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?

Just checking in, nothing to report except loads of lows. Harmony this weekend.

What do you drink when you're out? I like the odd Diet Coke but not in the evenings or when I've had tea or coffee already during the day. Most juices are too sugary, are there any diet drinks I don't know about? Even alcohol free cocktails seem to be just pure sugar!

Hi tea! I also tend to have Diet Coke if I'm out - juices are out and I used to be a die-hard water drinker but have a weird aversion to it now (even bottled) and find it hard to drink. At home it's gallons of green tea for some reason (never really drunk it before but it seems to help with the nausea), decaff coffee or home-made sugar free hot chocolate!

I can't remember who it was on the thread who went through a period of needing really low doses for meals - I've had that the last couple of days where I'm finding I need to inject way, way less for carby food than I was last week? Seems weird.

Also to the people who've had/are having heart scans, is this something you need to request? No one's mentioned it to me and all I've got booked in next is the 20 week scan.

Evening all. I just drink fizzy water when I am out. Exciting it aint! Got drinks with colleagues tomorrow so I am going to 'out' myself to those who don't know. I'm excited!

Had a bit of a crappy week with blood sugars... today I was 9.5 two hours after lunch... took a correction and was down to 3.5 in an hour. Last night I stupidly ate some bread (not much!) with dinner at a friend's house and was 11.5 post meal. HATING it. Also feeling cross and guilty as I kind of fell of the wagon with recording my results. Getting back on it today - for me its really the only way to hold myself to account and properly look for patterns.

Sugarcoma , it is standard to have a foetal heart scan in NHS treatment, although I'm not sure exactly what week mine is. Mine is Monday, when I'll be 16+5, but I think MrsNucky's is a few weeks later in her pregnancy. What hospital are you being treated at? Maybe if private things are different? My midwife just arranged it all when I booked in.

So are we Londoners meeting on Sunday 23rd? My husband thinks its hilarious that I'm meeting people from online and keeps teasing me about my 'internet friends'

sugar yes the heart scan should be standard and if they haven't mentioned it I would raise it. Mention NICE guidelines if you have to. In my last pregnancy I had it the day following my 20 weeks scan. This time it will be the week after.

esker try not to beat yourself up. Those results are not bad at all in the grand scheme and sometimes having to write everything down is just such a chore. I hear you on the guilt but you're doing such an amazing job you need to cut yourself some slack.

Yes meeting on the 23rd. Haven't told DH yet as he will also pull my leg!!

Yes for the 23rd! Would central-ish be convenient? Maybe Marylebone High St?

23rd, centralish & Marylebone area all good for me!

Hello! Have finally replied to PMs. What a daft system that you can only mail one at a time.

Marylebone doesn't feel that central to me (!) but I can get there. Suggested 2pm?

Hi Nucky, I got your message (and Ripley's too). Not sure how to reply (will try to figure that out). What about Waterloo as an alternative meeting spot? It's also on the Bakerloo and Jubilee so could also be easy for those coming from West or North London?

(sorry all to put this on the main thread - I promise I will work out PMs soon).

Now for my main news of the day: had my heart scan!
All seems to be in working order with no abnormalities that they could detect.

Had a totally uncommunicative doctor who literally didn't even say a single word while scanning for over 12 minutes (!) but she then handed over to the sonographer who was chatty and explained that they couldn't see the heart very well as baby was face down with his head on his chest so they were basically trying to see the heart through his spine which was in their way. She got me to go on my side and then he moved so they got a better look and dos all their checks.

Only got a quick look at 'whole baby' at the end as of course the main focus was the heart. Such a relief to see him ok in there especially following 'cookiegate' at the weekend where I ended up with a BG of 15 and then of 11 for several hours and felt so guilty. Moral: don't eat a large cookie. Ever. And especially especially not after a BLT sandwich.

Hope you are all feeling well!

Hi Esker - glad to hear it went well. The heart scan is another thing no one's mentioned to me and I found out about on here so will be raising it at my next appointment next week.

