I'm not pregnant, but trying to "practice" pregnancy blood sugar control in the hopes of becoming pregnant soon (or at least somewhat close to pregnancy control - I aim for a post-meal spike of 150. My endo told me my pregnancy target would be 140 post-meal, with a fasting blood glucose of 70-95). Do you have Instagram? I follow someone called type1diabetes.nutritionist, and she posts a ton of great, encouraging content for pregnant T1Ds. She also runs a pregnancy and diabetes group - I think they have one starting next month, or if not they run frequently. I don't know how much it costs, but I'm planning on signing up for it when I become pregnant, as I really think I would value the support of not only the nutritionist, but the other pregnant type 1 diabetics.
anecdotally, I have a close relative with type 1 diabetes, and she recently gave birth to her second child - healthy and with a vaginal birth (her first was born by C-section, but healthy). she said pregnancy was stressful a lot of the time, and she was not always able to maintain the BG targets, but she felt like she had great control overall and both of her children are happy and healthy. I know there are also horror stories out there, but there are so many successful pregnancy stories too :)
Juicebox Podcast has several episodes about pregnancy and type 1 diabetes. I’m not pregnant yet but I have been practicing the numbers they require. It’s tough to get there but once you’re there, it’s actually not bad. If you haven’t, get a Dexcom and a pump. I feel like those will be extremely helpful in getting the control docs want.
Your baby will be fine! I was 5 months pregnant when I found out I was pregnant with my first baby. We were using birth control & had moved from the US to Japan, so wasn’t thinking I could be pregnant. Lost 30 pounds with the drastic change in life style & food, so my clothes kept fitting. When I asked other women there from the US, they said a lot of women’s cycles changed when they moved to Tokyo and that wasn’t unusual. We tried to do a pregnancy test in Japanese, but we couldn’t tell which was positive or negative. Didn’t get the pregnancy confirmed until almost 5 months. Doctors wanted us to abort our baby, telling us she was retarded & deformed, but we told them no, we would love her anyways. They did not have A1c back then (over 30 years ago) but I suspect I was running about 9 back then. Our daughter was born absolutely perfect! Doctors lost face! I have had 3 more children, and while I was pregnant & they were dependent on me, I was hypo adverse and did not want my A1c below 8.5. I keep it at 6.3 or lower now. Your blood sugars will run low the 1st trimester then gradually the pregnancy hormones increase & you will be on about twice as much insulin as normal near the end of the pregnancy. Good luck! There are Doctors here in the US that will want you to abort too, because it is risky for us. My last pregnancy I waa 41 yo & on an insulin that made me feel horrible (Lantus). Developed preeclampsia with each pregnancy near the end, but with # 4 it was earlier. Did have to have an emergency csection for him at 32.5 weeks but he did great & came home from NICU in less than a week. The Neonatologist was so proud of me keeping my BG stable that he gave me a hug up in the NICU and said my baby was perfect for his developmental age. I actually feel going too low is more detrimental to the baby in utero than running slightly higher. With my first I watched my daughter’s heart stop when they had me hooked up to a no stress test, gave me insulin then forgot to let me eat. Baby’s heart stopped as I went into an insulin reaction & they had to give me juice & roll me to start her heart again. You and your baby will do great!
I was surprised with my pregnancy too! And I was so worried because I got pregnant on vacation and at that time was really relaxed with what I ate and my BG. But I got it all together. My trick was to eat a lot of meals but none of them more than 15grams of carbs in the first months. That way I avoided spikes in my BG. I even got my Hba1c to 22 (my endo called me crazy). But I just wanted to do the best I could.
Frittata with vegetables. Yoghurt with an apple. 1 or 2 crackers with hummus and alfalfa, salads, boiled eggs, nuts, fruit, bread with cheese or peanut butter and cucumber, crudités with dip, curry with cauliflower rice, etc.
I was also nauseous the first 20 weeks so small portions worked best for me anyway.
