So i am 30 years old. I am 5 1/2 weeks pregnant. I went to the doctor yesterday and she did a ultrasound and say the babys heartbeat and told me it was slow. So this is my delima. Please dont bash me i am doing the best as i can. My alc has not been good . it was about a 10. Well my insurance will not cover the pump and that is what my doctor wants me to be on. So my questions are these. My endo switched me to n humalin instead of my lantis. I am taking 18 morning and 18 night. I am checking my blood sugars 10 times a day. I am trying to monitor it as best as i can. I am stressing out big time. My doctor told me that she does not know if it “will be or will not be”. ok i understand what that means. I dont know if she is scaring me becuase this was unplanned or what. So what is your advice to me to help me have a healthy baby?
It’s not written that you have to have a pump in order to have a successful pregnancy so don’t stress about your insurance not covering one. I’m assuming that you’ve tried to get them to cover more that just one particular pump. With proper documentation from your endo, your chances may be greater for getting one. You’re doing good by staying on top of testing. Am I correct that your doctor has you only on humalin (a long-acting) insulin? If so, I don’t understand why you’re not on a short acting insulin like humalog to cover your carbs during meals. Have you had this conversation with your doctor? On another note… I could not have made it through my pregnancy without my (insurance covered visits) diabetic educator and dietitian. If possible I would get those people on your diabetic pregnancy team ASAP! I called my diabetic educator on her cell all through my pregnancy, and even during delivery in order to make adjustments to my insulin needs and diet. Don’t forget that exercise as simple as walking will help level out your blood sugars. I also got a hold of an old school Denise Austin pregnancy yoga workout video. Whatever, it worked. Best wishes!
Hi Samantha- We won’t bash you here. Promise. We are all struggling with the same things: Trying really hard to have successful pregnancies and healthy babies. Think of us as an extended famiy who understands your symptoms and internal struggles.
That aside, I’m glad that you’re testing as often as you are. What got my numbers under control was to test upon
- waking in the AM,
- one hour after breakfast,
- two hours after breakfast,
- before lunch,
- one hour after lunch,
- two hours after lunch,
- before dinner,
- one hour after dinner,
- two hours after dinner,
- before bedtime snack,
- one hour after bedtime snack,
- two hours after bedtime snack…
- plus any time that I felt “off” or
- any time that I got up in the middle of the night to go pee.
I’m currently 36 weeks along and doing 20+ shots per day (Apidra and Levemir), No CGM, No pump. My A1c at conception was 6.9% but my pregnancy was pretty much planned. I’m currently at 6.2% and trending down. (Thankfully only a few more weeks to go!) But… I was stuck at 8-10% A1c for YEARS before planning conception.
I’ve ALWAYS had major dawn phenominon. Also major issues with insulin resistance.
During pregnancy, the MOST important time for your baby is during the first 8-12 weeks of gestation. During those first weeks, you want to keep your glucose levels as STABLE as possible. Eat something small every few hours and test test test. Seriously, test like it’s your JOB. Keep track and keep a log of your glocose numbers so you can see trends. Once you’ve identified certain trends in your numbers (certain times of the day, certain meals), then you can correct them. For the first trimester, it will feel like you are just a walking glucose number. But, you will be so proud of how far along you’ve come when you see that A1c lowering and your baby’s heartbeat strengthening.
Also, baby’s heartbeats are not predictable until about 8 or 9 weeks. Don’t stress too much about your Little One’s weak heartbeat right now. All four heart chambers are still being created, so it’s just beginning to learn how to pump in a rhythm. I also suggest you join a birth board like Baby Center. They won’t have a lot of stuff about diabetes and pregnancy (aside from the gestational diabetes topics), but reading the forum posts will really help you feel like you’re not alone. You wouldn’t BELIEVE some of the stuff I’ve seen on the birth board that people are told by doctors regarding their pregnancies that are just NOT true.
I did not need a dietician and I rarely spoke with my Endo regarding my glucose numbers, but that’s just ME. I do a lot of experimenting to keep my glucose numbers stable. Pre-pregnancy I was on a NO carb / LOW carb diet and also on Metformin to reduce my increasing insulin resistance.
I went for a lot of short walks during the first trimester right after dinner to help with the post prandials. I had to keep the walks short because I had a LOT of insulin shock comas from being put on NPH (versus my typical Levemir) which I had an adverse reaction to. They switch you to NPH becaue Levemir and Lantus are not approved with pregnancy. I switched back to Levemir around week 15 because after the first trimester, your baby’s vital organs are mostly developed. After getting through 7 insulin shock comas during the first trimester… I happily switched back to Levemir in my second trimester.
Ask LOTS of questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to your docs. And don’t be afraid to research to make sure what they are asking you to do makes sense. Don’t be afraid to switch doctors if the one you have doesn’t mesh with your personality, or if you feel like she’s mistreating you. Pregnancy is an exciting time. Planned or not.
It’s going to be difficult. You’re going to get stressed. You’re going to cry about it a few times. You’re going to feel like you want to give up at least once during pregnancy. But, the end result is worth it (so I’m told, haha.)
I’m a soon-to-be first time mom on 20+ injections per day, Apidra, Levemir, Metformin, 36 weeks pregnant with a baby girl, 10+ tests per day, no CGM, no pump, no dietician
I second the idea of having a diabetes educator and dietician on your team. Your insulin requirements will start to increase late in the second trimester and you’ll need help making adjustments.
Also, I’d say make sure you’re taking 5 mg of folic acid, if you’re not already. You can get a prescribed one like PregVit 5 or just take a regular prenatal vitamin plus folic acid. That’s what I’ve been doing since I started trying to conceive (I’m 9 weeks now). The first trimester is a critical time.
And remember to check in here. I’m learning a lot on these message boards, even though this is my second pregnancy.
Best wishes!
Stress is your enemy…so get that outta your head right away! Stress will just make your sugars super crazy. Easier said then done, but I know it can be very trying when things just seem unstable. Stay focused and keep testing. Don’t sweat the high sugars either. Correct them right away and just move on.
I bled up until my 10th week and heard all kinds of negative comments from several doctors that the baby might not make it. I’m now 22 weeks and the baby is very healthy. My diabetes is doing great and I feel amazing.
Everything Marps, Lindsay and JenM is great advice!
Just hang in there and keep smiling :]
Best wishes.
thank you everyone for your great words and advice! It sure has helped me put my mind at ease.
I was on MDI with no CGM for my first pregnancy a few years ago (novolog + Levemir). I got pregnant with an A1C of 8.6. No, it wasn’t planned, but my daughter was born healthy and is now a 2.5 yr old toddler that is a ball of energy. The only thing you can control is what you eat, how often you test and correct and how well you sleep and take time to relax…everything else is out of your control.
The most important thing is to chart your BG and watch for trends like staying high 2hrs after meals or spiking when you’ve barely eaten any carbs or not coming down when you’ve given a correction dose. In your first trimester, you’ll have tons of lows so keep juice and sugar tabs handy and expect to decrease your basals and I:C ratios. It’s going to be a great deal of work but it will pay off.
Hello Samantha,
All I can tell you is test test test! I know it is very hard to keep BG levels normal, but calm down and get to work with your team. I know how scary it can be, but it will be okay. Good luck with your pregnancy and I wish you and your baby all the best! Keep us post it!!! 