# My experience :-)



## Charisma (Jan 2, 2013)

I have birth on June 2nd 2012 and i like to share the experience as I know how different and complicated it is compared to non-diabetic pregnancys! 

Firstly I suffered an early miscarriage 3 months earlier at 12 weeks but the baby had stopped growing at 6 weeks! I was a week away from telling my family and friends so its something me n my partner went through alone. Very very hard upsetting time. 3 months later I found out very early on that I was pregnant again and went straight to the doctors who sent me straight to the hospital for special care, something I never got first time around. I had a scan at 6 weeks and saw a midwife and consultant every 1-2 weeks (which is a 2 hour waot every single time) throughout the whole pregnancy. My sugars were very unstable when I got pregnant so it was a very quick battle to get them under control for the sake of the baby. I went from doing my sugars once a day to between 10, probably upto 20 times daily. I was so paranoid about still birth/miscarriage. I was testing so often I went to the doctors and requested to getting test strip prescription upped but they refused so I carried on getting prescriptions 1-2 times a week! (Keep in mind I was working full time) until another doctor noticed I was going so often and upped it herself for me. After the 20 week I then had a monthly scan and even got a 3d scan picture given to me for free. I did sooo many blood tests. The worst part of being pregnant for me was having restless leg syndrome which used to keep me up all night, I would get up at 2am and pace up and down the kitchen for hours. That and my feet were absolutely huge, they were so swollen non oft shoes fitted. I was also put on medication for an under active thyroid. By the end of the pregnancy my insulin had probably tripled. I was taking so much extra insulin but I was advised if my body needs more just keep upping my own insulin. Do whatever necessary to keep levels under control

Anyway I had planned to work right up until I was due to be induced at 38 weeks as my job is mostly sitting down and I wanted more time with the baby afterwards. But as I went in for my 37 week scan they advised me that the baby's torso was growing quite big, they said they can't tell me anything else but that I need to see the consultant. I sat waiting for ages to see the consultant getting quite worried, I went in and they advised me I need to come in and be induced today (37 weeks) I told me that wasn't possible I was meant to be going back to work after the scan and hasn't even packed a bag. I made an appointment for the very next day, I went to work advised them I was starting my maternity leave as of that day and rushed around gettin my bags packed, which I seriously overpacked!!!! Didn't use 3 quarters of the bits I took. 

I went in the next day and was put on a ward bed and given a steroid injection to mature the baby's lungs to be ready for the outside world. 12 hours later I was woken up and given another steroid injection. Then the next day I was taken down to a labour room?! I'm not sure what its called. I had lots of nurses go through my huge folder of notes and then started to be induced. I was given a pessary and made to wait to see if it worked.... It didn't so they tried again.... And then the next day again.... And again the next day. They tried 4 times over a very very long 4 days in this small room. Just as they was planning to try something else the 4th pessary worked.....

Now I was never warned this but really wish they had told me when they started!! But being induced means the contractions can come on a lot harder faster and more painful than normal labour! Pretty much from the contraction starting I don't remember a great deal as I took all the drugs I could get lol. I had gas and air and my first morphine jab! They advised me I could only have 2 morphine jabs and to wait till really desperate to have the second. After what seemed like forever they checked me and I was 2cm. It was the middle of the night so my mum (who was also here with my partner) went home to sleep. 

As time went on I started to need a second morphine jab. Before they could give it they wanted to check me and I was quite far so they decided to take me to delivery room and gave me an epidural! From what I hear the needle was huge the guy told me to sit very still and if I get a contraction to tell him as he has to stop incase I move! Very scary!!  After bein so out of it all night from the pain and drugs the epidural was a nice change I couldn't feel a thing n sat up chatting to everyone while the monitor showed I was having contractions. Very strange. 

Overal my labour lasted 5 hours. I got to 9cm and the monitors showed the baby was going into distress due to how quickly the labour had gone. They did a prick on the baby's head then came back 2 minutes later and said I need to go into an emergency c section right now. I signed a piece of paper and was rushed out the room. Within 5 minutes of telling me I need a c section the baby was out and weighed 7lb 8. Despite being told I'd have a 10lb baby.

