Hullo Metal Mamma!

[Daisy]

Hi MM
I read your post with interest - I am a Type 1 for 35 years - and am currently trying for a baby. I have already had one miscarriage a year ago - I have a few questions - how did pregnancy affect your bs levels? I am sure the last time I had a misacarriage was beacuse my bs went down to 1.2 one night. I know my body starts shutting things down when I get that low. I know it could be for a multitude of reasons, but...it makes you think. Secondly - did you have to have caesareans? If I am successful this time - I REALLY want to give birth naturally - I will be so mad if they insist I have a caesar. I know the reasons why - it makes it easy for them - but I figure with good bs monitoring why not? Cheer hon - Daisy x

 

[kaffp]

Hi Daisy & MM
I'm Type 2, diagnosed for about 12 months now (though with hindsight probably had it for at least another 8 months!). I have a 2 boys, the elder is nearly 7 and the younger is nearly 3. I had gestational diabetes with him (so why oh why didn't I realise the 'symptoms' had returned?) I also had a miscarriage earlier this year and we are 'trying' again - though I have to say, apart from anything else, age is not on my side as I am already 43 (though I'm not sure how that happened!). My experience of pregnancy with (gestational) diabetes was that the diabetes team couldn't have been more helpful during the pregnancy but giving birth was a nightmare and my little one ended up having to be taken down to the special care unit and put on a drip which shouldn't have been necessary. Hope things go well for you soon Daisy - Kathy

 

[Admin]

Hullo kathy!

Cheers Kathy - I have read newborns of diabetics sometimes end up with low bs when they are born as they produce their own insulin and have their own bs levels - but react to the mother's bs in the placenta - which means if it is a bit high they can over produce insulin when they are first born - which may be why your lil one ended up on a drip?

 

[Diabolical]

Hi, I've had two babies, one is now 16, the other 11, both girls are fighting fit and not diabetic, I have been diabetic for 37 years since the age of 5. I hate to say this but there is no such thing as a natural diabetic pregnancy or birth; the whole event is medicalised beyond belief, which I guess is necessary for a healthy outcome. I gave birth vaginally the first time, what with being restricted by the 'sliding scale' diabetes pump and the constant monitoring of my daughter in the womb any movement or ideas of natural birth go out the window - she was taken into the SCBU to be monitored for three days, bottle fed (even though I was desperately against this because of the link between breast milk and prevention of diabetes) and I was left to recover several floors below. The second time I really didn't want the same experience but luckily my daughter turned into breech position two weeks before she was due to be induced so I had to have a caesarian - I had an epidural for this, the whole process was quick, I was awake, I had no pain, my daughter was not damaged by a traumatic birth - she still went to SCBU (neither girls actually had to their blood sugars were fine) but I insisted she only had my breat milk - altogether a better experience. I recovered from the caesarian quicker than the 'natural' birth - what ever happens in birth, it won't be natural, you won't be able to go full term, so go with whatever happens and don't dread a caesarian - you can be as natural as you like once you get home. Good luck with it all, happy to help if you need any further advice

 

[kaffp]

Hiya, DS2 did have to go down to special care because of his bs levels, but they had promised me before that I would be monitered, put on a drip to control my levels etc etc so he wouldn't need that 'extra' care. When it came to giving birth althougth they had instead that I be induced early they were 'too busy' when it came to it and told me they would probably still be too busy for at least another week! Fortunately my son had other ideas. My bs levels were higher during labour than at any other point in the pregnancy - no one had any time for me, it took them 6 hours to get a canula in my hand for strep B drugs which meant that didn't happen in time either - yet another (preventable) reason for my little one having to be taken from me - but at least I was able to go and feed him! I can't really believe I want to do it again - I look at my kids & I know why, but thinking pregnancy & birth ..... However when all is said & done I have two healthy kids.