Type 1 diabetic mums & mums to be damn that dawn phenomenon!

[SpottyTeacakes]

New thread ladies

Bona I was in same situation with V as spotty was with F - agreed to formula for V's low bgs, but switched to breastmilk as soon as mine came in (day 5)
She's now only on breastmilk and we're persevering! It's not easy, I'm shocked at how hard something so "natural" is, but she's growing and smiling more each day

Oh ladies. Had a terrible day yesterday! Teddy's fine but I had a total meltdown about his weight loss and feeding etc. just when I thought it was all starting to click into place I suddenly had mws and docs going to great lengths to tell me what was going wrong, that they were worried and didn't I just want to do the right thing by topping up and forgetting all this silly bf nonsense. Then just when I needed him to carry on his good work feeding, teddy became really fractious howling for food then basically just biting me. There is a two hour period in the middle of the day when I can barely remember what happened or what conversations I had - it was just a blur of misery and tears!!

God that all sounds really dramatic. Like a said I think a lot of it was hormonal. Day was saved by DH keeping his cool and also by one lone paediatrician who realised that although he has lost some weight and was a touch dehydrated actually he's fine in himself, weeing and pooing normally and that we could just keep doing what we're doing for another day. Felt such a state tho and so vulnerable!

Did one of you ladies one time mention that babies of diabetic mothers do sometimes lose a bit extra because their weight is potentially artificially higher to start with? Or did I dream that?!

Oh Bona, poor you! I would definitely say it's hormonal. Thank goodness for your dh and that one dr.

Any sign of your milk yet? The meltdown you had (if you don't mind me calling it that?!) would suggest it's on its way.

Are you able to have a whole day of skin to skin today to try and encourage it in? They should have a resident breast feeding specialist, I would ask to see them.

I think that babies born to diabetic mums do gain weight more slowly....ds was born on 98th centile and has settled on about the 30th. He would never have been so big if I wasn't diabetic.

If they do want him to have some formula then he should only need a few ml. Don't think they're going to try and give him a 3oz bottle.

If you want me to post on the breast and bottle feeding section on your behalf then I will

Umm can't remember what else you said as I'm on my phone and it's taken me ages to write this!

I'm really surprised and quite saddened that the drs and mw wanted you to go onto formula so much. I wonder if there's a supportive mw you can get on your side to advocate for you?

Yes, definitely see the hospital's/PCT's breastfeeding specialist - my one really helped (huge support and lots of time for me).

Yes, probably hormones or the drugs wearing off (?) - the day of V's birth is much like your middle-of-the-day period: I can barely remember it, just a massive amount of crying!

Sorry, don't know anything about the weight gain stuff for babies of T1s. T is your baby though, so what you say goes - you taught me this, so don't forget it!
The big hug smiley appears to be missing.

bona i hope today goes better for you and i really hope u get to bf like you want.

With ds i really wanted to but he was just such a lazy feeder and my milk didnt come in till like day 6, i beat myself up about him ending up on bottle and im pretty sure its part of the reason i got pnd but looking back i realise i tried and ds is a tall happy almost 5yo now not that i wouldnt persist just dont feel bad

Bona - you sound like you've had the dreaded Day Three a day late!!! It's a weird day after acing your baby when your hormone levels massively drop. I had a panic attack and extreme anxiety on my day three - and was very upset DS would never be three days old again

I second that it could be a sign that milk is imminent!

If you want my two pence worth...if it was me I'd syringe feed the formula (if he still needs it) and most DEFINITELY persist with BF, if that's still what you want of course.

Hope today is better :-)

• after having

Oh dear god is me (mylittlepuds)

I thought so puds, could tell from your posting style

Oh bugger off snow

I was v. confused and thought some strange new person had just started
posting!
Ok, so you're ohdeargod now, or maybe just god ?

Ha ha ha!! I'm undecided...I think mylittlepuds is probably more accurate (my puds really are quite little...)

That would have been really funny though. Just a totally new random person dishing out advice.

Definitely owe you guys an update but for now will just say - the meltdown was definitely my milk coming in / hormones!! Section happened late Tuesday, this all happened on Friday so the Day 3 test fits!!

Teddy is now gaining weight well and his sodium levels are back to normal. He still has a touch of jaundice but under the treatment threshold so no photo therapy etc.

We were finally given the all clear to go home late last night so escaping this morning thank god. I've been here a full week, Teddy for 5 days. Enough's enough.

