Type 1 Diabetes Pregnancy Support Thread

[MrsNuckyThompson]

Wow - with a catchy title like that, who could resist? I was part of a lovely supportive thread like this one during my last pregnancy which was nearly 4 years ago now. I'm currently around 6 weeks pregnant with my 2nd DC. DS is 3.4

Anyone want to join me?

Ha! Yes sometimes it takes me days to adjust something even when I've identified a clear need to change ratio or dose.

Just do it and stop procrastinating!

I've been riding stupid numbers in the evenings about a week and have finally acted on it... Both ratio and rates upped. Probably should have just done 1 but at least this approach will have an effect.
Also, bringing high numbers down feels harder (takes longer) than normal. Probably just paying more attention to it than usual.

It really is surprisingly hard to act on the changes - especially when everything we do is more or less the same as before, so it just feels weird.
But the doubled/tripled insulin needs are down to the hormones the placenta produces (and increased body size) says 'think like a pancreas' so not much else to do than up them.

Still struggling with hospital changes (sorry, yawn!) - do you think a 75min journey on average with public transport (can be 60min. And about 50 if driving) is a very bad idea?

Clinic this morning. All well. Saw an endocrinologist for the first time this pregnancy - she highlighted two random hypos (3.2 and 3.7 I think) on my book and quizzed me on them. It is so bloody tiresome. I'd like to see her try to keep within their stupid target ranges and NEVER go low!! Urgh.

Anyway, heard heartbeat going strong for ages, which is lovely.

Quizzed obstetric registrar (didn't see consultant today - damn!) on the Cook's balloon but strangely they weren't able to give any data whatsoever on success in diabetic inductions. So I'm basically none the wiser. Apparently he told me the place to really go in London for diabetic pregnancy is King's! I used to have by diabetes care there when I was more local to it and it was great, I'll admit. HbA1c taken by earlobe prick - amazing! Anyway, unhelpful...

Still very undecided on VBAC. I just feel it is so likely to go horribly wrong and I'll end up with tears / cuts / stitches and a bruised baby from forceps!! Would it be better just to cut straight to the chase and have the section??

Afternoon. I'm in the waiting room at the hospital antenatal clinic. It's so hot! 12 week scan today which put me at 12+6. Harmony was fine so didn't get the NHS test done.

It's funny what they pick up on isn't at the clinic isn't it? Think my numbers will be ok for this week except for a curry on holiday (rice! when will I ever learn?).

Sorry to hear about the highs, that must be frustrating.

I've never had a section so it's hard to know but it would be tempting to want to avoid induction which is not pleasant lets face it.

mrsnucky tough one on the balloon. From the FB group I'm on it looks like they often use it in Finland with t1s as the first induction method and in vbac. How successful, no idea.
Another thing they seem to do a lot is an ultrasound on the cs scar thickness (or strength?) which affects the final decision on the delivery mode/attempt. Maybe that's a common one here too?

It kind of feels like one of those times where the 'professionals' should really be guiding you with real info and experience. Tho I bet that one week you'll speak with an obstetrician who thinks you should try it and then 2 weeks later another one will recommend going straight for cs.

The hypo interrogation... Argh! I feel your pain.

Congrats on your lovely 12 week scan tea! What a nice landmark to reach!

Well done on changing your ratios Ripley. I really need to take a leaf out of your book. I've been having 10s after breakfast for the past couple of days, in spite of basically eating basically no carbs for breakfast. (e.g. today I had tuna with cucumber and a small handful of blueberries - one unit of insulin and was still 10 after one hour!). I need to listen to the 'Think Like A Pancreas' wisdom. It's just madness to my pre pregnancy mind to think of taking 2 or possibly 3 units for some bloody tuna and cucumber!

I'm not sure what to counsel on the switch to Kings - the journey time is clearly a negative, but if you're feeling uncertain enough about your care at the other hospital, maybe its worth the inconvenience for peace of mind. Do you think there is anything that they could realistically chance at current hospital for you to consider staying?

MrsNucky is does seem rather annoying that they don't have data to hand! Hopefully the OB will be able to give you some. I'd be a bit reluctant to proceed unless there is some sort of favourable data (but then I'm very cautious about things generally).

