# 3 year OLD T1



## Type 1 toddler

My three year old. Daughter has recently been diagnosed with type 1 and I am 7 months pregnant sometimes I feel so hopeless I find it so hard to leave my home and I am dreading giving birth I feel so lonely and so scared atm any advice?


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## Bronco Billy

Hi, welcome to the forum. You’ve come to the right place, you are definitely not alone here

Your feelings are perfectly normal. It’s hard to get away from the security of home when you have a type 1 child. There is always that nagging doubt that you have forgotten to take something of great importance, like glucose, with you. It won’t always be like this, I promise. As you start becoming more knowledgeable about type 1, you will grow in confidence. About three weeks after my daughter was diagnosed, we were due to go on holiday. While it was only spending a week with my parents, it was still a scary thing to do. Letting her go to school was very scary too, even though we lived about 15 minutes away. Once you’ve braved going out and nothing bad happens, your fears will start to subside. Try short journeys first of all, even if it’s just a 10 minute walk around the block. Do a bit more each time, and it will get easier.  

Is there a support group in your area? Your hospital team may know, or you can check this page, https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_help/local_support_groups As well as this forum, there are loads of Facebook groups, too. There is also the Diabetes UK helpline if you want to speak to someone. There details can be found at https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_help/helpline There is a page on the Diabetes UK website for parents. It has lots of useful information on it, including a link to order the ‘type 1 bag’, which has some useful resources in it. It is at https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/your-child-and-diabetes

You’re not hopeless, you’ve got an awful lot to cope with. Type 1 is a learning curve, sometimes a steep one, but we all manage to climb it and you will too. Yes, it takes time, but you will learn more each day and what takes a lot of thinking and is very stressful now will become routine.

Don’t be afraid to seek help from those around you. You will need someone you can trust to look after your daughter while you are in hospital giving birth. Start involving that someone right away if you can, so they have as much time as possible to learn about type 1. I hope your partner is being supportive. Speak to your team for advice, they will have seen this situation before.

I hope I’ve succeeded in reassuring you, and if there is anything else you want to know, please ask. Remember, no question is too silly. Good luck and stay strong, you’ll be fine.


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## HOBIE

Welcome ! You have joined a good site. I have spent the last 50 odd years being T1 since the age of 3. Never been unemployed in my life & started work 2 days before my 16 birthday. Really good luck & pls keep at it. "Knowledge is king !"


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## Northerner

Type 1 toddler said:


> My three year old. Daughter has recently been diagnosed with type 1 and I am 7 months pregnant sometimes I feel so hopeless I find it so hard to leave my home and I am dreading giving birth I feel so lonely and so scared atm any advice?


Hi, welcome to the forum  I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's diagnosis  As @Bronco Billy has said, it is a lot to have to cope with for any parent, but particularly when you are pregnant. Hopefully, you have a good team supporting your daughter's diabetes and you shouldn't hesitate to contact them should you have any concerns. It is a very steep learning curve, but it will become clearer and easier in time. I would highly recommend getting a copy of Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas, which is an excellent reference guide to all aspects of living with Type 1, very accessible and well-written. It will help you with many of your queries and concerns, and perhaps also prompt questions and your understanding of things when talking to her diabetes team  In addition, if you use Facebook, there is an excellent support group called 'Parents of Children With Type 1 Diabetes In The UK' - you may be able to find other parents in your local area which will make you feel less isolated.

Finally, for yourself, I'd suggest reading Adrienne's essential guide for parents of newly-diagnosed children, written by one of our members whose daughter was diagnosed shortly after birth and is now a talented, healthy and flourishing teenager!  This is one thing you should note above all else, Type 1 diabetes will not prevent your daughter from achieving whatever she wants to do - there are people with Type 1 in all walks of life and at every level, from the Prime Minister, Theresa May, to elite sportsmen and women. It will take a bit of extra planning, but the advances in treatments, knowledge and technology all mean that it is no longer a game-changer - and it is improving all the time! 

No question is considered 'silly', so please let us know if anything is worrying or confusing you and we will do our best to help  Please keep us updated, and I wish you all the best with your forthcoming event


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## HOBIE

You will find out there are not two days the same. Your daughter could do exactly the same amount of exercise one day as yesterday & completely different bg. Don't beat yourself up about this pls


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## Type 1 toddler

I don't really have much family just my partner and my mum doesn't speak English and can't read I live in moseley and haven't been put in touch with any support groups or local community as of yet I have asked but told u will see people when I go clinic. I'm so scared of having a baby Im so scared of leaving my daughter with my partner because I know It's so hard to manage and he will be just as terrified as I am. Thank you so much guys for. Your replies I would love to find someone in Birmingham or close to moseley in Birmingham just to talk to and get some reassurance


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## Bronco Billy

Hi again. I’m off to work in a minute so I’ll reply properly later. I saw that you had posted, so I just wanted to quickly reply so you knew I’d seen it and that I could tell you that I’ll have some information for you this evening.


