Ok, so I’m hoping all you wonderful, strong women can help me get out of my funk.
I feel like as a type 1 with this being my first pregnancy, all of the focus is on the diabetes and I’m not able to really enjoy being pregnant. I’m 11 weeks now and am having all the “typical” first-trimester symptoms of being overly tired, nauseous and now starting to get wicked heartburn. And it feels like a never-ending cycle of worry over my numbers, not wanting to eat anything because of the nausea, worrying about my bs going low, so eating anyway and getting the heartburn. I’m also starting to be turned off by all the good for me food. My heartburn seems to be triggered by dairy, so the yogurt I was eating every morning now puts me off. The cold salads I was loving for dinner two weeks ago now make me turn green to think of them, and the last time I tried to eat a scrambled egg I threw it back up before it even got down my throat.
I’m trying to eat healthy, keep my protein and carbs balanced, eat enough to not get keytones overnight and constantly check my dex and do finger sticks to see where my numbers are at.
I feel like my whole life is about blood sugar numbers and food right now and while fighting constant fatigue, I have no energy left to be excited about having a baby!
Is this normal? For those who have been through the first trimester, does it get better? I’m hanging onto the idea right now that in another three weeks or so many of my symptoms will go away and I’ll be able to get back to a more balanced life. Please tell me that really can happen!
Also, what are some tricks to be able to eat, even when the nausea rears its ugly head? Everything in the “typical” pregnancy world says crackers, ginger ale, etc, but then it’s really hard to bolus for that, especially when you’re not sure how much you’ll be able to keep down.
Sorry for the long rant, I just feel very isolated in my experience, and as we’ve been telling friends and family, they all get super-excited for me and I just can’t reach their level of enthusiasm. Maybe that’s just a normal part of pregnancy, but it feels like there’s something wrong with me.
Hi Rebecca. Congratulations on your pregnancy! I can definitely relate to you right now. I’m 19 weeks and I can tell you that at least for me, it DOES get better. My first trimester was extremely tiring. I would sleep for the majority of the day right out of work and into bed. I was naseous for most of the day, so I’d only eat small meals for breakfast and lunch- but luckily I only threw it back up a few times. Many nights, I wouldn’t even have the energy to eat dinner and would eat a peanut butter sandwich (with only one slice of bread) to give baby nutrients and something to survive on and then I’d crash into bed and sleep the night away. Luckily, baby doesn’t need much at this point in the game. At 11 weeks, baby is still really tiny, so you won’t have to worry about really FEEDING him/her. Just take the prenatals and make sure that what you do put into your stomach is good for you- like fruit juice or wheats. I craved wonton soup all the time my first trimester.
Now that I’m into my second trimester, I’m craving fruits and salads all day long. My energy is close to what is was before pregnancy. I stil sleep a lot, but when I’m awake, I am productive at work, and can put in an hour on the elliptical when I get home.
I didn’t enjoy the first trimester all that much because I had a lot of insulin shock comas, naseua, plus I had a m/c only last fall- so I was in fear of m/c again the whole first trimester. Only two weeks ago, I had a bleed out, so this pregnancy has been very hard on my body- physically and emotionally. But, I’m finally starting to really enjoy being pregnant. We find out the sex of the baby next week and I’m starting to feel like myself again.
So, yes, it does get easier (at least it did for me) and it’s okay that you feel the way you do. I did too. I’m at 6.5% A1c, 13 years with type 1.
congratulations again- Sleep some, put in some good foods for baby, and then go back to bed and sleep until the second trimester.
I really did need to hear that I’m not the only one who feels (felt) this way!
I am able to keep some food in and I try to make sure it’s as nutritous as possible. Plus I have found a prenatal vitamin that I can keep down, so I’m able to keep up with those. Luckily I have no problems sleeping, so getting plenty of rest is not an issue.
Good to know that there is a light.
Congrats on your pregnancy! So exciting to find out the sex. I plan to do that too. Do you have a wish one way or the other? It seems you’ve gone through a lot the past few months, I hope things stay well with you and your little one. Sounds like you’re doing great so far!
Oh, and we’re a1c twins - my last reading was at 6.5 also! Which is one thing I’m super proud of because it was 7.3 prior to conception.
Rebecca, I could have written much of this post myself. I’m type 1 and I’m in week 16 of my first pregnancy. (On top of that, I was only diagnosed with diabetes in May 2010, so this stuff is still new to me even though I got the hang of treatment and got my A1c way down before pregnancy.) I absolutely feel like this pregnancy has been more about my diabetes than about the baby. Almost all of what you’re talking about applies to me, except I had less trouble with morning sickness (I was just mildly nauseous all the time and threw up only once).
I do think it’s gotten better. Eating right gets easier as your nausea goes away (not that I always eat right!), the lows chill out a little bit, and I think the first trimester hormones fading away has let my blood sugar become a little more predictable. (Of course, I haven’t gotten to that point of insulin needs rising significantly yet!)
I think it’s gotten easier for me to handle as the first trimester hormones fade away, too. Hormones have always really affected my emotional state (I can’t take birth control pills because they make me C-R-A-Z-Y!), and I got super depressed and stressed during the first trimester. I doubt it affects most women quite like it did me, but I have a hard time believing all those surging hormones don’t create some kind of stress in a lot of women. For me, it’s gotten so much better the past couple weeks. I still haven’t really been able to focus on baby and excitement, but at least I’m not as overwhelmed. I’ve been able to enjoy the stuff that’s supposed to be fun, like hearing the heartbeat. Before, it was just, “OK, good, that means it’s alive.”
So I’m honestly not that far beyond what you’re dealing with right now, but yes… I think it gets better.
I’m glad you mentioned the hormones thing - I could not go on the pill either because the hormones were too much for me to deal with. Between all the hormones and the low blood sugars it does make a little more sense that I would feel out of wack.
I totally understand the heartbeat thing too. My husband was all cute and teary eyed when we heard the heartbeat, but I was just relieved to know the baby was OK. Like all my stress and hard work was going toward something but even that wasn’t the relief and joy I was hoping for.
I’m glad things have gotten easier for you to deal with. You seem to be doing very well and I wish you all the best. I hope it’s good to know that we’re not alone going through all this. I know it’s a great help to me to know others got through this hard part.
I’m honestly hoping for a boy. I just want a healthy baby after all we’ve been through, but I’ve wanted a boy (at least first) for a long time. They just seem like they would be easier to raise. So, for the first baby, it would make sense to have a boy first. haha. I dunno. Healthy is key. People are taking bets at work. It’s 9 to 3 odds I’m having a girl according to co-workers. 5 to 3 odds I’m having a boy according to my family. We’ll see !