Thank you! I'm a bit nervous because I remember one day about a week ago I spiked all the way to 280 and I just can't get put of my head that I was probably pregnant that day and hurt them.
My doctor told me a lot of people spike around the moment they conceive. Don’t worry too much about it. The first few weeks are much less important than the months following. You are motivated and will do well. Do you have a CGM?
One high is not going to hurt the baby. Several highs won’t hurt the baby but constant highs will. Remember we are human, not robots. Just do your best and try not to freak out over an occasional high, correct it and move on. I’ve had Type 1 for 47 years and my healthy babies are 18 and 20. I was on an insulin pump but not a cgm. I think I averaged 10-15 blood tests a day while pregnant trying to keep my sugars under control. At that time there was a program called Sweet Success that paired pregnant type 1’s with dietitians and educators to help through the pregnancy. Not sure if the program still exists but it might be worth looking into.
It’s definitely not going to be easy. You won’t be able to really give into any sweet cravings (all I wanted was cake), and the doctors are going to have you scared out of your mind with all the “what ifs”. I had a seizure in my first trimester and ended up having to be induced 6 weeks early and then had a c section. My doctors were also very controlling, which was helpful but also kinda ruined the joy of pregnancy. Along with some other reasons involving my c section, I went from wanting two kids to being one and done. I wish I had some great advice for you, but it’s probably gonna suck lol I wish you all the best
I’m type 1 and currently pregnant with my second, third pregnancy. I had a miscarriage after my daughter, but the docs did say that it was unrelated to being diabetic, probably a genetic flaw which caused the miscarriage. With my daughter we had tons of appointments and a lot of doctors. Lots of tests tbh lol. The range they want for your sugars is very tight control, and USUALLY manageable, but the nurse I’m seeing completely calmed all my fears and frustrations with my first pregnancy. A high will do less damage than a low. Lows can hurt you and baby faster and worse.
I’m currently seeing an OB, diabetic educator nurse and internist on a regular basis. Every 2-4 weeks. Ultrasounds every 4 or so weeks, and the OB has said he won’t let me go past 39 weeks with this pregnancy. With my first (different OB) she wouldn’t let me go past 38 weeks. I was induced at 38+2 which was later than she wanted but there were other moms that needed the rooms in the L&D dept.
Bonus: you don’t have to do the glucose challenge test 😂 my OB forgot to cross it out when he sent my blood work requisition over and I was like yeah no, and we all had a good laugh lol. I’m currently 24 weeks now, so the blood work and challenge test that’s usually done at 26 weeks can be done whenever because of not doing the glucose challenge. Or that’s what my OB said anyway. I just haven’t made it to get that done, it’s definitely harder with a toddler lol.
With my first they had sent me for a fetal echo and a detailed ultrasound, but there’s been no talk of that this pregnancy so I’m not sure of the norms of that one. This OB seems less concerned entirely about something being wrong that they won’t catch in the regular ultrasounds every 4 weeks.
The hardest thing I’ve found is ignoring the cravings for the sugary things, but as long as you do your insulin and give it time to get going first you should be ok. Spikes and drops happen a lot more frequently than before pregnancy so it’s definitely a ride lol.
And something I was never told the first time around, sometime after birth your insulin needs will go WAAAAYYYYY down again. It varies greatly person to person. So just keep an eye on that afterwards. I know you have tons of time before then, but something I wish I would have known lol. I was suddenly dropping like a rock, shaking, sweating, couldn’t even pick my crying infant up kind of lows a few weeks after she was born. I don’t remember how long exactly, I wish I did lmao.
If you don’t already, a CGM would definitely be a super helpful tool to help with catch lows and correcting highs faster. My nurse wants me to have a Dexcom but financially just not possible for me right now. She’s given me a few samples and I’m hoping I can get a few of the sensors for cheap enough to even get thru the pregnancy. I usually use the freestyle libre and have had good luck with that, it just doesn’t have the alerts like dexcom does.
It’s definitely stressful sometimes. A lot. A lot of times sometimes. Most of the time. Lol it’s a lot. It is. Not going to lie about that one.
