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GD/Diabetic moms with older LOs

memali26memali26 member
in High-Risk Pregnancy
How are you handling the explanation of the testing, meds/injections, dietary restrictions with your older LO's? 

DD1 was still just a baby when I got pregnant with DD2 and was oblivious to all the GD stuff. This time she is 3.5 and incredibly curious about everything. She's already asking why I can't eat certain things, why I'm poking my finger, etc. I haven't done an insulin injection in front of her yet, but if they add it at meals as I expect they will I may not always be able to avoid it. So far I've just told her these things are helping keep me and our new baby healthy, but the questions are getting more in depth and I'm not sure how best to explain it all to her. Thoughts?
Mama to two sweet girls
DD1 Feb 2010
DD2 Sept 2011


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Re: GD/Diabetic moms with older LOs

  • PetuniaFeatherbottomPetuniaFeatherbottom member
    My LO will be two in two weeks, and I am due in dec. she isnt really as aware of what's going on. However, if your LO asks what mommy is doing, I would just try to keep it simple. I'm taking medicine to make sure the baby and I stay healthy. And don't worry about the explanations being too complicated for her. You might be surprised what she picks up on. I might say, this is called insulin. It's medicine to help me digest my food better. Maybe that would work? She will probably wonder if the needle hurts, and you can decide what to say there. Good luck!
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  • obxlaurakobxlaurak member
    I'm type 1 and I have 3 young nieces/nephews.  When they see me testing they ask and I say that it's a test so I know how much medicine to give myself.  

    I've explained about the "juice" the pancreas gives out and how mine doesn't work right but I"m sure it's over their heads.
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  • orriskittenorriskitten member
    My DD is 1.5 but very curious. She would get really distressed when I would do my injections (when I first started at meal times it was easiest to just have her in the high chair and do it at the table. If I left her, she'd scream. If I didn't contain her to one space, she'd try to take things out of my hand) so I explained to her. I know she can't understand, but she now knows that mommy uses insulin, which she calls "Ins" and mommy checks her sugar, "shug." She knows during these times she cannot grab at my hands and that if she is next to me, she can shake the bottle with the test strips once I've closed it.

    Now with my pump (she saw the infusion site the other day when I was in the bathroom and got distressed again), she knows it is the new ins. She will come over and point out the different parts of it. I've explained that this is mommy's medicine and it keeps her healthy. She says "yah" and shakes her head and goes on her way.

    I can't quite comprehend how much a 3 year old will understand, but just answer honestly. Obviously you don't have to be scientific, but you can probably tell her that it is a medicine to help your body parts remember what to do since many things change during pregnancy.
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  • memali26memali26 member
    I feel like she could probably understand things pretty well, she understands the shots she gets at the dr are to keep her healthy, so sort of the same thing. Can't be any harder to explain insulin than when she asks how the baby gets food through the umblical cord, right?! I'm sure I'm way over thinking this, but boy does life seem harder when the kids can ask questions :P
    Mama to two sweet girls
    DD1 Feb 2010
    DD2 Sept 2011


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  • orriskittenorriskitten member
    memali26 said:
    I feel like she could probably understand things pretty well, she understands the shots she gets at the dr are to keep her healthy, so sort of the same thing. Can't be any harder to explain insulin than when she asks how the baby gets food through the umblical cord, right?! I'm sure I'm way over thinking this, but boy does life seem harder when the kids can ask questions :P
    I totally felt overwhelmed with having to explain things to my Mel (and shes not even really asking questions yet, just pointing and saying "that?"), but once it started and I was doing my shots/wearing my pump regularly, it was easy and I laughed at myself. Its totally normal to blow things up in your mind to much bigger than they actually are! Just like its always easy to be more scared of giving yourself shots before you start them, then laugh after.
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