# Help! Pregnant and scared.



## Strawberrygirl (Jun 21, 2010)

Hi, i'm new here. I have just found out that i'm pregnant with my fisrt baby (bit of a shock). I've been diabetic since 1992 and have been using the animas insulin pump since end of last Jan as my sugars were difficult to control. My last hba1c was 8.1% about 2 months ago. I'm so scared as I know this is too high and all I can think about is what damage may have been done, my glucoses have been on avarage around 8mmol/l but occasionally have been spiking to 14-16mmo/l. Since I found out I have been giving extra insulin to help bring them down but I still have the occasional one over 10mmol/l. I'm waiting to here from my diabetes team now but thought I would post on here incase someone else had been in my situation.


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## rachelha (Jun 21, 2010)

Strawberrygirl said:


> Hi, i'm new here. I have just found out that i'm pregnant with my fisrt baby (bit of a shock). I've been diabetic since 1992 and have been using the animas insulin pump since end of last Jan as my sugars were difficult to control. My last hba1c was 8.1% about 2 months ago. I'm so scared as I know this is too high and all I can think about is what damage may have been done, my glucoses have been on avarage around 8mmol/l but occasionally have been spiking to 14-16mmo/l. Since I found out I have been giving extra insulin to help bring them down but I still have the occasional one over 10mmol/l. I'm waiting to here from my diabetes team now but thought I would post on here incase someone else had been in my situation.



Hi Strawberry Girl - Firstly congratulations!!  How far along are you?

I am type 1 and currently 28 weeks pregnant.  It sounds to me as though your levels have been really good since you found out you were pregnant.  I regularly have spikes into the double figures and my consultant is not concerned about it (although I find if v worrying).  
Are you taking 5mg folic acid.  It is recommended that all diabetic mothers to be take a high dose of folic acid.  If you are not on this I would ask your GP for a prescription for it.  

Are you having problems with lots of hypos - as insulin requirements can drop in the first trimester.

Please feel free to ask any questions you want

Rachelx


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## Akasha (Jun 21, 2010)

Hey, 
Im not in your situation, just wanted to say Hi, Welcome to the forum.

There are a few ladies who have recently had children and few due. 
They will prob be along soon to help ease any worries, and answer any questions. 

BTW, although 8.1 is higher then liked, it isnt overly bad. your team will help you to bring it down. 

Congrats!


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## Strawberrygirl (Jun 21, 2010)

Hi, thanks both for your quick replys. I think i'm about 3-4 weeks along. iv'e been taking the 5mg folic everyday for just over a month now. I've not had too much trouble with hypos yet - the problem I seem to have is rising blood glucoses 2 hours after a meal. I've done the DAFNE course which tells me not to test 2 hours after but I know its something you need to do in pregnancy. I'm a born worrier and this is just sending me over the top!


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## rachelha (Jun 21, 2010)

I am a born worrier too, it is not the best combination with diabetes and pregnancy, sometimes I think my clinic think I am a right fruit-loop.  That is good that you have been on the folic acid right from the start.  

When do you have your injections?  I know on the DAFNE course they say after eating, but I have mine before to try and help with the spikes.  How have you found things being on the pump.  I am on a waiting list for one.  There is another pregnant type 1, who has a pump who posts on here.


Rx


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## Strawberrygirl (Jun 21, 2010)

With me being on the pump I no longer have to inject I just change the infusion set every 3 days. I usually deliver my insulin immediaetly after eating. I have adjusted to living with the pump really easily but it took me a while to get my sugars to stop swinging - the hardest thing I found was that my background insulin used to be all over the place, although it seems to have settled a bit now. I would reccomend the pump to anyone, I would never go back.


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## Emmal31 (Jun 21, 2010)

Hi strawberry Girl

Just wanted to welcome you and to congratulate you on your pregnancy. I've Just had my first  baby she's almost 5 months now. I worried constantly about the effect my bg's were having on Jessica I was so stressed through most of the pregnancy. 
I really wish that I had relaxed a little about the situation because I had hba1c's done quite a lot during the pregnancy and was always told by my consultant that I was doing well I managed to keep my hba1c just below 6.5% throughout. I would get the odd high and I'd panic about it but as long as you don't have sustained highs and you correct when you catch a high bg then your doing all that you can. 

If you ever need support/ advice there's a few ladies lately who've had babies and pregnant ladies too so feel free to ask us anything you like you can pm me anytime  It'll be interesting to hear about your care through pregnancy compared with mine. I wrote lots of threads on here whilst I was pregnant with Jessica x


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## Cate (Jun 21, 2010)

Hiya,

Congratulations!  I'm type 1 and have gone through 2 pregnancies on a pump (the minimed paradigm).  I have a 3 year old daughter and a 19 week old son (who was a twin, his brother was stillborn) )

I know it's worrying, but you're doing all you can by testing and acting on the results.  The odd result in double figures honestly won't hurt, even though it's not ideal.  At 24 weeks pregnant I had 2 days of really high readings (in the 20s lots of them) due to being given steroid injections for the twins lungs as I had threatened early labour.  Even this didn't have a bad affect on them.

The reduced insulin needs in the 1st trimester I found kicked in around 7 weeks or so, and lasted till about 15 weeks.  It meant I was telling people I was pregnant as I was having loads of really bad hypos (2 where an ambulance was called, 1 where I collapsed in the antenatal clinic...talk about timing lol).  The same happened in my first pregnancy too.

Now your team know you're pregnant I think they should see you every couple of weeks to review your readings etc.

Good luck, let us know how you're getting on!  (And go on Babycentre.co.uk if you want to talk to other ladies who are pregnant/due at the same time as you, I found that really useful and I know Rachel posts there too).


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## PhoebeC (Jun 21, 2010)

Hello and welcome,

I am 6-8 weeks pregnant nobody seems to know. They are sending me for a scan to see how far in the next few weeks.
I have been told that as long as your HBC1 is ok then there is nothing to worry about, your only early gone so can get this sorted.

If you look at my post on fat babies there is some god replys to there that helped me out.

Just try not to worry, it cant be good for you or baby.

xxx


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## Strawberrygirl (Jun 22, 2010)

Thanks guys for your advice and support its nice to hear from people who are doing so well . I spoke to my diabetes nurse over the phone yesterday and she also helped to reasure me. She told me that because I have been taking my increased dose of folic that I have done the best for my baby that I can and that she has seen plenty of women in worse situations than me go on to have healthy babies. I meet the midwife in the diabetes antenatal clinic next week and will have my hba1c taken then. For now she has told me to just try and relax and enjoy my pregnancy... easier said than done as i'm a neonatal nurse and my husband is a paediatric nurse, nurses make the worst patients!


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## PhoebeC (Jun 22, 2010)

Yey thats great to hear. Just chill now, and stay happy and heathly.

Your just behind me too, so we can help each other out loads. 

x


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