So annoying about being quizzed on hypos.
Them: 'Any why did you go low on this occasion?'
Us: 'Same reason we go low on every occasion: TRYING TO STAY WITHIN TARGET!'

Esker - it is complete madness to me to think that I could eat ANYTHING in the morning and just take 1 unit of bolus. Seriously - carb or no carb and even if I'm not eating at all, I need to take a couple of units just to keep me steady, as I am super insulin resistant in the morning and of course my Levemir will have run out from the night before and morning dose just starting to work (I think I am a good pump candidate)!.

My morning ration is 3:1 and so I would likely take 4-6 units for the breakfast you've described.

Just double it to 2 and see how you go. Especially as you're off this week - not like you'd be collapsing with a hypo in the middle of class!

Oh enjoy your holidays this week! Must be lovely to put your feet up.

I had diabetes clinic yesterday which went well, HBA1C was 34! Consultant thought I was running things a bit too tight (are they ever happy?) so wanted me to drop my Lantus but I'm not sure. Not many hypos so I think I prefer things this way and presumably I'm going to hit resistance in the next few weeks? Started aspirin. Harmony was fine.

Do you ever inject for protein?

Nucky you are absolutely right. I will give it a go tomorrow morning for SURE!
Got clinic as well so I'm going to get stern looks for my spiky looking chart this week...

tea - well done on the fab hba1c! It is soooo frustrating when they can't just bloody pat you on the back and say: well done! You're trying very hard, you're doing a great job, just watch those hypos and we'll be happy. NOOOOO they have to pick pick pick. It infuriates me and I'd love to give them all diabetes for a week and see how they do!

Did you find out gender on Harmony, Tea? I started aspirin at the beginning...

Never had protein showing up in urine before believe it or not!! How often are you using ketostix to check? I only really use them on sick days / if i'm running high for ages...

Esker - good luck. hope they are nice to you!

I meant did you inject when you eat protein? I was reading something about new research suggesting we should be. But maybe it's not made it into clinical practice yet. But I had a cooked breakfast on holiday that had very few carbs in it and had a little spike so I just wondered.

Yes it's a touch frustrating about the clinic but we did have a laugh when they said they were never happy!

No didn't find out sex, we like a surprise!

Good luck Esker.

Ah, I see! Yes, I would always inject something. Maybe a small snack of cheese or an egg i wouldn't but at least a few units for a fry up! I am extremely insulin resistant in the mornings, though...

tea I don't really inject for protein (unless it's in stuff like lentils...), have never seen it make that much of a difference on my levels even tho it can/will turn into glucose... But then that takes much longer than with carbs so it's a funny one to deal with.
There are threads about high protein diets & how folk inject for it on diabetes.co.uk, which might have something on the subject...

I haven't injected for protein before pregnancy tea, but now (at 18 weeks) I'm getting increasingly insulin resistant in the morning, so I take a unit even just for a couple of eggs and am still 7 or 8 one hour later. And I'm needing to increase that dose now as well...

I whacked up my ratio with breakfast yesterday and it was great! However I was a bit over enthusiastic as I was 5.5. post meal and then had some hypos later in the morning. Nothing serious though and I'd prefer to see a 3.8 on my meter than an 11 or 13!

Had a GREAT time at clinic as I saw my lovely encrocrinologist who was really nice about my readings. She was very reassuring about the spikes I've been having and was refreshingly realistic about the ability to stay in range. She very much has the 'If you get it right 80 percent of the time, the other 20 percent won't matter' attitude. Hear hear. It made me wonder why the nurses and dieticians are more militant, and I wonder if it may boil down to the consultants' increased expertise and appreciation of nuance, whereas perhaps the dieticians in their training have just been told: 'BG has to be 7.5 below or else', which leads them to be more uncompromising.

19 weeks! Beginning to feel the baby I think, tho very intermittently. And have changed back to old hospital (St Thomas) :), which really has felt like the right thing to do.
Still get lows but compared to the hypo-fest of last few months, insulin requirements/resistance are definitely on the up... Time to dust off the kitchen scales, ugh!

Esker your endo sounds great, it's so nice when you leave the clinic feeling positive & in control!

