# goal of hba1c of 7 feels impossible!!



## soozeee (Jul 7, 2011)

Hi All

I am 30 in a couple of weeks and been married for just over a year and me and my husband are keen to start a family, however......

I am a type 1 diabetic with a current hba1c of 9.8 (which i know is crap) I have started on the new aviva expert monitor with the aim of tighter control of my sugars but am feeling as though i'm never going to have tight enough control to feel it is safe to try and conceive

If anyone has any advice for me or experiences they can share it would be greatfully received!

cheers


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## MrsCLH (Jul 7, 2011)

Hi soozee - and welcome to the forum!

I got married last year too, I'm 31 now and 28 weeks pregnant.

Have you been to a pre-conception clinic? Get your DSN to refer you. They will be able to give you lots of advice for getting yourself ready to have a baby.

When you're pregnant you have to aim for blood sugars of under 5.5 before meals and under 7.8 one hour after meals. So if you start doing 6 tests a day now, before and after meals, and aiming for those targets, you'll get your hba1c down in no time and you'll also be used to what sort of levels you have to be achieving once you do get pregnant.

The other thing that's really important for diabetics is too get a strong dose of folic acid on prescription, I think its 5mg, your doc will know - you need to take it for 3 months before conception and then up to the end of week 13 of your pregnancy.

Are you on injections or a pump? Do you carb count? I'm on basal bolus and have always stuck to the same amount of insulin and a similar amount of carbs at each meal, just adjusting the insulin when necessary to keep within those targets. My hba1c was 6.9 when I decided to try for a baby so I was lucky I could start right away. When I was younger my hba1c always used to be in the 8's until I started running and got really fit - exercise massively helped me to get my hba1c down. 

Good luck and any questions fire away!

Mrs H xx


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## Lizzzie (Jul 7, 2011)

Hi sooozie

I'm 28 and my first baby is guzzling away as we speak, which makes using a lap-top a bit difficult.....

Anyway never heard of your type of meter, but general advice:

1) write down the time, BS, what and how much eaten, how much insulin and BS 2 AND 4 HOURS later every time you eat.  this is time consimung and hard work if you don't usually do it, but stick with it.  

2) When you've got about a weeks worth, show your dibetic support team (if you haven't got one, pester your doc til you get one - pregnancy is a crazy time for diabetics and you need support) or post it here, or look at it yourself and decide what changes you need to make to get you levels down.

3) make the changes, write it all down again....

...... this is stupidly hard work but if you aren't doing it already, it's likely to make a world of difference......


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## soozeee (Jul 7, 2011)

Thank you both so much for your advice. You are the first people i have talked to about this who are actually have diabetes!

I carb count and my monitor works out my injection amounts based on the carb, insulin sensitivity and BG goal. Only started on monitor this week so all abit new and scary but already seeing much improved sugars although still glitches to work through with it casuing me to hypo!

I am writing all my food and carbs down and monitor stores blood sugar reading and doses

Yes started on folic acid a few months back

Heard so many horror stories about diabetes and pregnancy that its all pretty daunting; especially when I have always struggled to control sugars.

I used to exercise very regularily but have been increasingly lazy since wedding in april 2010 and thus have put on weight in last year. Have been referred for weightwatchers and gym referral by nurse so hopefully all this will help with my control!


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## Robster65 (Jul 7, 2011)

Hi soozee.

I obviously can't offer advice from the conceiving point of view rolleyes but my Hb was in the 8s less than 2 years ago and is now in the low 6s.

All down to testing, recording everything. Carbs, type of carbs (high GI, low GI, etc), insulin, exercise, so you can see patterns. Once you know that, say, sausage and mash will spike after 1 hour and raise your BG by 3 or 4 mmols, and if you know how much 1u will lower your BG by, you can start to experiment a bit and fine tune it.
It doesn't take long to get your average down and then you can start pulling in the highs and lows a bit until you have most of your readings within range. That's when you get the sub-7 Hb. 

But it takes a lot of discipline to keep the records and analyze them (my OH does it for me so I can't claim any credit) and you will have some mad hypos and hypers on the way. Just try and be bold and don't overcorrect hypos and stamp on the hypers as soon as you're sure they're not just a brief blip.

Good luck

Rob


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## soozeee (Jul 7, 2011)

thanks rob that it really helpful. am getting into swing of recording more so hopefully on right track....

Just done pre - lunch sugar and its 6.4 which is better than I ever had before i started new monitor so must be on right track!


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## MrsCLH (Jul 7, 2011)

Hi again, like you I had heard tons of horror stories. In fact, before I came on this forum I think everything I'd ever read or heard about pregnancy and diabetes was negative. I had always thought of it as this impossible dream that I would never be able to achieve! 

But it isn't like that at all, and coming on here and talking to people who have done it/are doing it, just makes all the difference. Like Lizzzie says it is bloody hard work but could anything be more worth the effort?!! It can be done! Positive thinking! Keep away from the negative stories and the statistics and stay positive!

Okay, motivational speech over :-D

xx


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## rachelha (Jul 7, 2011)

Hi Soozee, I have had type 1 for 16 years and now have a 10 month old baby.  My hba1c was about 8.5 when I first discussed kids with my docs.  I attended a pre-pregnancy clinic with a DSN who was great, and they sent me on the DAFNE carb counting course.  

I managed to get it down to 7.4, at which point they gave us the go ahead.  It was really tough, I was very strict on when and what I ate, and making sure everything could be carb. counted accurately.  In a way I found trying to be so strict while ttc the hardest, there was far more motivation when I was actually pregnant. My hba1c was around 6.5 through out my pregnancy, and my little boy was born heathily.  

It can be done, its not easy, but definitely worth it.  