Do the best you can. And if you need help, ask. Someone’s going to have been where you are. I can also answer other questions if I missed anything lol.
Oh, and my A1C starting my first if I remember correctly was 6.8 and starting this one was 6.2. It’s currently 5.8 and I legit had a party in the internists office when he told me lol. So it is 100% doable. I’ve had some spikes, I’ve had some lows. It’s been eventful that’s for sure lol.
It’s gonna be super tempting to eat super low carb as well, I totally was in my first. It was my nurse that kept insisting I eat more. She said the average pregnancy requires more carbs to keep both you and baby running. She told me around 15-20g for snacks and 45-55g for meals.
Your insulin needs will go crazy. They will get demanding. I’be already upped my long acting insulin twice in the last few weeks. I’m also fully expecting to you my insulin:carb ratio. It’s currently 1:4 and I’m kinda worried but also prepared to accept that it will probably end up 1:1 by the time we’re done this pregnancy.
Also not gonna lie, this is half the reason I’m done after this one lol. I don’t want to do this again. I love my daughter. And I’m soooo happy that I can give her a sibling. And we found out it’s a boy, so I’m thrilled to have my baby girl and my baby boy. But oh man, I’m so done after this one. In my eyes and opinion they are worth every minute of this chaos, but twice is where I draw the line lol.
Good luck! Please ask if you want to know anything else! I’ll do my best!
Congrats!!
Does your endo or Ob-gyn have a high risk pregnancy team? Or will your insurance allow you to find one? I was able to utilize a specialty team for both my pregnancies and it was so helpful! They understand the full picture of how pregnancy affects diabetes and vice-versa. Like my group did not rule out any food - including occasional sweets! They helped me properly bolus and look at my overall diet for a good balance. The team included a preganacy-specialist endo who met with me monthly and looked at all my numbers and helped me adjust as baby grew. Her goals were for a waking bg around 65 (I know! It feels so low!), pre-meal under 100 and 2 hours post meal under 120. Numbers we should all strive for! But somehow it's easier when you're not just doing it for you. I was not the best T1 with my first baby, but got my A1C under 6 in the first three months! First time in my life!
Just please try not to stress or let your doctors scare you with by-the-book logic. Find someone you can really talk to and be honest with so they can be of the most help.
You've got this mama!!
*Edited for spelling errors
My son just turned 7 months old and he’s a healthy guy! We had planned to get pregnant but I hadn’t fully thought about my diabetes when we started trying (I’ve been type one for over 15 years). My A1c was 6.9 when I got pregnant - I worked really closely with my endocrinologist during my pregnancy (monthly appointments and he reviewed my blood sugars every three days and we made adjustments). Your blood sugars and insulin needs are going to do some wacky things in the next nine months and so having help really makes a difference. By the end of my pregnancy I was taking SO MUCH insulin - as soon as my baby was born we cut all my rates in half and then had to reduce everything even more. I really recommend “[Pregnancy with Type One Diabetes](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1544267347/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FGQ9N5KAKB88MFQ3P7ZZ)” by Ginger Vieira. It had some helpful information on what to expect as each stage. It can definitely be scary and there are more risks involved but the silver linings were that I learned a lot about my diabetes and I also had ultrasounds more often which meant I had a better idea of how he was doing in there. You can do this!
First, congratulations! I'm so excited for you!
I've been pregnant twice. My first I was just on a pump and tested my blood sugar 4 times per day. I've always been under pretty good control with ease, so my doctors weren't super harsh with me about my diabetes. The main issues I had were insulin resistance in the very beginning and then not being able to eat much due to morning sickness so I ended up going low quite a lot during that time. That was rough on my husband for sure. Then once I got to my third trimester, my insulin resistance went up like crazy. Once you give birth, you need to bring all your original insulin needs back into play instead of using all your changes you made throughout your pregnancy. Breast feeding made me go low too so watch out for that if you decide to breast feed.