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## Type 1 toddler

Bronco Billy said:


> Hi again. I’m off to work in a minute so I’ll reply properly later. I saw that you had posted, so I just wanted to quickly reply so you knew I’d seen it and that I could tell you that I’ll have some information for you this evening.


Thank you I really appreciate it looking forward to a reply


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## Type 1 toddler

Yo


HOBIE said:


> Welcome ! You have joined a good site. I have spent the last 50 odd years being T1 since the age of 3. Never been unemployed in my life & started work 2 days before my 16 birthday. Really good luck & pls keep at it. "Knowledge is king !"


You are a real fighter and u give me a glimpse of hope I feel so so so scared at the moment can't eat or sleep at the moment was u the only child did u have younger siblings ?


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## HOBIE

Type 1 toddler said:


> Yo
> 
> You are a real fighter and u give me a glimpse of hope I feel so so so scared at the moment can't eat or sleep at the moment was u the only child did u have younger siblings ?


Thank you so much ! I am a qualified "Patient Leader" with NHS & give talks to various groups to try & help them. I have an older sibling & no other relatives who are diabetic. Really good luck


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## Bronco Billy

Believe it or not, it could be a positive that your partner is worried too, it shows he cares.

Try teaching your mother by showing her what you do. Let her see you do blood tests and injections, let her see you correct a hypo and a hyper, I expect you will both be surprised at how much she picks up. You’ve got a few weeks until the baby is due and you will learn a lot in that time, so will your partner if he gets involved in your daughter’s care. I know it’s not ideal, but would you consider letting your partner stay at home looking after your daughter while you are having the baby? A lot of women worry about how their partner will cope, but dads can and do cope. My wife has taken our youngest daughter away for a weekend to a dancing competition for the last few years, leaving me with our two type 1s. everything was fine every time.

The period after diagnosis is difficult, I remember it well. The day we brought our daughter home from the hospital, I stood in the kitchen (it was the first time I had been able to take a step back and think about her diagnosis, life had been so hectic) and thought to myself, “Our lives have just changed in a very big way, and I have no idea how!” There is so much new information to absorb, it almost blurs into each other. By the time you are due to give birth, the fog will have cleared and you will be much more experienced and knowledgeable, oh, and calmer.

As I said before, speak to the hospital team about your concerns while having the baby. They will have experience of this.

I have found a support group local to you, they meet in Kings Heath. At the bottom of the page I have linked, there are contact details of the type 1 support group attached to the main group. This group is affiliated with the Diabetes UK local group scheme, so you can trust the people you deal with. I am also making enquiries to see if there are any other groups in your area.

https://birmingham.diabetesukgroup.org/about/

I forgot to mention this before, but there is a board on this forum dedicated to pregnancy issues. Have a browse through it and post there if you need to.

If there is anything else you want to say or ask, you know where we are


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## Lucy Honeychurch

I'm so pleased @Bronco Billy has responded to you. He's fantastic for parents and can give excellent help and support.


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## HOBIE

HOBIE said:


> Thank you so much ! I am a qualified "Patient Leader" with NHS & give talks to various groups to try & help them. I have an older sibling & no other relatives who are diabetic. Really good luck


I do not like to give in


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## Type 1 toddler

Thank you @Bronco Billy at the moment it's all fresh and scary because we both have to fight to give our daughter the insulin injection hence why I am worried about leaving her and going hospital because she will not allow us to inject unless we both tackle her and its so horrible she will scream and cry and the night time long acting is the worst she has a absolute tantrum and I don't blame her.  

Would it be ideal to ask about the pump? She's three and also isn't at nursery which is another thing worrying me. 

How did u cope with shopping everyday meals eating as a family because at the moment I'm not eating properly and I'm just focused on her meals. Thank you once again to everyone I know I have so many questions I'm sorry


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## SB2015

Type 1 toddler said:


> Yo
> 
> You are a real fighter and u give me a glimpse of hope I feel so so so scared at the moment can't eat or sleep at the moment was u the only child did u have younger siblings ?


