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.

Oh God the canon ball thing...Jeez!

Morning all! Had a TERRIBLE night last night. Stupidly over-insulined my dinner without realising - I meant to have pudding, then didn't feel like it. Went to bed at 7 and woke a couple of hours later from a hot, sweaty, troubling nightmare wondering what was going on. Eventually my poor hypo-brain thought to test: 2.2. Ate some chocolate which was beside the bed, but felt I needed more (was in that horrible panic stage by then). Went down stairs and had some fresh orange juice.

Went back to bed then lay awake worrying about whether I was going to hypo again, but also about everything else - am I going to be a terrible mother? Which side of the backseat should we fit the carseat for the baby? Has the baby moved since my hypo? Did I order the right sized changing mat to fit the dresser? (do you all have these random, stressful thoughts in the middle of the night?!).

Anyway, think I had waaaay to much orange juice and it was obviously sour in my stomach because then I started to feel sick. Eventually I managed to get off to sleep, but woke this morning at 13.3 feeling horrible and promptly vomited in the sink as I was trying to brush my teeth. Managed to get the rest in the loo, but poor Mr Bona had to get the plunger out to unblock the sink and watching him do it made me sick again.

And of course today was my first day back at work after 2 weeks off. FFS.

diec - I don't think you need special breast feeding tops, but as mentioned above a friend of mine recommended always wearing a little vest under your top, so that when you unbutton or pull up your top to feed, there is something underneath to hide your squidgy bits (I will definitely be needing that). Having said that, Jo Jo Maman Bebe have some quite good feeding tops in their sale - I bought a couple in size large which fit me now but will also be fine for afterwards. They were reduced to £11 and £14 respectively.

puds - I have read in a couple of the books that breast lumps and bumbs are quite standard in pregnancy. I think that if you have checked with the GP(s) and they say fine, then you can probably relax. Keep an eye on it and see if anything changes. And don't prod it too much - if it is a fybroid or something you might just inflame it!

Oh Bona! Yes I have those thoughts in the night - and it's generally after I've had a hypo and had to have loads of sugar! Lucozade does it to me - awful racing thoughts.

Sounds like a pretty shit night. I've had plenty of those but no matter how many times it happens the panic never goes away - has the baby moved etc etc even though it's probably not logical.

Oh I've poked and prodded it within an inch of its life!

bona u poor thing last cou

Stupid phone, was going to say last cpl of actual nights have been ok but hit 14.2 after a hypo yesterday despite taking 12u and having a just a bowl of cornflakes for dinner had it at 8.1 going to bed by 3am 6.1 and 8am this morning 5.3 so was happy with that however on my dsn advice i have reduced my daytime levemir and 2.5 hours after breakfast i was 9.6!! Im now just waiting till lunch hoping its down as been told not to over correct and have the chasing my tail effect but i dont like it at all it had better be down by 1pm!!

I think we all have those panicky thoughts during the night but they are worse when hypo!

I never used to feel like this but now i feel like its taking over my life im cautious with eating whereas i used to just have what i fancied and take insulin to cover it and my bg were actually much better then!

Hoping - I find it sometimes takes a day or two for stuff to come out in the wash when I change my levels. A day or two of higher levels is not going to harm the baby - but if it isn't working just start adding a bit more Levemir, don't wait til you see DSN again!

Cornflakes would definitely send me high, too. I use milk as a hypo treatment!

However, it looks like your nighttime Levemir is now correct, as you've had a nice gentle drop overnight. Just the mornings to fix now. I've been 13.3, 11.2 and now hopefully dropping this morning. Dreadful, but after last night don't want to fall into the hypo trap by over-correcting today!