Your monitor sound great, did you buy it yourself? I am very tempted to try and get one.  

With regard to exercising, I find exercising makes my levels go all over the place.  Whilst ttc and pregnant I stuck to just walking LOTS as I found that easier to manage.


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## soozeee (Jul 7, 2011)

Thank you both so much, i am starting to feel like the hba1c of 7 is actually achievable - but know realistically i have a long way to go as have never had one lower than 9 in the 15 yrs i've been diabetic!

rachelha - I got the aviva expert from a rep who my DSN let me know about. Its amazing, only been using it a few days but sugars gone from teens to single figures so def worth looking into 

xx


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## MrsCLH (Jul 7, 2011)

soozeee said:


> only been using it a few days but sugars gone from teens to single figures so def worth looking into
> 
> xx



See, you're on your way to that magic 7 already  You'll have to keep us posted xx


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## soozeee (Jul 7, 2011)

i will do. now i've finally joined a forum like this il be on it all the time. feel far more confident about things after speaking you all x


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## hyper-Suze (Jul 7, 2011)

soozeee said:


> Hi All
> 
> I am 30 in a couple of weeks and been married for just over a year and me and my husband are keen to start a family, however......
> 
> ...



OH MY GOODNESS!!!
I presume from your user name that your a Susie/Suzy? Same as me, same age, same plans at the moment(ttc), same scenario (Hi HBA, put on weight)...it is soooooo eerie, in fact, I read your post trying to figure out if it was my post!! (I too posted on preg link to ask for advice a few months back!)

My HBA prior to reigning in my BG's was 10.7!!! I was told all the horror stories too at this point, scaremongering from the doc, spina bifida, heart defects etc. I was told if I can get it under 8% he'd give go ahead. Of course he couldn't TELL me what to do but felt I'd get better support if I showed commitment and more importantly wanted to give my baby the best possible chance in life. 
I got my HBA to 8.5 in the 3 month period but although doc said yes to trying, I gave it another few months, did the DAFNE in this time and BINGO now at 7.5% ...taken folic acid for 4 months now and at it like rabbits, first month since implant out(this caused the weight gain) and no joy in the first month but at least I'm in range and ready if I do catch!!!!!

Sorry, still can't get over how similar your post is to mine. Crazy! The best of luck with reigning in the control, as Rachel has said, the control while ttc is hard work but then for the sake of a possible baby and their health, I'd do anything!!!!!!!

Take care, 
Suze


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## soozeee (Jul 8, 2011)

Yes me names susie and all friends call me suze! weird eh?! and i thought i was the only one feeling like this! ha coming on this site has made me realise im not alone in the challenge of BG control and pregnancy and it makes me feel like its all far more obtainable

my blood sugars have been better than ever this week and know now that the only way to get my hba1c down is to record, calculate and monitor! I have already been advised to drop basal so must be moving in right direction

Hope you catch soon - keep up the hard work, ;ile u said what better reason could we have than wanting to start a family!! x


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## Ndel (Jul 10, 2011)

Hi Soozee
Im Noelle. I am turning 30 this year and got married last september. I too would like to start having a family and have also put on some weight since i got married. Pure laziness too. But since Jan when i got my HBA1C result of 10.4, i was upset, but was purely myself to blame, but started walking loads, and my HBA1C has come down to 8.5 (last result was in May). It seems to be remaining at this. But i know i need to monitor it more and write down everything to get to my goal, which all these posts have now made me determined to do. And all going well i will reach the <7 mark and  can start trying. 
Your definately not alone.
Fingers and toes crossed for your lower blood sugar readings.
Noelle


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## LittlePeanut (Jul 10, 2011)

Hey Soozee - I am now 12 weeks pregnant after a 4 month battle to get my HBA1C down and dozens of appointments - I think it was around 9 when I started monitoring and soon relaised I was eating all the wrong foods, which I thought were good at the time.  I try and eat the lower GI foods now - like granary bread instead of wholemeal or special K/Weetabox - as wholemeal put my after readings for toast upto 12 and cereals, where are granary is down to around 7 - crazy to think that things like this make such a difference - its really worth experimenting and then it all just clicks into place.  I am now down to 6.8 HBA1C and bump is coming along fine.  Good luck


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## soozeee (Jul 12, 2011)

Thank you both for replying. Hearing other people's advice and experiences is helping to spur me on so much 

I am keeping up with the recording, monitoring and calculating and sugars are much improved. Have found that being due on my period this week has affected my control tho in that my sugars have been higher despite the same food and doses - does anyone else have this issue? x


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## MrsCLH (Jul 12, 2011)

Hormones definitely interfere with insulin. I always seemed to go a bit low in the run up to my period. But as is the way with these things its different for everyone! At least you won'thave to worry about your periods affecting your sugars when you're pregnant


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## Lizzzie (Jul 12, 2011)

When's your next Ha1bC Soozee?


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## soozeee (Jul 13, 2011)

next hba1c is Oct. results have been much better over last week with using new monitor and writing down and working out all carbs. Am on 2 different types of antibiotics at mo due to cellulitus in my foot so bloods will hopefully be even better once infection gone (and il be able to walk again!)

been still waking up with high sugars - presumably due to infection and woke at 18 this mroning despite a 2am test that was 9.8. Meant that had to do lots of insulin to bring it down and then ended up hypoing half way through lunch! all evry frustrating when doing the insulin sugegsted by monitor and counting all my carbs

xx


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## rachelha (Jul 13, 2011)

October, that is a long way off, I had one every month whilst pregnant.  Could you ask them for a test sooner?

I hope your foot gets better quickly, that wont be helping your sugars at all.


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## soozeee (Jul 13, 2011)

im not pregnant yet but will def ask for more regular ones when i am x


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