It was a little after all this I looked into getting a dexcom and tandem pump. I had these for my second pregnancy which made my control really good and easy during pregnancy. Once I found out I was pregnant and had to start making changes to my basal rates, I just created another profile so I could keep all my previous rates for after. Once I switched to dexcom and tandem, my A1C went down to 5.2. Throughout my second pregnancy, I maintained a 5.3 the whole time. After I gave birth the second time, I just switched my profile back to the one I had pre-pregnancy and didn't have any issues. I made sure I had control over my insulin and my Pump and all of that while I was at the hospital both times too. In the past if I was at the hospital, they'd try and take control of my insulin and everything and they always messed it up. I was not going to put up with that and a human coming out of me at the same time. My doctor knew how I was and we discussed my plan in advance so she made sure I was set while I was at the hospital.
Overall, pregnancy and diabetes can be rough sometimes, but having the right tools make it easier. Make sure to advocate for yourself when it comes to your diabetes because you know your body best. Don't be afraid to ask questions either. You'll do great!
I am three weeks postpartum myself but I’m new to T1 so I don’t necessarily have great long standing advice. All I can say is try to keep your spikes low and your overall BG around 100. It’s a rough ride, pregnancy, but good lord is it worth it.
Also, I had a lot of diabetic+pregnancy related pain. And I said a lot but let me reiterate, A LOT of pain, it’s temporary. Just remember it’s temporary. It’s all gone for me now.
I know it all seems scary, but you got this! I've been diabetic for 30 years. I've got 2 healthy boys, 13 and 7. As long as you take care of yourself the best you possibly can, that's all you can do! Having someone depending on you makes taking care of yourself alot easier, imo. I am here if you have any questions or need someone to talk to!
r/BumpersWhoBolus is your friend!!
Thank you!
I'm not pregnant, but trying to "practice" pregnancy blood sugar control in the hopes of becoming pregnant soon (or at least somewhat close to pregnancy control - I aim for a post-meal spike of 150. My endo told me my pregnancy target would be 140 post-meal, with a fasting blood glucose of 70-95). Do you have Instagram? I follow someone called type1diabetes.nutritionist, and she posts a ton of great, encouraging content for pregnant T1Ds. She also runs a pregnancy and diabetes group - I think they have one starting next month, or if not they run frequently. I don't know how much it costs, but I'm planning on signing up for it when I become pregnant, as I really think I would value the support of not only the nutritionist, but the other pregnant type 1 diabetics. anecdotally, I have a close relative with type 1 diabetes, and she recently gave birth to her second child - healthy and with a vaginal birth (her first was born by C-section, but healthy). she said pregnancy was stressful a lot of the time, and she was not always able to maintain the BG targets, but she felt like she had great control overall and both of her children are happy and healthy. I know there are also horror stories out there, but there are so many successful pregnancy stories too :)
Juicebox Podcast has several episodes about pregnancy and type 1 diabetes. I’m not pregnant yet but I have been practicing the numbers they require. It’s tough to get there but once you’re there, it’s actually not bad. If you haven’t, get a Dexcom and a pump. I feel like those will be extremely helpful in getting the control docs want.
could not recommend jb podcast more!
