Pregnancy

shot caller · #1 (**permalink**) 02-20-2007, 12:07 PM

Any pregnancy stories out there? would be great if you could share your experiences so that would be-moms (and eager would-be dads) can benefit from this? Question: Is a C-section more complicated in case you have D in terms of the stiches healing up? I have a friend who's so small built (and type 1) that I can;t imagine her delivering a kid the normal way.

princesslinda · #2 (**permalink**) 02-20-2007, 12:22 PM

I know many small women who have normal deliveries. Specifically, my sister in law is 5 ft tall, about 100 lbs...her husband is over 6 ft tall, big built. They have 2 children, both normal vaginal deliveries, the first baby was just over 8 lbs, the second over 7 lbs.

grace girl · #3 (**permalink**) 02-20-2007, 01:15 PM

External size has little to do with it....it's the pelvis size and build that determines is. I'm small, 5ft tall, 128 lbs, and I had trouble delivering a 5lb baby vaginally....small pelvis. I had two c-sections for the next two, but I didn't have D then, so I can't comment. D aside, I personally found c-sections much easier to recover from than a vaginal birth. That's just me.

kel4han · #4 (**permalink**) 02-20-2007, 04:36 PM

I had two vaginal deliveries, 3 1/2 years apart and I am smaller too, 5'5 115lbs (before pregnancy) The episiotomy to me, was worse than labor itself! Felt horrible down there for weeks! I had gestational diabetes both times, that was hard, and since I wasn't actually diagnosed myself yet, so I couldn't put 2 and 2 together for how tired I felt most of the time. (besides the fact that a child was growing inside me!) I gained normal weight the 1st time around, but second pregnancy left me at a weight gain of 72lbs!! That one did it for me. I loved being pregnant and felt the happiest ever in my life. Until after, I suffered serious depression. Anyway, everyone says they want a C-section, I could not imagine it, though they say it was so much easier! YIKES! As long as you go epidural it is a breeze!

June91 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-21-2007, 01:05 AM

Glad to see you foined this forum. You'll find that wounds not healing properly as a symptom of diabetes is very rare nowadays, provided there is a reasonable measure of control, which we're fortunate to have access to.

I had a C section, and four years later I can't even find the scar any more. I don't remember anything particularly difficult about my pregnancy, except that morning sickness messes up your BGs a lot, and you can never explain to doctors that an eating regime with five small meals (another old-fashioned misconception about good eating habits for Type 1) is difficult to maintain without very precise carb counting and certainly not without insulins which are much faster than Actrapid was a the time.

I had no fears aout the delivery itself, but I was in agony most of my hospital stay, as I had to stay alert to manage my BGs myself all the time and therefore only pretended to take my painkillers. This is because they had a sliding scale which could kill me - 2 units for any reading over 8,0 without any regard to insulin taken, meal, etc. and similar nonsense. So I kept my insulin with me and endured a lot of pain.

Hey, reading this through I realize that it does not reflect what I was trying to say: I did not have any major problems in pregnancy due to diabetes. That is what I mean but I got sidetracked. This all happened in Africa, so I'm not really complaining about the hospital treatment, it could have been far worse.

Bottom line: maintain control, test ALL the time, relax, sleep a lot and enjoy!

P. S. Not that I'm a prude, but don't you want to marry your girl before asking these kinds of questions...

cheryl · #6 (**permalink**) 02-21-2007, 04:55 AM

I have had really good preganancies, for the most part with all my kids. I had the best pregnancy and the best tight bg control with my last child Jacob. Four kids mind you.

My second child was the most complicated I think. I was scared and nervous, too many personal issue's and l lied about my bg's a lot to the dr's, I was a little irresponsible, while I did check my bg's to make sure my insulin requirement needed to go up or not. I would lie a lot too. He tried to make his debut at 34 weeks, I dilated to 5 centimeters.......well by the grace of god my labor stopped, They gave me steroids and what not and I got to go home two days before x-mas. Then the little bugger of course didn't want to come out when I was trying desperately to do so. Well of course I was enduced at 38 weeks the norm for me. The labor happened so fast, I also had tested positive for that group b strep, whatever that was, well they started the antibiotic when they broke my water. That was a bad call that I later did not find out till I was prego with my third.