Hey bona thats intersting ive never really had a big problem with milk, id had a huge new years luch n didnt really want anything but if i skip eating im unsure what insulin to have so i had my usual breakfast thing with the same dose plus a unit to bring it back in line as was 8.9 n felt terrible so didnt work as the 14.2 shows but was told 1u to bring down by 2mmol so had 4u and night was fine thank god. Ive to call dsn on friday with readings to see what they think not the same person as monday tho so may get a different idea given to me fri lol

Tonight will be the 3rd night of taking my levemir at 8pm instead of 10pm so touch wood this may be helping to stem the rising bg i was getting from 9pm onwards im supposed to add in a super as well but so far havent been hungry enough and myb just a little scared lol

hi Hoping - if you are taking Levemir and Novorapid as your insulins you don't have to do anything if you want to skip a meal, just don't take any insulin unless you eat.

The idea is that your Levemir should keep you steady all through the day and night if you don't eat. Your Novorapid handles the food. So, if you don't eat you don't need Novorapid and your Levemir should cover you.

(in fact, when trying to get Levemir doses right I will sometimes skip a meal to check that it is doing what it should and keeping me steady).

Thanks bona

I wondered as Xmas day again had a big late lunch/early dinner but did skip dinner took no insulin and ended up high so didn't want that but ended up that way yesterday anyway

Maybe once the festivities r over and dp is back at work my eating pattern will be more settled too tho obv I should be able to eat whenever as long as I get the insulin right a ratio is not appearing tho lol and wen it does I'm lucky if it works for a day or two before its not right again

hoping - I wouldn't take Christmas day as a great example because it is quite likely that you were eating all sorts of stuff and amounts that you wouldn't normally eat. You may well not have taken enough insuling.

However, if you continue to get a rise mid afternoon even if you have not eaten anything, then it is your day time Levemir which is the culprit and you might have to look at increasing that.

General question from me:

I think I have mentioned this before, but it is starting to worry me. When I see the midwife, I don't seem to get a lot of "midwife chat". She checks blood pressure and urine, but so far has not measured my bump, hasn't discussed a birth plan or the details of induction, colostrum harvesting etc etc.

Is it just too early yet? I start growth scans from next week, so perhaps that will be the trigger for this stuff? I think you lovely ladies told me it was more like 30-ish weeks? Is that right or do you think I should be asking them?

I'm 27 weeks today.

Probably a bit early. I never even saw a community midwife only ever saw the specialist one at the hospital and actually I never had an appointment with her just popped in for bp check and saw her in the corridor when I had my consultant appointments

Also birth plans are usually done about 36 weeks and they often don't measure bumps especially if you're having regular scans

Thanks, Spotty. Defintiely not seeing any community midwives, only the specialist one, but she is sort of elbowed out of the way when the consultant comes in! I know that my delivery is likely to be medicalised and there won't be a birth pool or incense, but I feel like I'd like to have some say!

Suppose the measuring thing makes sense given the growth scans. I feel massive so was interested to know how I 'measured up'.

Bona I'm pretty much the same mostly geared towards the diabetes side but since 18 weeks they have been listening in to baby with Doppler and now are checking fundal height by palpating my tummy but no actual measuring as such. I'm starting growth scans on 14th so il be just 26+4 then not sure how often as originally they had said 1st one would be at 28 weeks tho they haven't said why they are starting them early. The only mention of delivery was in passing and not directly to me they were putting on my notes I'm group b strep positive and said oh will be a c section most likely?! Colostrum or even breast feeding no mention yet but just too early I think.

Dsn has just reduced my daytime levemir due to hypos tho I'm not convinced its the right move I'm speaking to someone on Friday with my readings so shall see what they have to say lol

Help me.

I've just been told that the baby is still breech.
I've been told that my fluid has nearly all gone.
I've been told that this is a sign that my diabetic placenta is failing.
They've forced me to book in for a caesarean for next week.

All I can feel for the baby now is anger; at least if it was cephalic I'd have a chance at a normal birth.

I'm utterly devastated.
I can't stop crying.

I don't think it's too early Bona - I seem to remember my MW doing measurements etc from about 20 or 24 weeks with both my previous. Though the appt at 16 weeks was the first time other than booking-in that I've seen one this time round and she just used a doppler, so maybe things have changed?

