Hey all. I’m 4w+3d today (good grief, I never thought I’d be able to type that!) and my blood sugars are still pushing my upper limit (170-200) especially at night. I just started on 500mg of metformin last Friday to start helping with my insulin resistance. And I basically don’t eat carbs. I have to be gluten free for my Hashimoto’s, and I discovered most of those gluten free foods really spike my blood sugar a lot, so gave them up too. So I eat pretty much a keto diet, but lately have been bolusing like it’s actual carbs.
My doctor said I’d have to quit the metformin in my second trimester anyways, so I could go ahead and quit now, but I don’t feel like I have the blood sugar control yet. I originally asked if I could get on metformin because I have been doing everything RIGHT and still can’t keep my blood sugar where it needs to be. When I first started keto, I lost about 11 lbs and had blood sugars flatlined in the 90s for several days in a row. Now? Ha ha, yeah right. I gained those 11lbs back, plus a few. And that was BEFORE the holidays. And now I’m sure I’ll be gaining even more weight during this pregnancy, which I absolutely don’t need. (And I’m not saying that because there are 20 or 30 pounds I need to lose - I need to lose at least 50 to even be back on normal BMI charts)
Basically…what the heck am I missing?? Am I going to be the weird one (not surprising) and be fighting high blood sugars my entire pregnancy?
Hi there! I’m currently 17.5 weeks. For me at least, I had to increase my insulin right away, but I believe around 6-7 weeks I started to get really intense nighttime lows and decreased everything, and as of a few weeks ago I have started to experience some insulin resistance and my basals and I:C have both been increased quite a bit. So you are right on track based on my experience!!
I have heard that lows usually begin around 6 weeks (although everyone is different). For now, if I were you, I would increase my basal rates and carb ratios (for you, ratios for protein and fat). Just be on guard for when the tides may rapidly turn and keep your glucose tabs on hand!
So right around my first doctor appt. Yay.
Personally I like those baby food pouches instead of glucose tabs or juice
boxes right now. They make me feel like I’m doing something doubley
healthy! (Treating a low and getting extra fruits and veggies!)
haha i always use fruit snacks (gummies), but there were a few weeks there where i was literally drinking juice 4 or 5 times a day because my need for insulin dropped so suddenly, and i was never too mad because i was getting so much fruit!!! just take it day by day and try to notice the patterns and you will do great
KCCO are you type 1 or 2? Are you on insulin? My understanding is that Type 1 diabetics see their insulin needs drop (along with their BSs) during the first trimester because their bodies actually start making insulin again for a short time. I am not aware of a similar thing happening with Type 2s, but that may just be because I am not type 2!
Type 1 - yes i’m on humalog & have been on tresiba, but at my doc appt
today she switched me over to levemir since tresiba isn’t yet "approved"
during pregnancy. I’m worried it’ll mess me up, honestly, because i’ve been
doing pretty well on tresiba. So for now i’m going to switch back to my
pump & use the U-200 humalog from the pens I have in it (per the docs
instructions, she set up all my ratios today & everything) for bolusing and
levemir 2x a day for basal.
Thankfully, she is very responsive to emails so if its just completely not
working, we can change things up pretty fast.
She did say my insulin needs will increase the first trimester then level
out, then increase again in the third, with them dropping back pretty
quickly by the time I’m due.
well in a super duper FUN turn of events (not) the new pharmacy benefits for my insurance don’t cover levemir. of course i ran out this morning and didn’t plan ahead. of course.
email blast to my doctor: heeeeelp!
email blast to my case manager: heeeelp!
email blast to my HR lady: THIS SUCKS AND I HATE IT!
thankfully my endo said that levemir is the ONLY insulin approved for use during pregnancy and she can start a prior authorization request for it to be covered. in the meantime i’ll have to run basals on my pump, which hasn’t gone well in the recent past.
but now i’m all fired up about the cost of insulin and how its not all covered under insurance. >:( when will things ever change??
the thing that also just BURNS me is that on the pharmacy benefit manager’s website, they state that “preventative” medicines are low cost or free…
And now I’m sure I’ll be gaining even more weight during this pregnancy, which I absolutely don’t need. (And I’m not saying that because there are 20 or 30 pounds I need to lose - I need to lose at least 50 to even be back on normal BMI charts)