Sugar levels have been great so far probably through luck as I haven't paid them much attention. As the bf is now really ramping up I expect things will get more bumpy!

Hope you are all well. Who's going in to have our next thread baby?

That's great news Bona so glad everything is going well and you get to go home! It's quite an experience when your milk comes in isn't it

Ds went down at 7 woke at 00:30 and is still asleep! I've leaked through two breast pads, my bra and a muslin into my bed covers

Glad things are going better for you bona and teddy is doing well

Im next unless puds(deargod) beats me to it lol we r only a week apart, im an elcs a week on thus unless lil madam has other plans

That's excellent news bona - urgh, poor you; a week would've killed me!

Oh spotty, I know the feeling - V sleeps for 4 hrs, then 3hrs most nights and l soak muslins and my pjs, so have started using maternity mats to protect bed sheets.

He usually only does three hours diec my poor boobs! I think it's because he's under the weather-got a horrible cough

Well almost time to set off for clinic not sure if final one as next monday is easter monday and i get admitted the weds night. What are the chances of getting my questions re my eyes and bf answered do u think? Id like to know what effect it would have as i know even without my eyes it would be a challenge and i dont want any progression (yes its still very much on my mind)

Good luck Hoping - tbh I don't know whether you'll get many answers about eyes at the clinic, I think endo consultants only know the basics about eye complications IYSWIM and rely on the eye specialists to deal with them. Can't believe you've only got just over a week to go! EEK :o

Bona - glad you're getting home today, don't be surprised if it takes them till tea time to actually discharge you though... (voice of bitter experience x2!). Feel free to strop and tell them you're discharging yourself, normally gets a MW to turn up and do their checks.

Spotty - hope you're feeling slightly less explode-y by now :o you can always try hand expressing a bit to take the ouchy off if you need to! I'd forgotton about the delights of waking up with soggy bra, pads, sheets, matress.

I've had to bump up my basal level again by another 20% today, done it temp to see what happens, and will switch over tomorrow or Wednesday if it seems to be working. Whole weekend was fairly horrible with continual corrections, and looking at my pump daily totals of insulin delivered, I've gone from about 50u/day on average 2 weeks ago, to more like 65u/day at the moment . The joys of hitting 30 weeks, not.

rue 30 weeks is when everything went funny for me too ive given up trying to work out a ratio. You were right when i asked about breastfeeding and my eyes the only thing they could say was bf lowers ur bg like that was something i didnt already know! Im so unsure what to do for best if im honest.

Has anyone done the dafne course? Im thinking of asking to be reffered for it tho it takes around a year to get a place in my area.

Yes, DAFNE is a carb. counting course, which is obligatory in my area for anyone wanting a pump...errr, I've not done it yet as I can count carbs. in my sleep!

Sorry, mis-read your comment hoping - thought you said heard of

Hoping if it was me, which it obviously isn't, I would still breastfeed and at least see how it goes. You might find you're able to control fine after a couple of weeks. I think you said someone said your dr is probably just bring over cautious so for me the benefits of breastfeeding would outweigh the risk of at least trying until my next appointment and then seeing how my eyes were.

Have you thought about trying to get a short phone consultation with the eye dr? They will obviously know more

Hi spotty it may well be worth trying to get a hold of an eye specialist to talk to but as i havent seen them yet im unsure who to speak to or if they will have seen my eye pics. My eye screens take place at local health centre and i think the refferal will be at a large hospital about 30-40 mins away(a different one to where i will give birth and the dsn etc are) im just feeling really scared about it still, i guess its the 1st complication that has come up for me really may all be a moot point as i was unfortunatley unable to bf ds as my milk took almost a week to come in and by that point id given in and started bottle as ds was starving, i promised myself i wouldnt put myself or another baby thro that hell again.

I think anxiety is just settling in all round for me as the birth gets closer, i feel unable to get the eye thing out my mind im sure im actually quite irratible. Im worried about how ds will take to a new baby and having the same quality time together and things like that. Losing my mind a little lol

Oh I think everyone gets anxious towards the end. There's definitely no point in getting too stressed about it (the feeding) you do have to consider the rest of your family too. Maybe try to keep an open mind, see how you feel after the birth? Do you want to bf? Because if you only want to do it because you think you should then it really isn't worth the stress if you will be happier deciding to ff then go for it. I ff dd