Welcome and I am glad that you have found this forum.
There is a lot of experience and support available on here and Broco Billy is alreadyon your case, which is great.  

I too recommend the book by Ragnar Hanas.  It is so clear, and such a good book to look back at.
One tip I have for anyone with T1 is to have a stash of jelly babies in every room.  I have small pots of themin each and I know that they are there ready for me.  It will be good if your Mum and husband know where these are and what the pots look like.

It must be hard if your daughter is struggling with every injection.  I know that there are devices that can reduce the sting of the needle and others use an ice cube.  It will be worth asking your DSN about these, or Bronco Billy May know more about them.  I have heard of some using a flavoured one (Made in an ice cube tray with their favourite juice).  They get to use it on the injection spot and then eat the ice cube.

I know it must seem impossible at present but it will get easier. It will just be hard to imagine that at the start.  Just keep in touch, and I wait with anticipation to learn more from @Bronco Billy when he gets back from work.


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## trophywench

It is possible that the insulin itself stings. Some does for some people - Lantus is one such example that used to sting me horribly.  What makes of insulin is she actually on? - cos then others who have used those ones can tell us if they do, and then we'll be able to point you in the right direction.


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## Type 1 toddler

@trophywench she is lantus for night and that's the one she hates quite a bit and has a absolute fit about it and it breaks my heart. The thing is they do get over it pretty quick but as a parent we find it harder to get over thinking it will be back again tommorow.
@SB2015 I am so happy I found this forum and im suprised it isn't recommended because it's the only place that's given me some reassurance and peace of mind speaking to all of you I feel like your all a godsend particularly because people. Who often going through the same thing can actually feel and understand more I've got more reassurance on here than from hospitals its like a family.
@Bronco Billy you are a superstar and any advice u give I will take on board I want my partner to be confident and as much hands on because he is the only support I have and he's our daughters lifeline while I'm in hospital
And its around the corner and this stress is only going to bring the date closer!!


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## SB2015

I had to switch from an insulin that I tried as it stung so much.  Once I switched that was sorted.
Well worth asking to switch from Lantus.  Levemir is another option that quite a few use and it has some advantages later on when you are into the fine tuning (yep that seems a long way off at the moment but you will be amazed at how quickly you become an expert.)

Thinking about food and meal times.  At the start I simply carried on eating what I had done before.  My getting T1 was nothing to do with my diet, just those pesky antibodies.  I have fine tuned (yep that again for the future) what I eat and how much now but at the start it was enough for me to just get used to working out how many carbs I was eating.  At the moment you could concentrate on just eating together as before and all working out the carbs.  I know at 3 it is a bit early, but it will be good for it to just be a normal part of a meal, and just think how good she will be at Maths when she gets to school. ( I used to get my classes to help me work out my insulin for my lunch.  I hasten to add I did still trust my own calls in the long run)

Glad you are enjoying being with us all.  Good to have you here.


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## Type 1 toddler

@SB2015 if I'm completely honest I was never a cook mum coking even is a huge task and as its Asian food too it's seems like going through a minefield! Being 7 months pregnant with swollen legs doesn't help either but giving it everything I got for my brave baby girl. You are right about the lantis because she did say to me it hurts might have to try the ice trick with her as she does love ice lollies.. Home made ones it is from now. By the way u mentioned a book earlier i have checked amazon quite a few come up I'm Not too sure which one to purchase or can I get one on my phone I know if amelia takes a like to it I won't ever find it again. I spend three days looking for support online and nothing the moment I found this site and got a reply it made me feel not so alone I bet u don't even realise how much you all help everyone believe me it's life changing.


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## Bronco Billy

There’s no such thing as so many questions.

SB2015 and trophywench make excellent points. Sometimes Lantus can sting as it enters the body and the injection will prick a bit as well.
Mention to the hospital team that the Lantus stings and ask about Levemir as an alternative. As SB2015 says, you can numb the site with an ice product. We used carb free ice pops which are available from all good supermarkets (and probably a few bad ones) and give it to your daughter as a treat afterwards. There is no guarantee, of course, but it may be that by the time you have your baby, your daughter will be more used to injections and won’t battle you as much. For now, it’s about patience (lots of it) and using techniques with your daughter to persuade her that injections are not such a big deal. Don’t be afraid to use a little bribery, an extra bedtime story or her favourite drink, for example. Try making it as little a deal as possible, something that is simply part of mealtime. Easier said than done, I know, but ultimately, that’s the way it has to be.