The measurements aren't very accurate though, and if you're having growth scans anyway she might not see the need for them - they're meant to highlight either a large baby (well, duh... :o) or excess fluid (again...) and only work if the same person does them every time, as they all use a slightly different point to measure from.

diec - so sorry to hear that the little blighter has not turned around . Completely understand why you are so upset - it is so bloody unfair when you have busted your little diabetic ass to get everything right and STILL this happens. PAH!

BUT, there are positives to this. They have spotted what is happening and are going to help you get your baby out happy and healthy. Ok, it is not the labour of your dreams, but then none of us will get that. At least it is planned, so you are not thinking of a simply pessary, contracting for 24 hours and ending up with a c-section. Your baby is going to be fine and so will you.

Chin up my love, we are all here for you.

Remind me: when is your actual due date?

My due date is 31st January.

The whole experience has been taken out of my hands and I've convinced myself that I won't love the baby when they take it out because I won't have done it myself.

diec - You are not so very far away from your due date anyway, but I COMPLETELY understand that you feel you are having the decision taken away from you which is horrible. It is so so so unfair.

I also get what you mean about worrying about not loving the baby and I have similar fears about c-section. But I am pretty sure that is unfounded. You are already a wonderful and loving mother - look at everything you have done over the last 8 months to keep your baby safe and give him / her the best possible start. How could someone as brave and hard working and loving as that not take to it like a duck to water?

Also, you have a week. Buy some books about c-sections - order them today for delivery tomorrow. Gen up on whether there is anything you can do to help bonding although I'm convinced you won't need it.

As for your due date, at least it means the baby is not going to be too undercooked - it is realistically the difference of a week or two (that is such a man thing to say - too practical and not udnerstanding enough, but it is true).

hugs from me. xxx

diec im so sorry that baby hasnt turned, I can understand why ur upset but the main thing is ur lovely baby comes out happy and healthy. Ii had a really hard time with ds ended in emergency section which im told is worse than a planned one. I felt really cheated as id got to 10cm and pushed for an hour only to end up in theatre anyway and honestly ds is none the worse i actually think the pain relief used during labour had more of an effect on him than the section he was very sleepy and not feeding properly due to this.

Hope ur ok.x

hoping, yes, that does sound crap, I can understand your feeling cheated. I'm jealous, in a way, that you got to try vaginal delivery though

bona, I'll be 37 weeks next week, so the baby won't be premature, no. The consultant has said that it will have a 7-8% chance of having breathing difficulties, but he doesn't want me to take steroids, like spotty had to due to how much they mess up blood sugars.

I'm really sorry for how you're feeling diec I would feel the same I think. Dd was born at 36 weeks and didn't have any breathing difficulties (and I didn't have steroids). My little sister was born at 37 weeks (my mum is t1) and was only in SCBU for three days. Maybe post in childbirth how you feel as there will be some people with excellent advice and experience

7-8% is very very low change. That means there's upwards of 92% chance there will be no problems at all!

I popped out 3 weeks early myself and had no issues (well, apart from the obvious).

AND: you get to meet your baby next week. HOW EXCITING!!!!

Oh diec I'm sorry baby hasn't turned.

There are things you can do to help with bonding following csections - the one thing I wrote in my birth plan for DD and the MW really backed me up on was skin to skin immediately post-birth. I couldn't do the skin to skin due to being stitched up, so DH did it instead. He stood/sat next to me with DD inside his scrubs, by the time I was in recovery he was covered in patches of dribble where she'd tried to eat him :o as she was rooting so much. Helps LO regulate their breathing and temperature, and can help with the feeding as the rooting instinct kicks in. DH also stayed with DD post-delivery (and DS when he was transferred to NICU) eg when she got whisked off to be weighed & checked. She was never out of his sight.

I think (hope) you'll be amazed at the rush of feeling you get post-birth, don't expect to sleep much the first night or two afterwards, you'll probably just want to look at the baby :o