I was dilated 8 and what not and his heart rate was dropping. The dr told me if I didn't dilate to 10 within the next hour, I would need an emergency c-section......yikes, I am sorry but I am scared to death of those things. My mom and I prayed and low and behold withing minutes I felt the urge to push. Epidurals are lovely it don't hurt..........lol. I was dilated 10 and ready to go. He took forever to push out, well he did and he looked so lifeless, then miracle he cried. After that they found out he had a blood infection. Note due to that group b strep, but they wouldn't 100% what the blood was infected with but one nurse slipped up and said strep........But Cristian blood sugars stabilized so fast, but he was sick. He didn't look sick but I guess he was. So eight days of ICU for him and finally i got to take one of the biggest newborns out of the ICU, well he was 8pounds 5 ozs and most newborns in nicu are tiny.......

Note to any one reading this who is pregnant or thinks they are pregnant. If you test positive for group b strep, make sure that you either have a c-section or get induced, YOU have to have anitbiotic in you for atleast an hour before you water should be broken..............so the infection does not pass to your child.......Dr's in my hospital screwed up and could of really made my child ill, but he is fine to this day........He is now in 1st grade and he just turned 7 in January, but still it could be a lot worse, and if I knew that back then I would of sued the pissy pants off that hospital for being so careless and neglegent.

Cheryl

shot caller · #7 (**permalink**) 02-21-2007, 11:49 AM

thanks for sharing your experiences. anyone have any stats on the chances of your child developing type 1 if the mother has type 1 as well? also, anything to lookout for other than bg levels?

cheryl · #8 (**permalink**) 02-21-2007, 11:51 AM

It is a 1 to 3 % chance that is very low.....3 to 6% chance if the father is type 1.....I have a book that has those statistics......

cheryl

Georgia · #9 (**permalink**) 02-21-2007, 12:12 PM

Hi shot caller

Have a look on DiabeticMommy - Diabetes Pregnancy, Gestational Diabetes, Trying to Conceive with Diabetes I am always promoting the site on here (sorry Tony)...I should be on commission!!

tanyatype1 · #10 (**permalink**) 02-22-2007, 09:03 AM

I had my third baby at home on my bed - unplanned! Yah, just a little scary!

June91 · #11 (**permalink**) 02-23-2007, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tanyatype1

I had my third baby at home on my bed - unplanned! Yah, just a little scary!

Please tell all...

Tricia452008 · #12 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 07:25 AM

My doctor and i were talking about pregnancy and diabetes last night and he said i would have to go off my Lantus and switch back to NPH because it was safer for the baby.....is this true? did anyone have to switch their insulin during pregnancy?

Georgia · #13 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 08:32 AM

I'm in the UK & was actually put on Lantus in order to try to conceive. I was previously on mixed insulin (2 shots per day) & my endo initially suggested Levemir, but the diabetes nurse advised that Lantus offers better control during pregnancy. I have heard that many doctors in the US prefer women to take NPH though because it has been around longer & used safely by pregnant women. So far (touch wood) Lantus has been fine for me during my pregnancy, but I guess your doctor is worried about any long term side effects?

belyro · #14 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tricia452008

My doctor and i were talking about pregnancy and diabetes last night and he said i would have to go off my Lantus and switch back to NPH because it was safer for the baby.....is this true? did anyone have to switch their insulin during pregnancy?

Tricia, this was in my local Diabetes newsletter last month.

January 2007: Novo Nordisk announced January 31st that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved NovoLog(R) (insulin aspart, Lantus) as a safe and effective treatment for pregnant women with type 1 diabetes and their unborn children. Lantus is still NOT approved for use in pregnancy in Canada, but with this announcement and new evidence, it shouldn’t be too long before it is. The FDA category change was based on research done in 63 sites in 18 countries comparing the safety and efficacy of insulin aspart versus human regular insulin in the treatment of 322 pregnant women with type 1 diabetes. Results showed that changes in A1C and rates of maternal hypoglycemia were comparable with the two insulins. The trial with insulin aspart showed improved outcomes for both mother and child in terms of fewer preterm deliveries, reduced risk of neonatal hypoglycemia, consistent low rates of major hypoglycemia and reduced risks to the fetus with pregnancy outcomes comparable to those in the human regular insulin arm of the trial.

For me....I'm planning to go on the pump when it's "my turn".

andypoo · #15 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 10:41 AM

I got diabetes when I became pregnant with my first baby,my son. I was only 5'2" and 103 lbs. the drs. found out I couldn't have my baby normally,so I did Have a casaerean. He was a month early and weighed 7lbs. and 6 ozs. he was a sickly baby,too. That's been 37yrs. ago.they've come a long way since then in the medical field. 8 yrs. later I had my daughter and she was a month early,and weighed 8lbs.13ozs.. The drs. said she could've gotten up to 15 lbs. Babies of diabetic moms do tend to be larger. But they grow normally after that initial weight. I have extremely normal,intelligent adult children ,too,who have good health and lead normal lives.