By all means ask about the pump. A note of caution, though. Pumps aren’t usually given out this early after diagnosis. It is important you know how to work out insulin doses etc by yourself without the help of technology, just in case it fails. No harm in asking the question, though. An exception is sometimes made if deemed medically necessary. My son’s numbers were somewhat erratic at night, so he was given a pump fairly soon after diagnosis to control them.

As parents, we often forget to look after ourselves as we are so focused on our children. However, we are no good to our child if we are ill, so you need to make sure you eat properly, especially with your pregnancy. We kept doing what we had done previously; we made a meal plan for the week and bought what we needed for those meals. That way, you know what you are eating and it can save money, too, as you are not ‘topping up’ the cupboard. Always a bonus! We ate as a family as much as possible and had the same food. Do that if you can as it will help you eat properly. Have you been introduced to the delights of carb counting yet? A useful book to buy is Carbs and Cals. There is an app for it, too. It not only has carbs for given weights of food, but pictures of the food on the plate as well, so you can have an idea of the what is on your daughter’s plate. That said, a set of scales is a good investment. My wife found it quite frustrating at first due to the meals she liked to make, which usually involved some improvisation on her part, and the occasional ‘shove it all in the pan together’ style of cooking. After diagnosis, we had to be a bit more orthodox in order to carb count accurately. Does your daughter eat anything you give her?

Leaving a type 1 child at school/nursery is a scary prospect. Your hospital team should visit the nursery before your daughter starts and train some of then staff. I wrote a thread on the ‘Diabetes in School’ board which gives some advice. You can find it at https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-information.75117/ There is also a good section on the Diabetes UK website dedicated to schools, which you may find useful when the time comes. It’s at https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Your-child-and-diabetes/Schools Before your daughter starts nursery, arrange to have a chat with them to discuss her needs and clarify anything you or the staff are concerned about.

I’ve been made aware of a social group near you. It’s a Facebook group called ‘Type 1 Birmingham meet ups’. The page is at https://www.facebook.com/groups/985812614844821/ 

The book SB2015 mentioned is this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Type-Diabe...8&qid=1547673505&sr=1-1&keywords=ragnar+hanas

I hope I’ve answered your questions properly. Please ask more questions if you need/want to


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## HOBIE

Type 1 toddler said:


> @trophywench she is lantus for night and that's the one she hates quite a bit and has a absolute fit about it and it breaks my heart. The thing is they do get over it pretty quick but as a parent we find it harder to get over thinking it will be back again tommorow.
> @SB2015 I am so happy I found this forum and im suprised it isn't recommended because it's the only place that's given me some reassurance and peace of mind speaking to all of you I feel like your all a godsend particularly because people. Who often going through the same thing can actually feel and understand more I've got more reassurance on here than from hospitals its like a family.
> @Bronco Billy you are a superstar and any advice u give I will take on board I want my partner to be confident and as much hands on because he is the only support I have and he's our daughters lifeline while I'm in hospital
> And its around the corner and this stress is only going to bring the date closer!!


My Mother could not get the "panel pins"needles into my arm because in the old days they where not the fine things of today. Glass syringes so my dad had to do it & the needles used to bend. It must be very hard to inject your child BUT u know its for there own good pls keep going


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## Type 1 toddler

Thank you @Bronco Billy I haven't replied in a while the diagnosis doesn't seem to be sinking in I don't want my daughter to feel any different with regards to food and what she can eat because everyone is constantly eating TV is about food everywhere u go is all about food I mean this world isn't really diabetic friendly.
I'm not sure if being pregnant is causing me to have these extra fears and sudden anxiety attacks but I don't feel so good I feel so miserable still and constantly getting upset about it which I don't want to do that this is a lifestyle change but I feel so alone I can't even leave the house at the moment in fear of omg what will she eat where will I feed her where will I give her injections. @SB2015 I do think the lantus stings quite a bit but it's keeping her stable at night I'm just worried if I change it will Affect night stability?
Do young children go low during the night should. I be checking at night I check when I wake up but being pregnant I don't even realise when I fall asleep or don't hear my alarm at times but when I do and when I'm. Awake I do check.


