Scared

[BeeStarlight]

hi all, I am type 2 diabetic and around 6 weeks pregnant, hba1c currently 85, I’ve seen a consultant who has pretty much told me this is likely to end badly either with a miscarriage or problems throughout the pregnancy resulting in the baby not surviving, pretty bleak picture, I was diagnosed 3 years ago, gp and practice nurse are rubbish, I have hardly any follow up with bloods etc in fact I have to look my own blood results up at work on the computer and tell the doctor and each time I’d just be told to keep taking the metformin and sitagliptin, been changed to insulin now and measuring blood sugars at the times I have been advised to do so and they are coming down, I’m just so miserable and feel utterly hopeless about the whole thing, I’m wondering if anyone can offer any help or advice or stories of positivity? Sorry for the long post. x

 

[trophywench]

Well - I'm sorry to say the doc was being truthful, Bee. It would have been a lot more helpful if your GP had, wouldn't it? However - you've found out really early on and you're now on the straight and narrow - so perhaps it won't mean doom and disaster? I don't actually know, neither do you - or the doc - but considering it logically that embryo hasn't had the best start so if it gets past that, it's a little fighter so that's encouraging. However, if 'it' does happen, then the way to get past it is to do your best to try to be philosophical - it will be it and your body telling you summat's Not Right so it's therefore for the best, all round. It always IS that, because miss-es don't usually occur for absolutely no reason at all.

And by that time anyway once your body has had a rest and the optimal diabetes treatment continues - you'll be in a far better position to deal with a pregnancy in the first place, won't you?

In the meantime as things stand right now - all pregnant ladies with diabetes - however their control was before they conceived - have to work really really hard to control their BG until they eventually give birth, don't underestimate how much! So everyone here will be rooting for you, trying to encourage you, and passing on any helpful tips when you need them - so make sure you keep us posted and ask ask ask for the whole duration, however it goes.

Fingers and toes crossed for you, good luck!

 

[BeeStarlight]

I know the doc was being truthful, as a nurse myself I know it’s their job to do so and I am equally as truthful with my patients, it just didn’t make it any easier to swallow though truthful or not. I am taking the attitude of what will be will be, I do feel sad that it’s taken a pregnancy for people to want to help me when they didn’t give a toss before and I was continuously chasing them for advice, anyway thanks for the reply, fingers crossed eh!

 

[Drummer]

The past can't be changed - but what a dreadful thing for your doctor to have done - please do not think that there was anything you should blame yourself for.
Keep your blood glucose as normal as possible from now on.
Whatever the outcome, and not every pregnancy results in a baby even for non diabetics (I do wish that was made clear to girls rather than such things being hidden) as a young type two you might - with good advice and proper checks, be able to restore normality.
At least when taking insulin you should have access to a good supply of testing equipment and be able to monitor your reaction to foods and so ensure that post prandial levels do not spike.

 

[grainger]

Hi.
I can only really echo what others have said but I wish you all the best with your pregnancy.
All I can really suggest is that you push for diabetic specialist pregnancy care and that you work as hard as possible going forward to control levels. You should be seen More often and be offered more scans.

There are many women who have done a lot to their bodies before discovering they are pregnant and they go on to have healthy kids so never say never. My niece is amazing and her mother... well let’s just say she didn’t find out she was pregnant until 20 weeks and was a fan of the recreational before then. So anything can happen.

Advice - work on breakfast first. It’s one of the hardest meals to get right especially pregnant so if you can control that your whole day is likely to feel easier.
- don’t beat yourself up for something you cannot change now. Past is past. What happens now you have more control over
- folic acid and vitamin d. Take the prescribed amounts and suggest vit d as it’s often neglected.

Keep us updated and fingers crossed for a successful outcome for you x

 

[merrymunky]

Wow that was rather pessimistic of them.

I lost a pregnancy in November at 16 weeks. My baby had many deformities and died in the womb. It’s looking likely that my (at that time) undiagnosed diabetes was the cause but this is certainly not the case for everyone. They should be supporting you and assuring you that they will look after you. I hope everything turns out ok for you.

 

[El.Titcherino]

@BeeStarlight Hows it going?

Okay so, I'll attempt to be positive 😛 - my hba1c has always been awful. I was told before my 18th birthday I'd more than likely never have kids. Tried for years, nothing. I lost 2 little ones in the space of a year and pretty much gave up. I wasn't well controlled at all, always fought against my diabetes rather than just accept I gotta work with it! Easier said than done for sure. Various other factors didnt help (mental health etc - which goes hand in hand apparently with diabetes too!)

My hba1c last year in July was over 100. Come December it was 70 something and March just gone it was 58 (I think)... I'm currently 34 weeks pregnant! The doctors were a bit mad that I didnt plan this with them (genuinely didnt think we'd fall pregnant so soon after stopping contraception...or ever again to be honest) and they laughed when I said "I havent had a sugar level over 10 for 2 whole weeks!" - it's been hard. Really hard, and I have never in my life worked so hard on my diabetes. I had a threatened miscarriage at 9 weeks, fell down a flight of stairs at 11 weeks, suffer with perinatal depression, had a battle with my consultant over whether or not I have nephropathy then got a kidney infection that lasted a month and had DKA 2 times during that month, ended up having to take an extra clexane injection every single day until delivery, have become severely anaemic, suffered with savage hypos for the first trimester and our baby is LGA (large for gestational age) which means he may be even earlier than the usual 38 week delivery they give diabetics and because I have low platelets I probably wont be allowed an epidural (dont even want the stupid epidural...)

But you know what? A doctor told me I'd probably "never be able to have a baby naturally". And through hard work and perseverance and determination, and tears and sweat and all the extra care and support that you do get from obstetricians and midwives and consultants and registrars and dieticians - certainly at my local hospital - it is possible. It's amazing what a person's body can do. I found out when I was 2 weeks pregnant, and I worried about what was going to happen, if I was going to lose the baby, or if one of my test results would come back saying there was a problem due to my sugar levels ...now we only have just over 2 weeks left until we meet our little boy and remembering his scans and feeling his kicks just spurs me on to push past everything else and try my hardest to stay positive.

It's hard- especially when you think and someone tells.you that the odds are stacked against you - but good things can happen!