Extreme panic, ladies with GD on insulin or type 1 please advice!!

[bunny85]

Hi all,

I'm 30 weeks and have GD since 16 weeks and on insulin. I'm having hypos very frequently, esp at night (nearly every night), lowest I've been is 2.4 once but usually it's something like 2.7 or 2.9 or 3.0. Now I've just had an appt with my diabetic MW and she said these hypos are bad for the baby as they cut off his oxygen and can affect development!! I'm panicking now and in tears. Why didn't they tell me earlier?? I've been told only highs are bad and been doing really well controlling them. Anyone had frequent hypos and went on to have a healthy baby? The MW told me I wouldn't know if any harm has been done until the baby is 1-2y.o. Please if anyone has any words of wisdom help... Thanks in advance.

I didn't know that about hypos. I had loads when pregnant with ds and he's absolutely fine.

Do you have a direct number for your diabetic team? I would want to discuss it with the diabetic specialists not with the midwife. If you don't jab a direct number call the consultant's secretary.

He's 2 in Jan and was an early talker/hit Al other milestones on time.

I don't have any personal experience with diabetes but I googled it and found a page on NHS choices here that says hypos are harmless for the baby. I agree with pp, try and contact your team though, and get some proper advice.

I'm not diabetic but had to monitor blood sugar in pregnancy so as DH type 1 we tested me for a week. My morning readings were low, I remember one was 1.7 and DH was staggered I hadn't passed out as he would have by then.

DD is 16. She has dyspraxia and is hypermobile. But given the state of DH's coordination and the family history of Dyspraxia and my side is hypermobile so I'd be amazed if it was linked to my blood sugar.

How stressful for you to be told that

I think my hypos were slightly lower too. I remember one was below 2.

It's the night that would get me. I'd wake up hypo. Normally the give away would be that I was absolutely RAGING cross at DH for no reason. I wasn't very good at treating them either and would often then end up high. Hopefully I'll do better when if I need them in this pregnancy.

My dp is a type 1 diabetic and I have GD. Hypos aren't exactly great I would prefer my dp be on the higher side and so would his nurses that constantly dropping as you can drop so quick without realising been too many times I've found him passed out. Obviously with GD you don't want any high readings but is it possible your not eating enough food for the amount of insulin you are taking as frequent hypos will affect you alot. The confusion, aggression loss of coordination all caused by hypos are not ideal for you being pregnant you really do need to be careful you don't want to drop low and then fall or harm yourself accidentally caused by the confusion by going so low. Taking frequent hypos affect the cells in your brain which can cause harm to you in the long run if happen very often but I'm not sure of any harm to baby except if you were to fall whilst low. Ring your diabetic team and discuss with them and also discuss the possibility kg adjusting your insulin

I'm not a doctor or a diabetic (I am a scientist.) I have had several readings of under 3.0 a couple of hours after food so I've done quite a bit of poking around in the literature.

Your mw is wrong.

Whilst not optimal, Maternal hypoglycaemia does not have anywhere near the effect that hyperglycaemia does on the foetus. The teratogenic effects are all seen in hyper, not hypoglycaemia. The main mechanism of harm with hypos is if the mother falls/crashes the car etc.

Having said that, frequent hypos are no good for YOU and are going to make you feel terrible. So you need to talk to your care team about how to manage the hypos. You've obviously done really well with not letting your sugars go too high so I would imagine that this can be done by adding in a few more snacks, especially overnight. But it may also need a review of your insulin dosage.

Thank you very much everyone for taking time to reply. Reading your posts made me calm down a bit.

Poster, really great to hear your son is absolutely fine despite the hypos you had! And hope you don't get them in this pregnancy, this stuff sucks. I don't start raging though (OH's luck) but feel shaky and my heart racing.

Curious, how amazing you found that on NHS website! I've taken a screenshot of it and read it as soon as I feel panicky again.

Bringmelaughter, I do have a direct number but not of the consultants - just these diabetic MWs. I'm going to call and ask to speak with the consultants though! Just gotta calm down first, been beside myself with panic all day since morning...

SugarPlum, thanks for sharing your experience, my God 1.7 is v.low indeed! I know you said you are not a diabetic, but trying to understand how you could have such a low one?

Mummy, your poor DP, must be so hard for him to become unconscious so frequently. The problem is this MW is a part of my diabetic team herself, but I'll be calling to speak with the consultants anyway as don't know who to trust anymore.

Skipton, thank you for the reassurance, have been googling non stop too and seems like it's true highs are more harmful. What really puzzles me is how on earth can they be so clueless?? Why would they they tell me the opposite of truth?? I really don't want to lose the trust for them, but can't help it now!..

Glad you are feeling slightly calmer OP! I actually think it was irresponsible of the MW to have worried you like that. Even if hypos are not ideal, it doesn't sound like the MW was particularly tactful in the way they approached it, especially if the general thinking is that hypos are not harmful. Anyway, hopefully you will be able to get hold of one of the consultants soon, to put your mind at rest.

If you know your named consultant you can phone the hospital switchboard and ask for Dr whatever's secretary. They should be able to arrange a call, appointment or message back from the consultant or one of her/his team.

Was going to do that first thing in the morning and just realised the diabetic clinic is only there on thursdays! Luckily I've got an appt next thursday so could ask then, and meanwhile will do anything it takes to avoid any more hypos just in case.. Never in my life have I been more stressed out, nervous, anxious, worried than while being pregnant! My first one as well, which doesn't help

I have type 1 diabetes and never heard that about hypos. I had a lot of hypos during pregnancy. My diabetic nurse was always telling me off for having them and she would have absolutely told me if there was a risk to my baby. Like you i was mainly concerned about highs . I don't think what your midwife said was true. I have a nearly 2 year old who can count to 10 and talks in sentences btw so i don't think he was developmently affected!