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## Sally71

I check my daughter in the night, usually only once though!  When she was diagnosed aged 6 all the nurses, doctors, and even my mum (who has been type 1 for 50 years now) said it's not necessary to check at night, the hypo will probably wake her up.  I find it doesn't though, when basal testing and since we've had the Libre (you can scan and see what's been going on with the blood sugars for the last few hours) it shows that sometimes she has been low at night for several hours and she doesn't wake up!  So I've now fallen into the habit of checking her anywhere between midnight and 3 am, whenever I am awake, and if she's ok then I leave her alone for the rest of the night.  Obviously if she's low I have to deal with it and then check again later, and occasionally I find her to be very high and have to give her a correction dose (not so hard as she is on a pump so I only need to push a few buttons).  I want to keep her safe of course, but at the same time I don't want to get obsessive about it!  It's easier now we've got the Libre and can just scan her, unless she's lying on the sensor and I have to roll her over to get at it, but even in the days of finger pricks I found that I could do it all without her waking up!  She's 12 now, I guess there might come a point soon when she doesn't want me barging into her room in the middle of the night any more, and then we'll just have to hope she's ok, my mum has lasted 50 years with T1 without anyone doing night checks on her!  (She was 22 at diagnosis though, didn't go through childhood with it)

I used to get really stressed about every low and high and why had they happened, sometimes you can see a reason for it and can perhaps learn a different ways of dealing with different situations, or occasionally you'll realise you might have made a mistake with the dose or the timing or something, but then other times there's no logic to it at all!  Diabetes does have a habit of throwing curve balls at you, usually right out of the blue just when you think you're getting the hang of it!  You could send yourself completely batty trying to get perfect numbers all the time though, and you have to enjoy life, so you do have to learn to relax a bit once you've learnt the basics.  Finding the right balance can be hard though, obviously you want to do your best for them, especially when they are so young and have their whole lives ahead of them, naturally you want to give them the best possible chance of having a long and happy life, but without blood sugar numbers being the first thing you think about all the time!  I found it very hard not to try to micromanage it all the time, but I think we are all a lot happier since I've learnt to relax a bit and not quiz my daughter about what her blood sugars have been doing the instant she gets home from school!

Are you carb counting yet?  This means adding up how much carbohydrate is in your daughter's meals and adjusting her insulin dose accordingly, which gives her much more freedom to eat what she wants.  If she hasn't long been diagnosed then maybe you haven't got that far yet, there is so much to learn that they try not to overload you with too much at once.  But when you feel ready please do ask about it as it is a much better way of managing the diabetes, although it does mean that you can no longer just sit down to eat anything without doing sums first!

Pumps are brilliant, you can do a lot of things with them that you couldn't possibly do with injections, so you can fine tune the insulin doses much better and it makes it easier to deal with things like illness and exercise and so on. So do ask about them; they involve a LOT of work though, I sometimes feel like I'm constantly fiddling with my daughter's pump trying to keep her blood sugars as even as possible, and then I never quite get there  We got a pump 8 days after diagnosis, only because a trial was starting up comparing diabetes control with pumps and injections in newly diagnosed children.  We had only 10 days to decide if we wanted to join the trial, so had hardly got over the shock of the diagnosis and were still just trying to get to grips with the basics of testing and injecting and how our lives had changed. Pumps were a completely alien thing to me, I at least vaguely knew what to expect with injections because of my mum.  So I was not keen initially, but hubby persuaded me to go for it and we were lucky and got picked for the pump part of the trial, so then had to learn a whole new load of things such as how to "inject" with a pump, changing cannulas, refilling the pump, carb counting etc etc.  OMG talk about brain overload, I think I barely knew what day of the week it was for a while and my brain definitely hit a wall and couldn't take any more in at one point. BUT it took me less than a day to see that the pump would make some things loads easier, so we stuck with it, got through the hard patch and have never looked back.

It's early days for you and it's all still a big shock, just hang in there, keep doing what you have to do, take as much help as you can get from the hospital and if you can get your mum and partner involved then it's probably a lot less scary than having to do it all on your own.  It does get easier in time, honest! And keep asking questions, we are all very friendly here and were all beginners with the diabetes once, no question is too silly!


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## Bronco Billy

Hello @Type 1 toddler. It’s very positive that you don’t want your daughter to feel differently about food. She needs to know that food isn’t an issue, she just needs to think more carefully about it. She can eat anything she wants, nothing is out of bounds, although there may be times in her life when she has to be ‘different’, e.g. if her sugars are high while she’s out with friends and they buy some sweets. It wouldn’t be a good idea for her to eat sweets at that moment.

You’re right, the world isn’t very diabetic friendly, but I promise you will learn to adapt. The early days can be quite stressful, but what seems stressful now will soon become routine and something you don’t have to think about.

