Any personal experience answers to my questions??? This is my first pregnancy (I’m 35)
After the 1 hour test at 18 weeks (310), and because I had sugar in my urine, the internist had me do an A1c. It was 8. I have no idea if I was diabetic before pregnancy (tons in my family) I had tested a few years earlier and my sugars were “normal” (Although I think maybe at least prediabetic).
So I’m a little freaked out–are there people who got diagnosed in 2nd trimester with A1cs this high? I know nothing about this stuff and have been reading up on it. I’m testing 8 times a day and doing the 3 fast acting, 1 slow acting at night shot medley, but my morning numbers are still high (like 130-150). Is there anything I can do to bring down those morning numbers?
During the day, my numbers are a tad high (I often am in the 150-60s still), but finally I don’t hit any more 200s, and I’m pretty sure the doc will increase my insulin again…I feel like I fail every time I test. I find the best way to bring down these numbers is exercise…but I am so worried about the baby.
This can still work right? I’m 21 weeks now…and I just want time to have a healthy baby. I think I’m done with the daily blood sugar/hormone crying. But still looking for ANY advice!!!
Welcome to TuDiabetes Piper! I’m glad that you found us!! Congrats on your pregnancy
First tip, you need to NOT feel like a failure everytime you have a high blood sugar. Someone once told me that the first thing that you need to say to yourself when you see a high blood sugar is “I’m glad that I caught it. Now I can correct it!”. It sounds silly, but it can change your whole mentality towards measuring your blood sugar.
(I have never been pregnant, but I am preparing for it. I will leave it to the Moms to answer your pregnancy related questions.)
A few questions/ suggestions:
(1) Are you working with an endocrinologist?
My feeling is that you should because they can give good advice about increasing the insulin dose, which you will need to do many times during pregnancy.
(2) What kind of diet did they recommend? Do you know how many carbs you are eating? I don’t know if you should reduce carbs during pregnancy…
(3) You can reduce your highs A LOT by waiting 10-15 minutes AFTER giving your fasting acting insulin before eating. “Fast-acting” insulin doesn’t start to lower my blood sugar for about 25 minutes. So my blood sugars are a lot better when I wait to eat. Waiting those 10 minutes can be the difference between high or normal blood sugars for two hours after eating.
(4) Which long-acting insulin are you on (Lantus, Levemir)? Many people find that they have better blood sugars by splitting the dose and taking one in the morning and one in the evening. Ask you doctor about this.
(5) Did they mention the possiblilty of starting on an insulin pump during your pregnancy? Not sure if that is the right approach, but it might help.
In terms of the diet–I was told 45-60 at meals and 30 for snacks. It has sounded really high to me so basically I am eating between 30-45 at meals and then trying to keep snacks to 15. I have noticed that the one or two meals where I had 60, my blood sugars were super high, so I just don’t do it now. I was initially scolded when I showed the dietician my food diary, as she said I had cut back way too much. She said that it was not good for the baby’s brain development. (But I did feel fantastic for that week when I was basically having 0-15 carbs per meal!!)
I don’t wait AT ALL honestly, after taking the fast-acting. I will do it today! I had no idea that made a difference.
Last night, also, I took the long-acting (humulinN), waited to have a bedtime snack, did only carrots as a carb, and my read was only 110 this morning (30 points lower than it usually is) so I feel like I have a good chance with that after she increases it a bit.
I am seeing an internist–I like her personality, so far she’s the only doctor who doesn’t raise my blood pressure when I go in!!! I have been reading stuff on this site and wondering if Ill end up on a pump…
Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to write me back!
You know–it’s funny, the first time I felt the baby move was the same day I found out I’d have to take insulin, and that it wouldn’t be diet alone–I felt crushed, and then I went back to work, and sat there trying to figure out how to just absorb all of it. And then the baby moved, and I felt very comforted, like, “ok, it’s still in there, it’s still working out…I can get through it.” With numbers like this, I have a feeling this will be much longer than my pregnancy, so I figure now is the time to start learning everything I can. I want to be a smart diabetic
You poor thing, it will be ok. I had my daughter at 35 and I kept my A1c around 6.0…I am on a pump which made it easier, and you can easily lower yours too.
I recommend also, if you aren’t someone who usually exercises, just to try and take a walk everyday. 20-30 minutes will be great!
If you are working, try 20 minutes at lunchtime.
You need to keep your heart rate below 140 bpm, which should be easy when just walking.
Lower carbs are really the best way to help you with your sugars. Also, you don’t want the baby to get too big.
I would make sure to try some meals you know the exact carb count, like frozen meals for lunch. Nuts are a great snack!
Also, apples with peanut butter, or even carrots, that way the protein slows down the absorption.
Let me know if you have more questions. I’m sure I could go on and on.
You will be fine, plus your halfway there!! Yippee!
You are not falling any test, please don’t behard on yourself, I understand completely because I ruined my first pregnancy by worrying the whole way through. You have taken control of the situation now, there’s no point in worrying about something you didn’t even know existed. 130 isn’t too high but I know its better to have the blds around 70-90 while pregnant because this is what a women’s body does normally while pregnant. All I can tell you is that you are doing your best, maybe you could increase your long acting nightime dose. There is nothing wrong with increasing your insulin while being pregnant, don’t look on it as something you are not doing properly. I took up to 4 time the amount of insulin I would normally take. My control was not good when I became pregnant, I tried my hardest to get it down and I gave birth to two little 6lbs something ounces, little girls, not twins. Being pregnant is kinda scary anyway, you and your baby will be fine. Make sure to check with your doc before you change insulin. Try to get rest as well as the good diet tips and exercise. Try, try, try to enjoy it.
Thank you all so much for these responses–I have really needed these kind of encouraging statements!!! This morning I ate a breakfast with eggs, 1 piece of whole wheat toast and a lot of grilled asparagus, it was great and very filling, and my one hour after-breakfast number was 124! I am really starting to think I should be really limiting the carbs a bit more than the dietician had suggested…I love eating vegetables and am very happy to replace some starches with those.
I think somehow I have to think of the insulin as a good thing…that’s hard to wrap my head around.
This morning’s number was a little lower too…I had a very late snack (around 12am) of carrots and peanut butter, and I think that helped! It was still 110, but that’s a lot better than what I’ve been getting, so I feel encouraged. i’m going to attempt to repeat the same thing!
Thanks again…I have a sister visiting this weekend (we’re living in a new state–and to go through this without friends or family nearby is especially hard) and I can’t wait to just relax with her and enjoy being pregnant.
I think that reducing carbs with help you a lot. It has made all the difference to me. I do not follow a strict low carb diet, but I try to never eat more than 30g at once.
Also, about your baby’s brain development, our bodies convert some protein to glucose. So you don’t have to eat white bread in order to have glucose. Just protein does not raise our blood sugars as much. So it’s a good solution for most of us.
Lots of veggies sounds great NO MATTER what. Many people in this community learned the hard way, that if you follow the dieticians advice, you are bound to have high blood sugars (my dad was diagnosed with diabetes last year and the dietician told him that he needed to INCREASE his carb intake compared to before he was diagnosed. Crazy.) Don’t avoid all carbs, eat a healthy balanced diet, but you do not need 250g of carb per day.
Be careful with the early bolusing. If you wait too long, you can drop low very quickly. So I only bolus early when I am at home, the food is ready, and I set the kitchen timer (to be sure that I won’t forget).