Vanillaradio, how reassuring!! So happy you've got such a smart LO. I am just sat here reading and re-reading all the messages saying to myself that it'll all be fine.. Thank God for Mumsnet and all the lovely lovely people here

You don't need to wait till a clinic day. The diabetic team will be in the hospital all week seeing inpatients and running other clinics. The secretary should be able to contact the consultant or member of his/her team anytime.

Really? Oh going to call tomorrow then! Thanks!

I have type 1 and had tight blood sugar control in pregnancy, with many hypos. I had a very good team supporting me. I was specifically told that these sort of mild hypos are no risk to the baby.

My DD is 4, perfectly healthy and sharp as a tack.

Everything will be fine. But please, speak to your consultant before your appointment. Just call the switchboard as advised above.

bunny Your midwife was talking absolute crap. I refuse to believe she is actually a DSN (diabetes specialist nurse); she may well just be a midwife that happens to be attached to the diabetes antenatal clinics. She needs to stop spreading misinformation and scaring her patients though!

I'm Type 1 & 15 weeks pregnant and have asked my team many times whether hypos affect the baby and have categorically been told no. They are not good for you long term as the more you have, the less awareness you get that they are happening (thus you don't react to treat them) but that probably won't be an issue with GD. As long as you're not so low you're at risk of passing out and could thus injure yourself, don't worry.

I was awake at 3am this morning with a level of 1.9

I have type 1, this is my 4th pg and I have always been told categorically that hypos don't harm the baby even ones where I've gone into comas. The damage and risk is to you. Hypers can damage the baby particularly in the first trimester when all the essential organs are being formed. Since you only developed GD in the 2nd trimester you avoided that. Thankfully so far all my babies have been fine and are now in primary school and doing fine.

Ask to see the consultant. I find that a lot of so-called medical professionals come out with remarkably stupid things or just utter nonsense when it comes to diabetes (and probably other things but I have less knowledge about these).

It sounds like you're on too much insulin if you're having hypos at such frequencies and rates. Try and see if you can get referred to someone more knowledgable to help you. I'd also recommend the chatboards on diabetes.co.uk - people there are very helpful.

Good luck!

Tattie, thank you so much for your kind words, I will definitely give them a call. So glad your daughter is doing great.

ThePug, I know, I myself find it hard to believe that professional people could be so incompetent in their direct field of practice. She actually is a diabetic midwife, and the one with a lot of experience (apparently)! It's a mystery how she can work alongside my diabetic consultants (who never mentioned any hypo related harm to me) and yet be so uninformed. She sounded very confident and concerned today though and that's what drove me into the state I was. She said I won't be able to tell if these hypos have harmed the baby until he is 1-2 y.o. By then I was in tears already. In terms of hypo awareness, I think I am actually losing it - I use to feel them at 3.5 at the beginning, now these figures do nothing to me, I only start feeling unwell at about 2.7-2.4. Sorry you had 1.9 that sounds scary. I heard in people with Type 1 its mainly the 1st tri that causes frequent hypos, after that you should start having much less of them. Good luck with your pregnancy!

Triggers, so glad to hear your babies are doing fine! Yes she did say my insulin levels need reduction (the basal one), she also told me to start measuring before going to bed and at 3am every night too. She told me to give her a call tomorrow morning and report all the numbers.

It's so incredibly reassuring hearing all your positive stories and that all your consultants seem to agree that hypos are not dangerous for baby. I think I'll be able to sleep tonight

So glad you posted here and have had some much needed reassurance bunny

I was given a half-unit insulin pen this morning as my insulin requirements have gone down so much at the moment I'm on micro-management. It's crazy! In another 10 weeks I'll be on 10 times this, probably!

Lowest I've ever been was 1.0! I was in a hotel room in Paris at a work conference a few years ago and woke up soon after going to bed feeling horrific. When I saw the reading I was then panicking I was going to pass out and die alone Managed not to though, so god knows how low I'd have to go before being incapable of treating myself!

I'm so so glad too.

I know, isn't it amazing how pregnancy changes literally everything in the way the body works, it's so tough for me with GD, I can only imagine how hard it must be with Type 1, but it will all be worth it in the end

Omg 1.0 is terrifying. Have you heard of something called Hypoband? I came across it while googling hypos etc. It has only just been developed. Apparently has an alarm warning you when your levels are getting near a hypo, could be very useful, have a google. In fact I emailed them as I wouldn't mind having one myself.

Hi I am type 1 and am finding it hard. I think hypos are just bad because they can cause a rebound high x

I had insulin dependent GD and had many hypos.

I would quite frequently feel rough with very low blood sugars, 1.9 was my lowest reading but I was always assured it wouldn't hurt the baby at all and it was better to be on the low side as long as I could cope ok.

DS is absolutely fine.

The night time hypos are pretty bad but I found taking juice to bed worked well.

Blondie, it's true! She told me off about that too and prescribed dextrogel tubes to be used instead of my usual honey/juice/ice cream etc as I apparently can't know exactly how much to eat and it goes too high. Last night measured at 2.30am, was 3.3 and had 2 tubes and she recommended- was 5.2 an hour after so they do work perfectly though it seems.

Megan, so good to hear your DS is fine! Feel much more reassured now