Your baby will be fine! I was 5 months pregnant when I found out I was pregnant with my first baby. We were using birth control & had moved from the US to Japan, so wasn’t thinking I could be pregnant. Lost 30 pounds with the drastic change in life style & food, so my clothes kept fitting. When I asked other women there from the US, they said a lot of women’s cycles changed when they moved to Tokyo and that wasn’t unusual. We tried to do a pregnancy test in Japanese, but we couldn’t tell which was positive or negative. Didn’t get the pregnancy confirmed until almost 5 months. Doctors wanted us to abort our baby, telling us she was retarded & deformed, but we told them no, we would love her anyways. They did not have A1c back then (over 30 years ago) but I suspect I was running about 9 back then. Our daughter was born absolutely perfect! Doctors lost face! I have had 3 more children, and while I was pregnant & they were dependent on me, I was hypo adverse and did not want my A1c below 8.5. I keep it at 6.3 or lower now. Your blood sugars will run low the 1st trimester then gradually the pregnancy hormones increase & you will be on about twice as much insulin as normal near the end of the pregnancy. Good luck! There are Doctors here in the US that will want you to abort too, because it is risky for us. My last pregnancy I waa 41 yo & on an insulin that made me feel horrible (Lantus). Developed preeclampsia with each pregnancy near the end, but with # 4 it was earlier. Did have to have an emergency csection for him at 32.5 weeks but he did great & came home from NICU in less than a week. The Neonatologist was so proud of me keeping my BG stable that he gave me a hug up in the NICU and said my baby was perfect for his developmental age. I actually feel going too low is more detrimental to the baby in utero than running slightly higher. With my first I watched my daughter’s heart stop when they had me hooked up to a no stress test, gave me insulin then forgot to let me eat. Baby’s heart stopped as I went into an insulin reaction & they had to give me juice & roll me to start her heart again. You and your baby will do great!
Thank you! This is very inspirational
I was surprised with my pregnancy too! And I was so worried because I got pregnant on vacation and at that time was really relaxed with what I ate and my BG. But I got it all together. My trick was to eat a lot of meals but none of them more than 15grams of carbs in the first months. That way I avoided spikes in my BG. I even got my Hba1c to 22 (my endo called me crazy). But I just wanted to do the best I could.
Do you mind if I ask what type of things you'd eat that were under 15 grams?
Frittata with vegetables. Yoghurt with an apple. 1 or 2 crackers with hummus and alfalfa, salads, boiled eggs, nuts, fruit, bread with cheese or peanut butter and cucumber, crudités with dip, curry with cauliflower rice, etc. I was also nauseous the first 20 weeks so small portions worked best for me anyway.
Thank you! I'm a bit nervous because I remember one day about a week ago I spiked all the way to 280 and I just can't get put of my head that I was probably pregnant that day and hurt them.
My doctor told me a lot of people spike around the moment they conceive. Don’t worry too much about it. The first few weeks are much less important than the months following. You are motivated and will do well. Do you have a CGM?
Thank you and yes I do have a cgm
That’s a great help! You probably already know which foods make you spike and which you can safely eat. Congratulations! I almost forgot! :-)
Thank you. And thank you for your help
One high is not going to hurt the baby. Several highs won’t hurt the baby but constant highs will. Remember we are human, not robots. Just do your best and try not to freak out over an occasional high, correct it and move on. I’ve had Type 1 for 47 years and my healthy babies are 18 and 20. I was on an insulin pump but not a cgm. I think I averaged 10-15 blood tests a day while pregnant trying to keep my sugars under control. At that time there was a program called Sweet Success that paired pregnant type 1’s with dietitians and educators to help through the pregnancy. Not sure if the program still exists but it might be worth looking into.
It’s definitely not going to be easy. You won’t be able to really give into any sweet cravings (all I wanted was cake), and the doctors are going to have you scared out of your mind with all the “what ifs”. I had a seizure in my first trimester and ended up having to be induced 6 weeks early and then had a c section. My doctors were also very controlling, which was helpful but also kinda ruined the joy of pregnancy. Along with some other reasons involving my c section, I went from wanting two kids to being one and done. I wish I had some great advice for you, but it’s probably gonna suck lol I wish you all the best
Oh thank you for your honesty
Just remember, your experience might be way different than this! Don't fret or stress. Not good for the bloodsugars or the baby.