I've had a really bad couple of days actually - couldn't get my BGs below 9/10 for about 48 hours (and they were hovering around 7 for the few days before that) and was getting increasingly upset. And I was hardly eating most of the day to try and get it down - I think part of the problem was I had seriously underestimated the carb in dairy products so I'd been eating greek yoghurt and drinking glasses of whole milk and not bolusing for them, when each one actually had 10g carb in it :(

I tried getting an earlier appointment at the ante-natal clinic with my endocrinologist but they couldn't fit me in, surprise surprise. I'm looking into possibly having a one-off appointment privately just to feel like I have some proper support since I'm really unhappy with my clinic at the moment (took me 40 minutes of being on hold as 'the first caller in the queue' yesterday to even get through to them to double the time of check my mid-wife appointment this week).

I'm also 16 weeks and feeling really paranoid about how baby is doing, especially since it's been 3 weeks since last scan and I can't feel them kicking. How willing are mid-wives to listen to the heartbeat from your experience? Can't remember if it was this thread or another that someone said their midwife had refused to do it which seems like such a mean-spirited thing to do.

Hey Sugarcoma. The midwife was with me, she was friendly but just totally refused to check the heart saying that if we didn't hear anything I'd just panic more. And then I'd insist on an extra scan and... blah blah blaah. Which is rubbish. The appointment was pretty late in the eve so I just gave up, which is annoying me.
Kicking - usually start feeling them after 20 weeks so don't panic about that. With my first one it was around 22-w I think.

And DSNs can be useful as a contact between the endo appointments, especially with levels & insulin. Email results over and they can suggest stuff. Obviously works better if the DSN is a good one.

Great news on the positive hear scan Esker, minus the mute doctor...

About the heart scan sugarcoma - not all hospitals do it, and if they don't it feels VERY hard to push them to do otherwise (I've tried!). But worth a shot. And FMC does offer it for £200. I'm beginning to relax a bit (not many other options...) and just trust they know what they are doing. Hmm.

Re Sunday: Waterloo is ok with me, bit more of a trek but perfectly doable. Maybe bit earlier if possible...? But am easy.

esker great news on heart scan. Doctors can be a bit rubbish about communicating but glad sonographer was good. Don't worry about the cookie - these things happen!!

sugar - which hospital are you at?? Hate to tell you but at mine they'll listen to heartbeat every time I'm in, starting at 16 weeks.. Rather than a private appt maybe first read up on NICE guidelines and challenge your team (in a nice way) of things they are not doing.

You will see that the heart scan is in the guidance - see 1.3.30. You are entitled to the level of care set out here as a minimum:

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng3/chapter/1-Recommendations#antenatal-care-for-women-with-diabetes-2

You are supposed to have this at 20 weeks. I really wouldn't take no for an answer and would not dream of paying until you have raised this with them. You'll see it also suggests that you're seen every 2 weeks...

As for meet up - let's leave the plan as is. Waterloo would be great for me the next time so maybe we can shake it up!!

I'm waiting for Harmony results - should be with me in the next few days. Eeek!!

Oh yes and on kicking. As Ripley says I was 21-22 weeks I think the first time and had anterior placenta which made it harder to feel.

This time I think I'm already feeling a few little movements but I think it's partly due to having no stomach muscles any more and partly just recognising the feeling!!

Evening all.

Sugarcoma, sorry you had such a hard time struggling with your levels. I can relate! I hope they have gotten easier to control over the last couple of days? It's so stressful! Today I was 16 (!) one hour post lunch. I think I might be hitting the point where my insulin requirements surge drastically.

Sounds like great advice from MrsNucky re firmly reminding your hospital of NICE guidelines.

MrsNucky how exciting re harmony! Hope the results hurry up and come through.

Good luck to all for stable overnight blood sugars!

Sugar your experiences with your hospitals sound troubling. Everything I read on here about what should be happening has happened automatically for me and I've not had to chase anyone up for it. Are you the complaining type? Might be worth a letter or email?

I'm on holiday this weekend so missing this weeks appointment but next week I have my 12 week scan and diabetic clinic.