In my first reply to you, I suggested going for short walks at first, just to get over the fear of being out with your daughter. If you think that she will need to eat while you are out, take something with you if it makes it easier. You and she can eat anywhere anybody else does. Give her the injection wherever you happen to be. If, for example, you are in a café, do the blood test and injection at the table. Please don’t go to the toilets as it’s important for your daughter to learn that diabetes is part of her and she shouldn’t hide it or be embarrassed about it. I hope you don’t mind, but I showed your last post to my wife as she is more of an expert at being pregnant than I am.  She said that being pregnant does heighten certain senses and emotions, so what you are going through is normal. If you haven’t already done so, I think you should consider going to the doctor about your anxieties so that you can receive proper one on one help with this. I’ve found a couple of articles which may help in the meantime.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/overcoming-fears/ 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/...9/overcoming-fear-the-only-way-out-is-through

Do you feel you know more now than when your daughter was diagnosed? Has your daughter had a hypo yet? If she has, you coped, right?

Night testing is one of the great debates among parents of diabetic children. There is no wrong or right, it’s about what works for you. Yes, lows can happen at night, but if this happens, the kidneys will usually pump out glucose reserves to deal with it. If your daughter’s night numbers are causing concern, by all means test, but don’t do it every hour. We test at 10:00pm, midnight and 3:00am. If one of our children is low at 3:00am, my wife will usually test again an hour or so later, but I do it differently. I will usually give them enough glucose to raise their numbers to a safe level and/or I’ll adjust the background insulin rate on their pump. It might help if you keep a record of all tests so you can see patterns. This will help you make the right decision for you.

Please consider joining the West Midlands Children and Young People’s Diabetes Network on Facebook. It’s part of a national network created about 10 years ago to improve short term care and long-term outcomes for children with diabetes.  I’m a parent rep for the region and we have regular meetings with the medical professionals at which we put across the families’ views on certain issues. As part of its work, the network organises family’s days. It is a chance for parents to listen to guest speakers and mix with other parents. The children go off on organised activities. If you want to join, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/westmidlandsnetwork/ 

Take care


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## HOBIE

How is it going T1 Toddler ?


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## Type 1 toddler

I had a baby girl on the 19th of March she's absolutely beautiful and she breaks my heart everytime I look at her knowing I won't be able to give her the same love and attention she deserves. I'm still a mess and I would have thought so many months in (dx since Dec) I would have grasped the idea of putting a meal together. Thank you for asking it means alot. I still cry so much and can't get a grip of myself x


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## HOBIE

Please do your best. As I have said a few times. I would employ any T1 with the right aptitude. Take care. Well done.


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## SamJ

Congratulations on the birth of your girl!

My three-year-old girl was diagnosed with T1 this January when my wife was 7 months pregnant, and she gave birth to our second girl on 26th March, so we have had a very similar few months. I had to double check the dates to make sure you weren't my wife!

I'm still emotional about it. Obviously you don't want to break down at the checkout when you're buying your milk, but I'd be more concerned if I wasn't feeling it. It's hard, but just keep going. Take the little victories and build on them.

About your concerns with your second born, I have a little anecdote. My sister's first born is autistic and he demands a lot of extra attention and care. There have been times when the limelight has been taken away from his little sister, and she's missed out. She's only eleven, and I honestly think she's one of the most amazing, understanding, caring people I know. If anything, it's helped make her who she is.


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## Type 1 toddler

SamJ said:


> Congratulations on the birth of your girl!
> 
> My three-year-old girl was diagnosed with T1 this January when my wife was 7 months pregnant, and she gave birth to our second girl on 26th March, so we have had a very similar few months. I had to double check the dates to make sure you weren't my wife!
> 
> I'm still emotional about it. Obviously you don't want to break down at the checkout when you're buying your milk, but I'd be more concerned if I wasn't feeling it. It's hard, but just keep going. Take the little victories and build on them.
> 
> About your concerns with your second born, I have a little anecdote. My sister's first born is autistic and he demands a lot of extra attention and care. There have been times when the limelight has been taken away from his little sister, and she's missed out. She's only eleven, and I honestly think she's one of the most amazing, understanding, caring people I know. If anything, it's helped make her who she is.