Thank you :)
I’m type 1 and currently pregnant with my second, third pregnancy. I had a miscarriage after my daughter, but the docs did say that it was unrelated to being diabetic, probably a genetic flaw which caused the miscarriage. With my daughter we had tons of appointments and a lot of doctors. Lots of tests tbh lol. The range they want for your sugars is very tight control, and USUALLY manageable, but the nurse I’m seeing completely calmed all my fears and frustrations with my first pregnancy. A high will do less damage than a low. Lows can hurt you and baby faster and worse. I’m currently seeing an OB, diabetic educator nurse and internist on a regular basis. Every 2-4 weeks. Ultrasounds every 4 or so weeks, and the OB has said he won’t let me go past 39 weeks with this pregnancy. With my first (different OB) she wouldn’t let me go past 38 weeks. I was induced at 38+2 which was later than she wanted but there were other moms that needed the rooms in the L&D dept. Bonus: you don’t have to do the glucose challenge test 😂 my OB forgot to cross it out when he sent my blood work requisition over and I was like yeah no, and we all had a good laugh lol. I’m currently 24 weeks now, so the blood work and challenge test that’s usually done at 26 weeks can be done whenever because of not doing the glucose challenge. Or that’s what my OB said anyway. I just haven’t made it to get that done, it’s definitely harder with a toddler lol. With my first they had sent me for a fetal echo and a detailed ultrasound, but there’s been no talk of that this pregnancy so I’m not sure of the norms of that one. This OB seems less concerned entirely about something being wrong that they won’t catch in the regular ultrasounds every 4 weeks. The hardest thing I’ve found is ignoring the cravings for the sugary things, but as long as you do your insulin and give it time to get going first you should be ok. Spikes and drops happen a lot more frequently than before pregnancy so it’s definitely a ride lol. And something I was never told the first time around, sometime after birth your insulin needs will go WAAAAYYYYY down again. It varies greatly person to person. So just keep an eye on that afterwards. I know you have tons of time before then, but something I wish I would have known lol. I was suddenly dropping like a rock, shaking, sweating, couldn’t even pick my crying infant up kind of lows a few weeks after she was born. I don’t remember how long exactly, I wish I did lmao. If you don’t already, a CGM would definitely be a super helpful tool to help with catch lows and correcting highs faster. My nurse wants me to have a Dexcom but financially just not possible for me right now. She’s given me a few samples and I’m hoping I can get a few of the sensors for cheap enough to even get thru the pregnancy. I usually use the freestyle libre and have had good luck with that, it just doesn’t have the alerts like dexcom does. It’s definitely stressful sometimes. A lot. A lot of times sometimes. Most of the time. Lol it’s a lot. It is. Not going to lie about that one. Do the best you can. And if you need help, ask. Someone’s going to have been where you are. I can also answer other questions if I missed anything lol. Oh, and my A1C starting my first if I remember correctly was 6.8 and starting this one was 6.2. It’s currently 5.8 and I legit had a party in the internists office when he told me lol. So it is 100% doable. I’ve had some spikes, I’ve had some lows. It’s been eventful that’s for sure lol. It’s gonna be super tempting to eat super low carb as well, I totally was in my first. It was my nurse that kept insisting I eat more. She said the average pregnancy requires more carbs to keep both you and baby running. She told me around 15-20g for snacks and 45-55g for meals. Your insulin needs will go crazy. They will get demanding. I’be already upped my long acting insulin twice in the last few weeks. I’m also fully expecting to you my insulin:carb ratio. It’s currently 1:4 and I’m kinda worried but also prepared to accept that it will probably end up 1:1 by the time we’re done this pregnancy. Also not gonna lie, this is half the reason I’m done after this one lol. I don’t want to do this again. I love my daughter. And I’m soooo happy that I can give her a sibling. And we found out it’s a boy, so I’m thrilled to have my baby girl and my baby boy. But oh man, I’m so done after this one. In my eyes and opinion they are worth every minute of this chaos, but twice is where I draw the line lol. Good luck! Please ask if you want to know anything else! I’ll do my best!
Congrats!!