I bought loads of nice food from M&S to take on holiday and am a bit irritated that their carbs are listed as per 100g but not per item like per slice of bread! I've brought my digital scales with me and can do the sums on my phone but it's annoying!

If I don't get back on here before Sunday I hope you have a lovely time meeting up.

tea - hope you have a really lovely break!! Digital scales very annoying. Apps like Myfitness Pal can be good too - most things sold in major supermarkets - whether branded or own brand - are listed including carb count so it would save weighing / measuring...

I got my harmony results through. Low risk on everything and.... IT'S A GIRL!! I am absolutely thrilled and very excited to have another female in the house. As well as DH and DS even our cats are boys. I better buy shares in Monsoon immediately!!

MrsNucky what lovely news that your having a girl! Must feel so good to know at last. Good to balance out the household gender weighting somewhat

tea hope you have a fantastic holiday. I've got a good app recommended by my dietician called 'Carbs and cals'. It's kind of an 'idiot's guide' to carb counting as there are pictorial images of portions of pasta, pizza, rice etc in different sizes, stating how many CPs each one is. (Hmm chance would be a fine thing to actually eat some pizza).

Ok bad start to day:

First of all, car is in garage so had to get bus, leaving home at 6.50. Arrive at work 7.35. Forgotten insulin and BG kit at home!

Now in an Uber on my way home to get it. Fortunately lovely colleague is covering my class (teacher).

I've never forgotten it before... Crazy how powerless you feel without a means of testing (or for that matter, eating). Let's hope the day improves rapidly!

Terrible start to the day!! I've arrived at work with something stupid like 2units of insulin left in my pen before. Totally horrible feeling which makes you feel very vulnerable.

Hope you get it all sorted quickly. How annoying to have to pay for an Uber as well after already having had to bus it!

Morning all!

Teainbed hope you had a lovely holiday?

I'm feeling very pleased as it's half term so for once I am eating breakfast at my leisure in my kitchen instead of shoving it down my face at my desk whilst trying to do fifty things at the same time.

Got clinic this Thursday - first time in four weeks - so I need to retrospectively log my levels and diet for the past few days as that has somewhat gone out of the window.

According to the 'Think Like A Pancreas' graph, I 'm definitely on that incline of increasing insulin needs, and I'm starting to see this trend in my own levels... so need to be bold and start upping the boluses. YIKES!

Ooooh - lucky you being on holiday!! Have to say I loved driving to work this morning as the roads were lovely and clear...

I'm going to up my nighttime Levemir - had a few weeks there of having nice low levels which is quite unusual for me, to now being 9/10 the last few days. It's the dratted dawn phenomenon striking again!

I have clinic tomorrow so hoping and seeing obstetrician so hoping to chat about that Cook's balloon thing a bit more, and also get the final arrangements for my fatal heart scan sorted out.

Crumpets = officially on my 'bad experience' food list now. 2 crumpets ... One hour later BG =
13

Crumpets can now join the ranks of the 'foods that have made me cry'.

How many units did you bolus for them? I find them no great, but not as bad as, say, white crusty bread... (drooling emoticon!)

I had a lovely holiday thank you. Managed a decent week of blood sugars despite meals out and a wedding!

I don't often get the rage about diabetes but it does annoy me the foods that are not available to buy in cafes and service stations! And it's not really a holiday if you're bringing your own packed lunch and snacks everywhere.

I love a crumpet. Pretty sure i had to take an extra unit and inject a good 30 minutes before eating them though.

Interested to read about insulin resistance. I'm 12.5 weeks so still in the dip on the graph but will need to keep a watch out from now.

Well I have only myself to blame for crumpet misery: I used 1:1 ratio so took 4 units for 2 crumpets. I did inject 20 mins prior, but that probably wasn't long enough, and also I need to accept the change to ratios and actually act on it. I find it hard to make the leap from acknowledging that something has changed (ie bolus: carb ratio) and actually acting on it (ie physically dialling up a larger dose)! I don't think crumpets will darken my door for a while though as they are guilty by association!

Glad you had a lovely time tea!