Experimenting with novorapid...doesn’t work with potatoes!

[merrymunky]

This should probably be better suited to the food section but since it’s a query about insulin I’m popping it in here.

My diabetic pregnancy consultant has given me two novorapid pens to experiment with so I can start introducing some foods back into my diet while I’m pregnant.

3-4 units works a treat ok baked beans or rice.

However potatoes? I’m having an absolute nightmare with them. Twice now this week I have tried a meal made with potatoes and lentils. I call it a hash. It’s mashed potato and lentils mixed with vegetables etc. However even 5 units today didn’t work and after my meal I was over 10 on my meter. I was 4.9 before tea.

Obviously I cannot keep eating them of the insulin isn’t going to work. I am going to have to talk to him on Friday and ask what he would recommend if I do want potatoes in my meals now and then. I don’t want to overdo it with the insulin and make myself ill.

However I cannot have high blood sugar levels, especially in pregnancy since it could well have been the diabetes that caused the death of my first baby.

 

[Robin]

I find mashed potato a nightmare, the mashing starts breaking down the starch, so it’s like eating pure glucose by the time you eat it, it always spikes me. I find a few boiled new potatoes, with a knob of butter, are delicious, and don’t have the same effect.(I know it isn’t exactly new potato season, but you can still buy small packs in the supermarkets, and if you just have a few, a pack goes quite a long way)

 

[merrymunky]

Ah see now I had four of five new potatoes with tea one day last week and the same thing happened. They just don’t agree with me which is a shame because I love them so and at the moment m favouring bland carby foods (thanks baby!)

I can’t risk it though.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Ah see now I had four of five new potatoes with tea one day last week and the same thing happened.

It's worth asking your team and seeing if they've got any suggestions.

The usual ones would be to try injecting a bit earlier (NovoRapid doesn't really start acting for ~30 minutes, and how far ahead is best depends on the food and quantity), or maybe add something to slow digestion a bit (start with a salad, maybe). Or just have potatoes, but not so many. But it's also possible that kind of experimentation isn't worth the risk for you at the moment.

 

[merrymunky]

It's worth asking your team and seeing if they've got any suggestions.

The usual ones would be to try injecting a bit earlier (NovoRapid doesn't really start acting for ~30 minutes, and how far ahead is best depends on the food and quantity), or maybe add something to slow digestion a bit (start with a salad, maybe). Or just have potatoes, but not so many. But it's also possible that kind of experimentation isn't worth the risk for you at the moment.

I don’t mind cutting them out for the sake of a healthy baby.

 

[SB2015]

Hi @merrymunky
Have you tried working out the actual carbs in what you are eating. I know this will not be quite the same for you as you are making some insulin yourself and this is a top up. Your lentils, potatoes and veg are all carbs, some may release more slowly than others but it does sound a high carb mix. Perhaps reduce your portions. With yummy stuff I just have less. I aim for a set amount of carbs at each meal, although it is only a target and I can up my insulin if I exceed the target using my ratios (or reduce it if lower!!!). At least it makes me look at portion size.

Apart from that I think we all have different foods that spike us (mashed potatoes definitely make a pinnacle for me) and it is a bit of trial and improvement, and some guess work.

Certainly I have found that the timing of my insulin has helped, delivering my Novorapid some time before each meal (specific times not given as it is different for each of us, and it is back to more testing to see what works.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I don’t mind cutting them out for the sake of a healthy baby.

Good to see you are keeping a close eye on things MM. As @Bruce Stephens suggests, this is probably a little experimentation project for another time!

 

[merrymunky]

Hi @merrymunky
Have you tried working out the actual carbs in what you are eating. I know this will not be quite the same for you as you are making some insulin yourself and this is a top up. Your lentils, potatoes and veg are all carbs, some may release more slowly than others but it does sound a high carb mix. Perhaps reduce your portions. With yummy stuff I just have less. I aim for a set amount of carbs at each meal, although it is only a target and I can up my insulin if I exceed the target using my ratios (or reduce it if lower!!!). At least it makes me look at portion size.

Apart from that I think we all have different foods that spike us (mashed potatoes definitely make a pinnacle for me) and it is a bit of trial and improvement, and some guess work.

Certainly I have found that the timing of my insulin has helped, delivering my Novorapid some time before each meal (specific times not given as it is different for each of us, and it is back to more testing to see what works.

I have no idea what the ratio of insulin to carbs about be. This is all very new. I was just told to experiment with 2-4 units before a meal of it was going to be a slightly more carb heavy meal than I am accustomed to these days. I had 5 units today and obviously was nowhere near enough. I massively reduced the portion size too. I think it’s just not the food for me.
Difficult when the consultant is telling me I need to reintroduce some of these foods so I have a decent varied diet in pregnancy.

I think potato will be off the menu again though!!

 

[SB2015]

Plenty of other options available!

They are getting you to kind of use a link between big meals and small ones and deciding on how much insulin you need. That is what our ratios do. As you say perhaps potatoes are off your list now.

As a basic rule,if you can work out how much carbs you are eating (At home I weigh foods and work it all out) then the more carbs you eat, the more insulin you may need. You might need to talk to one of your team about this. Total carbs is a useful measure to help you make appropriate decisions.

I ate at Wagamamas yesterday, and chose a delicious meal and when they told me the carbs it only came to 25g. Well within my target. Delighted.

 

[DaveB]

Hi. Be aware that our typical Western diet has too many carbs in it and potatoes are very carby. I would keep the carbs down a bit and have enough fats and proteins to keep you feeling full as well as veg and non-tropical fruit

 

[Ditto]

If potatoes were only just introduced into this country we wouldn't be allowed them, they wouldn't pass safety muster. Speaks volumes really. That Walter Raleigh's got a lot to answer for. Potatoes are the bane of my life along with bread. Bringing them back was a waste of time, spuds didn't save my ancestors from the Famine, the Peruvians should have kept them.

Don't have them, your cargo is too precious.

 

[merrymunky]

Hi. Be aware that our typical Western diet has too many carbs in it and potatoes are very carby. I would keep the carbs down a bit and have enough fats and proteins to keep you feeling full as well as veg and non-tropical fruit

I usually do. I have pretty much vetoed them from my diet. The control sultan just wanted me to try reintroducing some of my old faves to stop me from eating the same things day in day out for the next 7 months and to make sure I was eating a wide variety of foods. I’m happy to go back to what I was doing for now.

 

[trophywench]

Well the Control Sultan (LOL) is absolutely correct as far as your babe is concerned solely - a growing babe is far better off with a wide variety of food. However if the mother ain't doing well, then the baby won't either anyway so he has to try and ensure both stay healthy.
How the heck does a pregnant vegetarian get enough protein, for starters? (Not being awkward here - it's just something that's always puzzled me) But I'm certainly not concerned you can't eat spuds!

 

[merrymunky]

Well the Control Sultan (LOL) is absolutely correct as far as your babe is concerned solely - a growing babe is far better off with a wide variety of food. However if the mother ain't doing well, then the baby won't either anyway so he has to try and ensure both stay healthy.
How the heck does a pregnant vegetarian get enough protein, for starters? (Not being awkward here - it's just something that's always puzzled me) But I'm certainly not concerned you can't eat spuds!

Oh don’t you just love autocorrect! Of course I meant consultant but control sultan is hilarious! Lol!!

For protein I eat a lot of quorn, cheese etc.

i definitely agree on the potato front. If it’s not worth it I won’t miss them for a while.