I think the nurses and dieticians are very much led by guidelines and protocols whereas the Consultant have the knowledge and flexibility to be realistic about things!

Glad all is going well for everyone at the moment.

ripley I'm definitely feeling stuff now too. It's a weirdly familiar feeling but very gentle for now.

Got cardiac scan appt through. Not til the 22nd so will be 22 weeks! But they said that's fine. Have the normal 20 week scan in the meantime. That's being done by consultant and will be quite detailed too so hopefully will be reassured that all seems ok!

My big issue at the moment is just not fancying anything, especially in the evenings. Started cooking tonight (I love cooking!) and just gave up because I couldn't face the food I was meant to be having!! Instead had an apple, two slices of sourdough () and some saucisson. Feeling dissatisfied and a bit guilty about the bread but not feeling like anything else. Was v good at breakfast and lunch today so not a disaster.

Anyone else struggling? Didn't have anything like this last time!!

Sorry to hear that MrsNucky I was really off food through the first trimester so all usual meal plans went out the window as I either couldn't face cooking at all (which I usually enjoy if I have time for it) or I'd cook but then could barely eat it... and we're still throwing out quite a bit of food now as I try and get back into good habits (and fail). At one point there was a week or two where I was eating toast for every meal which wasn't great :S

I found cooking soups was helpful as they're easier to stomach and they keep for a couple of days and also I'm lucky to have a Waitrose nearby who do fairly healthy ready meals so on the day if I was feeling more up to eating would pop into one of those and buy a couple for me and DH.

I'm also beginning to feel little ripples below the bump which I think I have determined are baby rather than digestive system! It's reassuring, especially as I had my worst ever pregnancy BG reading so far - 17.8 - last night which took hours to bring down... As a Halloween treat I gave myself the day off from carb counting and instead 'guessed' the carbs which was clearly a terrible, terrible idea...

Glad you're happy with the hospital move Ripley. Sounds like the right choice for you.

I thiiiiiink I'm feeling some sort of movements from the baby, but I guess as a first timer it's hard to say for certain. First thought I felt something last week and then today on several occasions I thought I detected some sort of movement. Longing to feel a definitive 'kick'!

MrsNucky sorry to hear you're feeling 'off' usual foods. I hate the fact that we end up feeling guilty over something as innocent as a couple of pieces of bread . I can't relate to being off things, as at the moment as I want to eat absolute everything and am starting to think my rate of weight gain is a bit too fast For evening meals I'm mainly doing protein and salad. Super boring. However I'm also eating indecent amounts of cheese. But as long as you take enough bolus for your bread then it's fine! One good low-carb comfort food ( if that's what you're after) is cauliflower cheese.

Esker - have even gone off cauli cheese. Had been having quite a bit over the last few weeks as it feels like that time of year! But the other night I went to heat up some left overs and ended up chucking it. Indecent!! Salads are my go-to lunch at work and I can't face them either. Even with lovely mozzarella and beetroot and avocado which is one of my favourite comobs!

Can't believe you are putting on weight, you are so slim!! However, I will say that I put on SHED LOADS of weight during my first pregnancy and ended up 10kg heavier than when I started afterwards. I didn't manage to shift it ever and now pregnant again. Luckily with this food stuff I hope I won't gain so much this time round and am going to try much harder to get it off earlier this time round!!

Have now realised cardiac scan has been set for a clinic day, so might need to try to rearrange!

Snap on the eating I can't face anything. Still feel remarkably crap at 14 weeks. I would like loads of carbs.

I'm 95% sure I forgot to take my Lantus last night. I have never done that before! Was low when I checked at 9pm and got something to eat but can't remember if a took it or not. I was 5.9 this morning which is a little bit high for me but not awful clearly.

Haha, 5.9? Wow, you really consider that high tea?
Doesn't sound like a no insulin night to me :). If I'd forgotten to inject (or these days had a problem with the pump - more drastic effect) I'd be above 20, even with my pretty low night rates.
Has happened... I feel shit for a bit, massively overcorrect, then move on (probably swearing for a while).

Forgetting if I'd injected became a very frequent mystery for me and found the timesulin caps sort of useful to combat that.