Pregnancy and Stress

[Flower3333]

Hi Everyone🙂

Myself and my boyfriend Phil are going to start trying for a baby at the start of June. I had a preconception appointment with the diabetic midwife approx. a year ago when we first started thinking about children. I was given all the correct advice about folic acid, tablets, blood levels etc. The midwife told me to phone her once I fell pregnant which I'm happy with.

However I'm finding it very difficult to have tight control at work due to stress. I started the job about 10 months ago and it's been stressful since day one. I'm testing my blood approx. ten times a day and adjust my food and insulin accordingly. It is a large but new company and everyone in my department is overworked and stressed especially my boss. She has been out of the office for the past two weeks and my blood levels have been a lot more stable.

How do other people cope with stress? I would normally just get on with it but I'm trying so hard to get perfect control especially for when I'm actually fall pregnant

 

[Ivy]

Someone I used to work with used to get so stressed out about her workload it was making her sick. But then she decided to take the 'You can only do so much' approach. At the end of the day, you can only do so much in the working day. Try to not stress too much because that will probably make you less productive anyway and when you go home, try to forget about work until the next day.

Is there anyway way you could speak to your boss about possible changes that could be made to make everything run more smoothly? I guess the only other option is to look for another job, which I know isn't easy in the current climate.

Also, always make sure you take a proper lunch break! It helps clear the head ready for the afternoon 🙂

 

[Lauras87]

I can't help on the pregnancy front but stress wise, I either go sky high so need to add 20% to my insulin or I have horrific hypos (I can't win)

I've spoken to work & it helped until the work load more than doubled last month.

Stupid question but do you feel your boss is the problem rather than the work? I note your comments about your sugar levels when she wasn't around.

I hope things get better for you

 

[Lizzzie]

Only worry about the things that you can change.

So if I assume that you can't change your job and can't change your boss, the only way to change your stress levels is to change yourself.

It's hard to reprogram your mind not to care what people say, or how they talk to you, or what they think, or the minor details of your job, or whatever's winding you up (can you identify exactly what's winding you up?). Easy to say, hard to do. Is it possible for you?

If you can't do anything about how you feel, you could try teaching yourself to calm down properly afterwards..... there's a googlable free course called Get Some Head Space, or you could try yoga, or taking yourself out for walks, or whatever floats your boat.

OR you could decide that you can't do anything about the stress level or the effect it has on you, where the only thing to do is try to change your ratios or basal. This is much easier to control with a pump than injections and hard because it won't affect you by the same amount every day (or at least, it doesn't me).
I know we're all supposed to eat whatever we want to, but I find a low-carb diet helps a lot when my ratios are a bit uncertain.... if I haven't had many carbs and get my ratios wrong, the final amount is 'out' by fewer units and it's less likely to have a disasterous effect.

Whichever way, it is NOT EASY so don't add to your stress by beating yourself up every time it goes slightly wrong. When I found out I was pregnant, I thought my levels over the preceding weeks had been intolerably high and was worried as anything....

...then they tested my HbA1c and it was 5.5. It's the nature of being pregnant to overexaggerate high levels, because we're so worried about them.

Good Luck!