She was kept with me for around an hour. my partner went to the car to sleep which I was in recovery. They came to test the baby's blood sugar and it was going low so she was taken away to special care. I was laying there alone with nobody and my baby had just been taken from me. They told me she will be back with me within 24 hours. 

I was I the mother and baby ward for 2 nights without my baby before I said I can't stay here listening to baby's. they wouldn't let me leave till I could prove I could get to the bathroom n shower n wee. I was in so much pain I cried and was only given paracetamol but was determined to get out of there. 

24 hours for my baby turned into 2 weeks. It took along time to stabilise the sugars and she was moved into intensive care as she had to have a cord put through her belly button to give her more glucose. She picked up an infection from the cord in her tummy which is why she stayed an extra week. It was very very frustrating but I knew there was nothing I could do to speed it up. I was going back n forward to hospital everyday while I was in so much pain, it was a really hard time. 

Up till about 6 months after she was born I vowed never to put myself through all that again!! It was the most stressful 9 months of my life but now I look at her and its so worth it and she is completely healthy! I'm even thinkin of having more!! I just wanted to share my experience to let anyone who's just found out they was pregnant know how much hard work it is but it really is worth it and don't let anyone put u off just because of your diabetes!!!


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## Northerner (Jan 2, 2013)

Thank you for sharing your experience Charisma  Really pleased to hear that she is now thriving


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## Emzi (Jan 2, 2013)

I'm glad everything worked out in the end but I can honestly say at 6 weeks pregnant I am now unbelievably scared and nervous about what is coming in 7 and a half months!!


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## hyper-Suze (Jan 2, 2013)

THanks for your post, its bizarre that I haven't been on here for ages and had my date for induction for a week monday and found your experience very interesting as there is not much myy care team could tell me as each birth is different and I guess that each individuals diabetes control can be a factor in how things pan out. 

Glad that you now feel all was worth it, I can't wait to meet our little bumpy and its ashame that your experience was not all that brilliant. I've been in hospital twice while preg with darned hyperemesis and the first time, all I wanted was to have a shower and refresh which meant a midwife would need to cap off my fluids and can  you believe 3 midwives refused or made excuses. In the end I used waterworks to get my own way and the second time I went in I stood for no nonsense or bull off them. How dare they deny me the simple and primary right of a shower!!

Anyway, all the best for you and your little one, mine has been estimated at 7lb 2ozs at the moment but mine also has a larger torso but they are not concerned.


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## Charisma (Jan 2, 2013)

Awwww wow. They estimated mine was about 7lbs 6 so was almost spot on! I hope yours goes well! As stressful as it was I do look back on it with fond memory's and glad I have abit of a story and experience with it!

Lol sorry emzi I should have put a warning on it!! Even after all of that I can still honestly say I miss my bump and being pregnant like crazy so it can't have been all that bad!!!! Honestly enjoy all the extra scans and care you get!! I loved getting to see my baby more times than people without diabetes would!!


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## Charisma (Jan 2, 2013)

Oh yeah and also, they told me litteraly as soon as I've given birth to half my insulin dose..... Well I was on like 3-4 times what I was on pre pregnancy, and half was still way too much! I had to have exactly my pre pregnancy amount so be careful cause they advised me wrong and I could of had serious lows!!


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## astbury1 (Jan 3, 2013)

How did you manage your blood sugars? Am wanting to get pregnant but was diagnosed in July as type 1. My recent HBA1c was 8.2 so I know I need to get it under 7. The problem I have is the amount of novorapid ratio brings me down to the right level within the 4 hours hower in between it can raise quite high!. How did you manage this?


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## Lizzzie (Jan 3, 2013)

That's a phenomenal story.  I'm so glad that everything came right in the end although it sounds as if you had a really stressful time.

Astbury1 - I'm assuming your diabetic regime here, but have you tried having your quick-acting about half an hour before you start eating?  It's not always possible but did help me with the post-prNdial spikes.
The other thing is, check in case you go high when you haven't just eaten eg in the night, if you do then talk to a dsn it could be you need to change your basal.


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## astbury1 (Jan 3, 2013)

Hi yes that sounds like a good idea. Night time seems to be ok. It is just the peeks even with slow release carbs! I shall give it a whirl. I suppose am always parinoid that the insulin will work faster than the carb and hypo!


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