Congratulations to you and your missus from me and welldone to her as its so tough how. Is she coping with it all?  
I'm absolutely broken and have so many obstacles to Tackle yet and my stupid anxiety don't help I feel like my heart is broken into so many pieces I won't ever be able to put it together. I haven't left home since being pregnant I'm too scared to leave and too scared to speak to anyone incase I sound like a absolute nutcase which I do i think at times  I think my partner has had it upto his ears of me crying each time I see a memory associated with pre diagnoses life.
Everyone keeps saying crying won't change anything but how do we just switch it off?
U are doing amazing remember that and it's not wrong to cry but stay strong for Yourself it's because u have such a big heart full of love it hurts so much..what part are u most worried about BTW just curious.. Always here if u need to relate and let ur other half know too. This site is amazing life gets manic with diabetes but I love everyone's support here and try replying as soon as I can


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## Bronco Billy

Hello again, Type 1 toddler. Congratulations on the birth of your daughter. Try to relax, you will be able to give her the love and attention she needs. I’m sorry you are still feeling so down. Have you spoken to your team about how you are feeling? Have you tried to join the local support groups I gave the details of earlier in this thread? Have you considered going to the doctor about how you are feeling? I think it would help if you did one or two of these things.

Take care.


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## Type 1 toddler

Bronco Billy said:


> Hello again, Type 1 toddler. Congratulations on the birth of your daughter. Try to relax, you will be able to give her the love and attention she needs. I’m sorry you are still feeling so down. Have you spoken to your team about how you are feeling? Have you tried to join the local support groups I gave the details of earlier in this thread? Have you considered going to the doctor about how you are feeling? I think it would help if you did one or two of these things.
> 
> Take care.


Hi @Bronco Billy thank you so much! Its been a rough ride and so emotional this isn't even the beginning. I joined all the groups you suggested but there isn't much near by Facebook has been great but full Of so much scary stories too, how do u cope as a dad? Do u feel scared and how does ur other half cope?


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## Bronco Billy

It was scary at first, and we both worried that we weren’t doing the right thing. Yes, we made mistakes now and again, but we got through. Now, nine and a half years in, we are much more relaxed about it. How relaxed we’ll be in August when our daughter goes away for the first time without us, who knows? We do know she has the knowledge to cope, but it will still be a worrying time. I promise you will feel better eventually, once you learn to let go of the ‘old life’ and go charging into your ‘new life’.


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## SamJ

Type 1 toddler said:


> Congratulations to you and your missus from me and welldone to her as its so tough how. Is she coping with it all?
> I'm absolutely broken and have so many obstacles to Tackle yet and my stupid anxiety don't help I feel like my heart is broken into so many pieces I won't ever be able to put it together. I haven't left home since being pregnant I'm too scared to leave and too scared to speak to anyone incase I sound like a absolute nutcase which I do i think at times  I think my partner has had it upto his ears of me crying each time I see a memory associated with pre diagnoses life.
> Everyone keeps saying crying won't change anything but how do we just switch it off?
> U are doing amazing remember that and it's not wrong to cry but stay strong for Yourself it's because u have such a big heart full of love it hurts so much..what part are u most worried about BTW just curious.. Always here if u need to relate and let ur other half know too. This site is amazing life gets manic with diabetes but I love everyone's support here and try replying as soon as I can



@Type 1 toddler Thanks. My other half is coping pretty well. Of course she gets tired and stressed with it all as well. We are sharing the load a bit. She's breast feeding so deals with that side of the sleepiness nights. I deal with any night-time diabetes stuff so at least she doesn't have to worry about that. Our three-year-old is also back in nursery for a couple of days a week so that gives her a bit of a break from that side of things which helps.

The thing that worries me the most is probably long-term complications. I'll also give you what I feel most optimistic about, and that is the medical advancements that are going to happen over the next twenty years that are only going to make diabetes easier to control. We recently got a pump, and I would think about that if you haven't already. We find changing the pump set is really difficult because our little one fights against it, it takes both of us to do it, but there are lots of benefits to it as well.

You should definitely keep talking to your team about how you're feeling. Our team is amazing, and I know if we are struggling with anything they are there to support us through it.


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## HOBIE

I don't know how my parents put up with my goings on but I am Very pleased they did. Being out all night, Camping in -6 with force 10 gail. Camping in Europe.  I love life ! . 2 wonderful kids of my own.


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## Bronco Billy

Hi @Type 1 toddler. I notice you haven't posted anything for a while. I hope you're ok.


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## Lizzzie

My heart sank for you when I read that.  I am not surprised you are finding things overwhelming and hard.  Just wanted to say:  well done for reaching out for help and advice, I hope you find what you're looking for an come here for a moan anytime you want.  It's a frustrating disease, but there's always a way and there's never been a better time to be diabetic.

Oooh!  Just read Northerner's comments and looked back at the dates.  Hope it's going well for you - would love to hear how you're getting on.


