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how did your D behave towards the end of pregnancy?

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Cleo

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi all
I've been told that I'll be induced at 38 weeks due to the risk of the placenta deteriorating and the Obs. Said that they'll get the baby out earlier IF my sugars are poorly controlled. I'm completely fine with the 38 week induction but not overly enthused at the prospect of maybe being induced earlier ie 32 - 34 weeks...

my question is : how did your D behave towards the end of the pregnancy ? Did things get really difficult ? I understand that Some women get induced earlier for non diabetes related issues, but I'm interested in understanding how the diabetes was affected towards the end of the pregnancy. I really don't want to google anything as ill probably just get horror stories which I have deliberately kept away from !

Many thanks in advance x
 
Hi Cleo

I found my insulin requirements increased throughout pregnancy, then stabilized at around 2.5 x my prepregnancy rate at about 8 months. Diabetes was no more problematic towards the end than at any other time (once I got my head around needing such huge volumes of insulin).

I chose to have an elective csection because I had some diabetic eye issues and wanted to avoid putting extra pressure on them with all the huffing and puffing of labour. Because that was happening at 38 weeks and they'd recently changed the guidelines to say babies born by elective section at 38 weeks should have steroids pre birth, I had the added complication of managing the BG impact of steroids. The full story is here if you want it http://www.shootuporputup.co.uk/tag/pregnancy

So, other than having to consider the D when planning the birth, day to day diabetes stuff in late pregnancy was no worse for me than at any other point.
 
Hi alisonF
many thanks for your quick response. Its very helpful and very clear! (and reassuring....) I'll have a look at the link and read your story as well. hope motherhood is treating you well
x
 
Well my diabetes never follows the rules. I got no insulin resistance it went the other way from about 28 weeks it was non stop hypos and they where checking for everything. My insulin levels I needed dropped by more than half, I was nearly on nothing.
My basal which has always been at 22 / 26 units went to 12 and my others from 8/12/18 to 4/4/6. They never told me why this happened I don't even know if they found out, I had a brilliant team and can't praise them enough.

At 34 weeks I went for a check up and they found protein and I was very swollen so they induced me so I can't help with the last bit as we didn't make it that far.

I can find a link to my birth story if you like, can't type it on my phone :/

Like Alison though I don't think my pregnancy hit worse at the end because of D, but then the whole of it was as hard with it. From week 6 till 34, none of it was easy and I can't pick the worse bit :-S

Take care xx
 
Re needing to induce early for diabetes reasons - from what I understand it's because if Mum's blood glucose levels are continuously higher than normal, the baby will be producing his own extra insulin in response and gaining weight too quickly, leading to a big baby and potentially difficult birth if left till 40 weeks. Also I believe it's common for babies born to type 1 Mums to spend a little while in the Special Care Baby Unit when they are born, as their pancreas will have been producing extra insulin in utero and doesn't switch off this production promptly enough when born.
 
Not any more Redkite - only if babe is struggling once he's out! It's not a 'given' these days at all.

This should also be discussed with you too when you have the talk about the sliding scale or not, etc.
 
thanks Redkite and TW
I was told that in diabetic women, the placenta can start to fail towards the end of the pregnancy (which can obviously lead to very serious consequences) so they pre-empt that by getting the little bean out 'early'.
 
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