not sure if she still follows the thread. Anyhow I know that as insulin resistance is common amongst type 2s often they have to inject a hell of a lot more insulin. My nurse told me that one patient had to inject VIALS at a time. So I'm thinking over 100u? Crazy. Just crazy!

[Hopingforno2]

That is crazy im in no way saying that all type 2s are lax just the cpl ive met i was shocked how little they tested. How r u today puds?

Im having one of those days i tested at 4.30 was 4.1 now just before dinner 6 with no food as its more than 4 hours since last meal im thinking i need to up my morning levemir? What do u think ppl?

[Mylittlepuds]

I'm good today!! Thans for asking Hoping. And so I've just scoffed a load of Lindt - oops!!! Will regret it later but what the heck, I've had a good run

Ooh I don't know re. upping your dose Hoping - I'd be pretty happy with a 6 before dinner. It could be your liver has kicked out a bit of glucose to keep you going?

If I was T2 and on tablets I don't think I'd test - ahh how lovely it'd be! I think when I'm not preggers I test more to catch lows than highs. I think we should all have a pig out party when the babies are all here!

[Hopingforno2]

Yeah im working sat-mon so def wont be changing it then as il be more active, yeah myb il wait till im back was just thinking about it as had a 10.4 3 hours after breakfast, it started rising tho not greatly before bed it steadily goes up too oh well just over a week till next clinic and il say to them see what they think just paranoid about going high :( tho not keen on the lows either obv lol

Def at least 1 pig out tho i was thinking i may allow myself more nice foods on xmas days with bigger doses of insulin may get my butt kicked for that this time round tho with ds they told me for one day to just enjoy myself

[RueDeWakening]

Hoping quite often type 2s aren't even prescribed test strips, they're not allowed to test because "it'll make you paranoid" and they just have to go with a quarterly hba1c. I can't think of anything worse - imagine not knowing what foods did what to your blood sugars and not being able to adjust what you eat etc to manage it all. Also some even on metformin or insulin are sometimes not allowed test strips, even though you have to test before driving if you take anything that can cause hypos. I'm so glad I don't have problems with test strip quantities etc from my surgery.

[Hopingforno2]

Thats awful but as far as i know they r allowed them up here, at least they have a meter but yes i think it must be down played alot tho id have thought their health is in danger too so it seems a bit silly to do that just storing probkems for the future and isnt dka just as much a possibility? But then i think im just a natural worrier and would have questions about anything im told healthwise i think i drive my mw and consultant mad lol

[dieciocho]

Good morning everyone,
I'm just posting quickly to say that I hope you all enjoy the coming week as much as possible - however you celebrate.
I'm heading off with DP for a week to visit family, so won't be posting. I didn't want anyone to worry .

[Hopingforno2]

Have a lovely xmas diec x

[GilbyChunks]

Happy Christmas diec! X

[Mylittlepuds]

Merry Christmas Diec!!!

A few pharmacists have tried to raise eyebrows at my test strip consumption and they've hard a very short shrift from me.

P.S Lindt scoffing sessions are NOT a good idea for pregnant diabetics!!!

[Hopingforno2]

lol on no puds dont say that i plan on having some on xmas day its one of my favourites :) i cant wait to have a pudding lol not gonna be happy with me on 31st out for dinner on xmas eve too