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## Type 1 toddler

Bronco Billy said:


> Hi @Type 1 toddler. I notice you haven't posted anything for a while. I hope you're ok.


Hi Billy thank you for messaging me and I'm so grateful for your support and helping me getting through my worst times and want to say you are such a amazing person! These past few months have been very difficult especially with a now 8 month old baby girl ameerah.. Ive recently had a few issues with nursery and thier lack of support they do not classify my amelia as special needs and failed to give her insulin when she was hyper because 'they are busy with other children and can't do everything at the same time so won't always be able to help' I have requested a meeting with the sen Co ordinator who has said 'as she is not special needs it is not a priority' I was very upset about this and not to mention they will no longer have a nurse on site, if there is any support or advice you can offer me I will highly appreciate it. I am worried sick and feel so horrible everytime I send her in to nursery. I hope you have been well yourself and hope the family is well too, looking forward to your reply Billy. Thank you


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## Type 1 toddler

Lizzzie said:


> My heart sank for you when I read that.  I am not surprised you are finding things overwhelming and hard.  Just wanted to say:  well done for reaching out for help and advice, I hope you find what you're looking for an come here for a moan anytime you want.  It's a frustrating disease, but there's always a way and there's never been a better time to be diabetic.
> 
> Oooh!  Just read Northerner's comments and looked back at the dates.  Hope it's going well for you - would love to hear how you're getting on.


Thank you liz it's support from all of you that has helped me so much we are still learning and just trying to keep my head above water for my two beautiful daughters diagnosis has had a effect on my depression and anxiety and not to mention my relationship also but I will give my right arm for my daughters as we do and will push through, this is the only place I feel comfortable talking because you guys are so genuine and understand. How are you doing hope your well x


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## Thebearcametoo

That nursery aren’t fully supporting her or understanding the seriousness of diabetes is terrifying. If you give the diabetes uk helpline a call they can help you to phrase the legal obligations the nursery has under the equalities act as diabetes comes under a disability category due to the additional input of carers needed. Does your toddler have DLA? That can be one of the easier ways to prove her disability. Disability here isn’t about her capabilities or capacity but about their legal obligations.


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## Bronco Billy

Hi @Type 1 toddler  Lovely to hear from you, I was getting worried.

I don’t have time to fully answer now as I’m at work, but I wanted to let you know that I had seen your message. The nursery isn’t fulfilling its duties and there are things you can do. I’ll reply fully this evening.

Take care.


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## Bronco Billy

@Type 1 toddler, I’ve started a conversation with you, please check your inbox near the top right corner of the screen.


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## Type 1 toddler

Bronco Billy said:


> Hi @Type 1 toddler  Lovely to hear from you, I was getting worried.
> 
> I don’t have time to fully answer now as I’m at work, but I wanted to let you know that I had seen your message. The nursery isn’t fulfilling its duties and there are things you can do. I’ll reply fully this evening.
> 
> Take care.


Thank you billy for your help


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## oliviasmama

You have had so many amazing replies but I just wanted to say that I have a 5-year old with Type 1 (she was diagnosed at 2,5) and I gave birth 3 weeks ago! Its difficult. Waking up to check the blood sugar when you are heavily pregnant etc. And like you say the hospital stay. I had a c section and my baby had a low temp so I stayed 6 days. My daughters levels were all over the place, my husband is wonderful but he just doesn't have the habit that I have and is not as good at carb counting. Its difficult and I feel for you! 
Regarding nursery I found it to be amazing, I got lucky with our nursery in London. The two teachers were trained and handled it as well as I would have. I cannot praise them enough and I felt so good dropping her off there every morning.


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## Lizzzie

Just wanted to add to the general admiration here.  Not that you chose it, but because it (diabetes) was put on you and your child's shoulders at potentially one of the most stressful times in your life, and because you are here, and you are looking for information, and you are taking it on.  It takes guts and determination and tears of frustration, but you and your little one are taking this disease on because you have to.  My Gran used to say that God doesn't send you anyhing you can't cope with, and although I'm not sure about her God, the sentiment still stands.  You are in for a tough ride but it's doable, the support is hopefully there and we are also here for you.         Also, difficult as it looks at first, I promise that within a few years it will be second nature:  looking after diabetes will be automatic, like driving a car to a driver.  It has its ups and downs, mind. I still have 'I hate diabetes' patches after 10 years (and thats me, not the kids).   Meanwhile, accept lots of help and remember to take care of yourself as well.    Even if it's only having a nice bath sometimes, do something for you.  You can't pour from an empty cup.


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