High-Risk Pregnancy
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Pregnant with Type 1 Diabetes
Hi.
I am a type 1 diabetic. If anyone has any tips, helpful suggestions, or really anything helpful to tell me about being a high risk pregnancy. I would really appreciate it. Thanks. 
-Trish
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Re: Pregnant with Type 1 Diabetes
Welcome!! No real tips. I've been a Type 1 for 24 years. For me, 1st tri was really rough as far as low blood sugars. I had a ton of them and quite a few involved me having to get glucagon. The lows don't really affect baby, which is good. In the latter half of the 2nd tri, my blood sugars began to go up. They have increased my basal rates on my pump. So don't be surprised to have your insulin adjusted quite a bit in pregnancy.
Do you wear a pump? My only suggestion is to test, test, test. Is your endo or someone else following your blood sugars closely? Twice a week I upload my pump, which has my blood sugar readings, and send it to my endo's office. They then send it to MFM and they make any adjustments.
I can't yet comment on labor and delivery because I haven't made it to that point yet!
Def. make sure you get a dilated eye exam during your pregnancy, as well as a dental exam.
A good book to read if you haven't already is "Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-existing Diabetes" by Cheryl Alkon. It's great because it was written by a person with Type 1 diabetes. And gestational diabetes isn't the focus like it often is in many resources. A few of the girls on this board recommended the book.
Good luck!
I'm type 2, but going through the same thing. I'm sure I don't have any tips you don't already know.
I'm type 1, but I don't have a pump. I'm well controlled without one and I told the pump company exactly where to shove it when they tried to treat me like I'm stupid...My advice is stand up for what you want and don't let people treat you like you don't know what you're talking about. You live with your type of diabetes while they read about it out of a book.
Lows can effect the baby. Lows that are too low aren't compatible with life (Your life and your baby's life). I get sick of people saying that the baby will be okay with severe lows. I know people who had lows and miscarried due to them. I almost did, but then I was hospitalized for it.
With highs, during the first trimester, they can cause birth defects when they get to 200 and above. However just because you have a high doesn't mean your baby will have a birth defect. I had a lot of highs in my first trimester due to my insulin issues (I needed to switch to a different kind) and my little girl doesn't have any birth defects related to diabetes.
Hi Trish!
Congratulations to you, first of all on your pregnancy
I know what you are going through all too well. I have been a type 1 diabetic for over 17 years now. I have had awesome control before, and I've had A1C's that put my doctors to shame. My first tip for you is EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. One diabetic mommy may have a totally different norm than another.
I found out I was pregnant about 3 weeks ago, and suddenly everything started to make sense. My sugars were out of whack, running in the mid 200's and I was DEAD tired all the time. When I finally took a test, like I said, it all made sense.
I have been wearing an insulin pump for almost 14 years now. I've dealt with Medtronic for that long, and I have total and complete faith in their product. I know that there are times when my pump malfunctions, and times when I'm just lax with my control. But I am a firm believer in the fact that this fantastic technology needs to be learned, and constantly adjusted... but mostly embraced as it is a way better way to live. I have been on shots, and I've been on a pump, and I live a normal, active life, hiking, dogsledding, skiing and snowboarding with my husband.
So what you wanted were tips, not my life story
First off, check out this site: www.diabeticmommy.com. It's a bit old, but there are some great posts, stories, and the thing I've found most interesting is a very well written article about some of the hormones that are tweaking with your insulin sensitivity in the first place, and why they are being released (and when they'll slow up!).
I've noticed drastically low sugars since I've made adjustments to my insulin pump settings. I have MANY awesome people looking after me and my diabetes. I have a great endocrinologist, a pump therapist, a diabetes educator, nutritionist, and the crew at my OB's office who are also well versed in diabetic pregnancies. I will continue to see my endo every 2 weeks until my little one is born in late July.
I've also noticed that my morning/all day sickness is usually heaviest on an empty stomach and when my sugar is on it's way down. So keep that in mind.
If you are on a pump, maybe you could look into a continuous glucose monitoring sensor. I was on a trial run with one last week, and if my insurance approves it, I will start that up next week.
The SWAT team of women who are helping me in my doctors office will not let anything slip by. I have yet to need my glucagon in 17 years, and have been hospitalized only the day I was diagnosed.
Keep your head up dear, embrace modern technology and most important have a good endocrinologist that will help you every step of the way.
I'm diabetic. I wear an insulin pump and a CGM and I LOVE them. To me, it is more convenient that insulin shots and it is the closest thing to a functioning pancreas that I will ever have. Anyway, I really haven't experienced any lows this whole time. I have gotten occasional highs, mid 200's. I have been going to MFM every 2 weeks since 6 weeks and every week since 20 weeks. Pretty much every week they adjust something in my pump as my insulin needs consistently increase - which is normal. As your placenta grows and develops, it gives off a hormone that works against insulin so it is very common to constantly have to increase your insulin intake during your pregnancy. Also, I know that a lot of us will be induced early. My Dr. won't let me carry this baby past 39 weeks to make sure she isn't too big and to make sure my placenta doesn't mature too early and harm the baby. We did have an issue with hydronephrosis early on, but that has resolved itself. LO is measuring right in the 50's for growth percentile and starting at 32 weeks they will do weekly BPP's to check on how she's doing and her size. To date I've have around 11 ultrasounds. Her fetal echo was perfect and she has no issues whatsoever. Even though I feel like my sugar is well controlled, I'm pregnant and it's still unpredictable so even with the highs I experience occasionally, LO is perfect. It can be done!!!!
Like PP said, test constantly! I test 8-12 times a day. I've also learned that highs/lows don't affect me the same way they did before I was pregnant, which is another good reason to test often.
Congratulations and good luck.
Me (33). DH (37). DD (2.2012). MCs x4. After 4 years & 7 months, due 4.2018!