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Pre conception - Frustrated!!! Or is this the norm!

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Stephie

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Type 1
I am feeling very very frustrated today! It is 8 months since I first went to the Doctors to get referred to the preconception clinic. The referral itself took 6 weeks!

I have been going to the pre-con clinic now every 6 weeks to get my blood sugars good, my HBa1C is now 6.8 which it has been for the past 2 times I have been so roughly 12-14 weeks.

My apointment yesterday was frustrating .. I saw a guy I had never seen before who said he couldnt understand why I was at the ante natal clinic for this and didnt know what to do with me as I keep having highs after breakfast. i was told to have the same amount of novorapid for each meal..! I dont know about anyone else, but this is impossible for me as is depends on what i am eating, what my activity is going to be or what my activity was etc etc! What gread advice "i dont know what to do with you"!! Well if he doesnt know who does! I hadnt seen this guy before but was not impressed,then said we will see you again 3 months!! At which point I nearly burst into tears as I said well that will nearly be 1 year since I first went to the docs!!! Ridiculous!

I have not been seen either by any of the community diabetes nurses which I think is bad too.

sorry for my rant but I jsut wanted to know if this is normal! My HBa1C is the best it has ever been too!
 
No, don't think this is normal - certainly not based on my experience. Waiting over a year for them to help your get your A1c to pregnancy levels is not ok. 6.8% suggests you're putting in all the work you can.

Do you have a DSN? I often find the docs are not very understanding and can't put diabetes into the context of everyday life, but my DSN is much better. It tends to be my DSN I talk to about BG & A1c, but don't know if this would change if I was preparing for pregnancy.

If you don't have a DSN, I'd suggest pushing for one. Even just to be in phone contact and meet every few weeks would be a big help.

Good luck - hope things get better soon & you can start TTC, it must be incredibly frustrating.
 
I go to the ante natal clinic at my local hospital to see the endocrinologist who deals with pre conception diabetics. The diabetes nurse was also there but they have never recommended I see her after my hospital appointments!

Anyway, I called yesterday and now have an appointment next week to see them and I will certainly be venting my opinions!

I have also seen the dietician who gave me some carb counting leaflets and left to go away with it. But I dont find that particularly hard.

It just seems along time coming!!!
 
I suspect that the Dr you saw had only recently qualified and was on rotation. That's the thing with hospital clinics you can see someone who has very little experience and it can be a rare thing to see a registrar or consultant.

Its easier said than done - but if a Dr says he doesn't know why you are there then you should say - in that case I would like to see a Dr who understands the importance of me having well controlled diabetes before I get pregnant.

Good luck with the appointment next week
 
Hi stephie,
I went to the preconception clinic for about.8 months before getting the go ahead, when my hba1c was 7.4. I find it v strange that they say a figure below 7.is not.good enough. The whole preconception thing was so soul destroying I felt.as though.a race was going on, and I could not even get off the starting blocks.
Could you get a referral to someone else?
 
The usual Dr I see is OK, it was more the guy yesterday who annoyed me. Then with him saying we'll see you in 3 months!! I just thats way too long, so he comprimised at 10 weeks, so my next appointment is mid November!

I know its for my own good to get my A1c as good as it possibly can be but it just seems to be taking forever and like you say 6.8 I thought would have been good as the recommendation is 6.1 which I know not everyone can do due to having alot of hypos.

Its kind of reassuring to hear that other people are taking 8 months, its been 5-6months since my first hospital appointment.

I will hopefully get somewhere next week with the DSN and maybe ask to see her more frequently in the interim.
 
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