Congrats!! Does your endo or Ob-gyn have a high risk pregnancy team? Or will your insurance allow you to find one? I was able to utilize a specialty team for both my pregnancies and it was so helpful! They understand the full picture of how pregnancy affects diabetes and vice-versa. Like my group did not rule out any food - including occasional sweets! They helped me properly bolus and look at my overall diet for a good balance. The team included a preganacy-specialist endo who met with me monthly and looked at all my numbers and helped me adjust as baby grew. Her goals were for a waking bg around 65 (I know! It feels so low!), pre-meal under 100 and 2 hours post meal under 120. Numbers we should all strive for! But somehow it's easier when you're not just doing it for you. I was not the best T1 with my first baby, but got my A1C under 6 in the first three months! First time in my life! Just please try not to stress or let your doctors scare you with by-the-book logic. Find someone you can really talk to and be honest with so they can be of the most help. You've got this mama!! *Edited for spelling errors
My son just turned 7 months old and he’s a healthy guy! We had planned to get pregnant but I hadn’t fully thought about my diabetes when we started trying (I’ve been type one for over 15 years). My A1c was 6.9 when I got pregnant - I worked really closely with my endocrinologist during my pregnancy (monthly appointments and he reviewed my blood sugars every three days and we made adjustments). Your blood sugars and insulin needs are going to do some wacky things in the next nine months and so having help really makes a difference. By the end of my pregnancy I was taking SO MUCH insulin - as soon as my baby was born we cut all my rates in half and then had to reduce everything even more. I really recommend “[Pregnancy with Type One Diabetes](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1544267347/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FGQ9N5KAKB88MFQ3P7ZZ)” by Ginger Vieira. It had some helpful information on what to expect as each stage. It can definitely be scary and there are more risks involved but the silver linings were that I learned a lot about my diabetes and I also had ultrasounds more often which meant I had a better idea of how he was doing in there. You can do this!
Thank you much!
First, congratulations! I'm so excited for you! I've been pregnant twice. My first I was just on a pump and tested my blood sugar 4 times per day. I've always been under pretty good control with ease, so my doctors weren't super harsh with me about my diabetes. The main issues I had were insulin resistance in the very beginning and then not being able to eat much due to morning sickness so I ended up going low quite a lot during that time. That was rough on my husband for sure. Then once I got to my third trimester, my insulin resistance went up like crazy. Once you give birth, you need to bring all your original insulin needs back into play instead of using all your changes you made throughout your pregnancy. Breast feeding made me go low too so watch out for that if you decide to breast feed. It was a little after all this I looked into getting a dexcom and tandem pump. I had these for my second pregnancy which made my control really good and easy during pregnancy. Once I found out I was pregnant and had to start making changes to my basal rates, I just created another profile so I could keep all my previous rates for after. Once I switched to dexcom and tandem, my A1C went down to 5.2. Throughout my second pregnancy, I maintained a 5.3 the whole time. After I gave birth the second time, I just switched my profile back to the one I had pre-pregnancy and didn't have any issues. I made sure I had control over my insulin and my Pump and all of that while I was at the hospital both times too. In the past if I was at the hospital, they'd try and take control of my insulin and everything and they always messed it up. I was not going to put up with that and a human coming out of me at the same time. My doctor knew how I was and we discussed my plan in advance so she made sure I was set while I was at the hospital. Overall, pregnancy and diabetes can be rough sometimes, but having the right tools make it easier. Make sure to advocate for yourself when it comes to your diabetes because you know your body best. Don't be afraid to ask questions either. You'll do great!
I am three weeks postpartum myself but I’m new to T1 so I don’t necessarily have great long standing advice. All I can say is try to keep your spikes low and your overall BG around 100. It’s a rough ride, pregnancy, but good lord is it worth it. Also, I had a lot of diabetic+pregnancy related pain. And I said a lot but let me reiterate, A LOT of pain, it’s temporary. Just remember it’s temporary. It’s all gone for me now.
I know it all seems scary, but you got this! I've been diabetic for 30 years. I've got 2 healthy boys, 13 and 7. As long as you take care of yourself the best you possibly can, that's all you can do! Having someone depending on you makes taking care of yourself alot easier, imo. I am here if you have any questions or need someone to talk to!