Hi, I’ve heard a lot of good stuff online and on various blogs about cgms and how they help with BG control and I also hear a lot of positive comments from people who’ve used it during pregnancy. However, my diabetes nurse (whom I have a lot of faith in) told me yesterday that they typically take people OFF their cgms when they’re pregnant because the readings can be way off when pregnant for some reason and that this can often stress mothers out. I’m getting my cgm this week and I am 8 weeks pregnant. I still want to try it out, but has anyone here had any negative experiences with cgms during pregnancy?
I used my CGMS while I was pregnant with my daughter. I found that it was accurate for me. I helped a lot during labor as I didn’t have to keep pricking my finger.
I’ve been on my CGM since my fifth week (I’m now 10w6d), and I absolutely love it. My CDE/Animas pump rep actually insisted that I start on it the day I met her (she even said flat out that the CGM was more important than getting started on the pump for pregnancy).
Yes, there are some out-there readings from time to time, but on the whole, it’s helped me, especially with my increasing hypo unawareness. The biggest problem for me is that the Dexcom reads really high if you’ve taken Tylenol. Since that’s the only OTC pain relief med safe during pregnancy, when I sprained my ankle a couple weeks ago, I had to resign myself to having the sensor go crazy if I needed to take a tylenol.
Of course, my endo’s office doesn’t have much experience with the Dexcom, so I’m still testing with my meter as much as if I weren’t on the CGM to provide the records they need. Because of that, I know that my Dexcom is really consistent and trust its readings.
It’s strange that different endos and nurses say such different things. I think it’s still really important to check on your glucometer consistently even with the cgm. I think I will use it and also check consistently. I’m travelling to Ireland during my second trimester so I think it will be invaluable during the flight and with the jet lag
I’m pregnant and still using mine (a Dexcom). In the first trimester, there were a few days where it made me say, “WTF?!?!” It must have had something to do with my insanely swinging hormones. Overall though, I’d say its accuracy is pretty close to what it was pre-pregnancy. Maybe an occasional off-the-wall reading.
Keep in mind, however, that the primary value behind a CGM is trending. For example, it’s somewhat unpredictible how I react to various kinds of foods (depending on how much fat is in them, etc.) these days, so I like making sure my blood sugar is going gently up after a meal, not down. It also gives you a nice picture of what your blood sugar is doing between your meal test and your two-hours-after-meal test (you don’t want to spike too much, even if your two-hour number is perfect). And another thing I love is that, with the tighter control I now keep, Dexcom warns me when I drop too fast. I do not shower without having the sensor on and Dexcom sitting right outside the shower door, because showers tend to make my blood sugar drop. Before pregnancy, I’d have a tiny snack before a shower. Now, I just listen for Dexcom in case I drop faster than expected before the shower is over. Similarly, I don’t feel like I have to have a snack before bed “just in case,” because my CGM will beep at me if I go too low and I can just test and have some Starburst from my bedside stash. (This generally isn’t a problem, but it happened a couple times int he first trimeter.) I don’t think I’d have as tight a control on my BGs if I didn’t have the safety net a CGM provides.
Thanks Lizzie-that’s really helpful 
I agree, the trends are what is most helpful. It’s great to be able to glance at a graph and instantly know which parts of the day aren’t working. (Btw, I use a minimed CGM since I already had that pump). And I have found that some sites are more accurate than others for me. I used to use my abdomen, and I found the CGM frustrating because it wasn’t very accurate and was always alarming for false highs or lows. So I stopped using it. Then I decided to try it again, and now I use my upper butt/hip. The readings are much more accurate now. Just so you know, you can’t use it on a flight, because it supposedly might interfere with the plane’s navigation system. However, you’re right that in general it’s really handy in situations where it’s not really feasible to check your bg every 2 hours (I love having mine at work, since I have a really hectic job that doesn’t always allow me to check a lot at work).
I hope you give it a try–I’ve heard that insurance is much more likely to pay for a CGM during pregnancy, too. Good luck!
Yes I’ve started to use mine-just getting used to it now. I know of diabetics who use the cgm while flying- I can understand having to turn off the receiver during take off-but why not during the flight I wonder? Has anyone here used their cgm while flying?
I don’t know about the dexcom, but the minimed instructions say you have to leave it off for the whole flight. I have a hard time believing it would really interfere with the plane, but that’s what it says…
I’m not pregnant yet, but my diabetes nurse/doctor (who is not an endo, but a FABULOUS internist) highly recommend applying for a CGMS as soon as I test positive. Right now, my blood sugars are in too good of control for it to be “medically necessary”, but pregnancy changes that, thankfully. Their reasoning for the CGMS is both for trending and hypo unawareness. I have always had troubles with post-prandial spiking, despite all the dual and extended combinations I’ve tried. Some foods will just have to go away once I’m pregnant.
I’m going on the DEX in the hopes that the system integration with the Omnipod is indeed a not-too-distant reality.
I am 8 weeks pregnant as well and just got my Dexcom CGM a week and a half ago. I have had a few times where my #s on the CGM were way off and scared me to death and really upset me but then sometimes it is spot on…so I kinda have mixed feelings about it. For example right now my CGM says I am 191 and rising which made me freak out as a pregnant woman of course and I just checked my bg with my meter and I am 121!!! I have been woken up a few times in the middle of the night with my CGM saying “high” which means over 160 and I will check and I am only100!! I am very frustrated!
I use the Dexcom CGM and have flow multiple times (including from O’Hare to Copenhagen 8hrs) with the CGM on with zero problems.
That has happened to me too-but I always check with my glucometer when it gives a high or low warning. I have been woken up overnight too. So far, when that happens, I just turn off the alert after the first time and set my alarm to wake me at 5am like I normally do. It’s not worth it to be woken like that for no reason. I’m going to try a different site too like E. Louise because right now it’s on my abdomen and she said that it worked better for her on her thigh-I’ll try that next time
not thigh–butt/hip. good luck!
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and “on” as in turned on and receiving data. goodness gracious i need to edit before i post
I LOVE my Dex. I have had serious hypo-unawareness since becoming pregnant and it has helped me catch many lows around 60, which is when I used to feel my lows, but no longer. Sometimes the Dex is off-but it is that way as well when not pregnant. Just make sure to calibrate often. I have been getting a lot of sinus headaches recently, so have been using Tylenol-when I do, I just leave my Dex receiver in a different room for a few hours until the effects wear off (Dex reads WAY high when you take Tylenol).
I also use it to see my trends after eating and it keeps me from checking my BGs every hour! I check more like every 2 hours instead
Good luck!