Pregnant a year after a miscarriage

katievwal8t · #1 (**permalink**) 11-04-2009, 08:25 AM

Hi everyone. I just found out that I'm about 6 weeks pregnant. I was diagnosed with type 1 last january. This was an oopseybaby but we are excited. However, I am absolutely terrified because I had a miscarriage back in january because I didn't know I had diabetes. I have had pretty good control since then but I am not on a pump. I use pens and a OneTouch meter. Am I doomed? I don't know where to start. I meet my OB later this week and my endocrinologist next week. I am new to this tight control and I feel like I'm going to fail. Any advice? Thanks everyone!

<3 Katie

genie86333 · #2 (**permalink**) 11-04-2009, 06:24 PM

Hi, Katie.

First off, Breathe!!!!!!! Stress isn't good for the baby or you.

Secondly, congratulations!

Last, you said your control has been good. That's wonderful! Expect it to fluctuate throughout the pregnancy, but don't feel like you're doomed! I had gestational diabetes (totally uncontrolled because the docs didn't do *anything* about it - no at-home testing, no meds, no advice about my diet, etc.) for 2 pregnancies & both babies were fine, even though they were big. I'd hate to see what my A1C was, but I'm sure it was very high.

Do what you can to keep good control, but remember that many babies do make it thru just fine with total lack of control, so a day here or there of poor control doesn't automatically mean doom.

Belle'sMama · #3 (**permalink**) 11-04-2009, 06:25 PM

Katie, Hi! My name is Kerri and I am just a little over 5 wks myself. I've been type 1 for what feels like forever, lol, but really about, geez, 18 yrs? I, too, had a really bad miscarriage exactly 4 yrs ago this month, I had been pregnant with twins but didn't know that until after the fact. My dr doesn't think it had anything to do with my diabetes. I went on to have a few chemical pregnancies and then got pg with my almost 3 yr old. When I was pg with her I was on progesterone and a baby aspririn and am doing the same right now but I really thinking right now that the progesterone is contributing to my high BS at night since that is when I take it. I can only tell you that I've been on the pump for the past 4 yrs and once I did, it changed my life. For me, I had been in bad control for years so it was something that I knew I had to get before I could get pregnant. Right now I have the CGM sensor and have only had it for the past month or so, and just by having that I've seen the pattern of a BS rise after I take the progesterone. I met with my endo last week and will meet with her again on Friday. She made me meet with a dietcian and diabetic nurse last week as well at the local Diabetes Resource Center, but they really just told me things that I already knew, but I would recommend doing that to anyone who hasn't went through a diabetic pregnancy before.

e||ement · #4 (**permalink**) 11-05-2009, 07:28 AM

hi katie! congrats!

i too am 6 weeks along...and i was dx'd with type 1 in february.

it is very scary...believe me i know!!! i too have a history of miscarriage too...but that was before D...and i do have a healthy 2.5 year old son.

i am also on MDI. so far what i've found that works best to keep tight control (and i'm a control freak!) is to split boluses and to pre-bolus for meals. i've just started doing that about 2 weeks ago but in only a few days i noticed a huge difference in my numbers.

that's not to say i haven't had highs. last night i shot up to 10.2...and that was a half hour after taking a correction bolus for being 7.2!! holy smokes! i took another correction right away. i'm definitely being more aggressive with my insulin usage...but also testing much more frequently too.

but no, you are definitely not doomed!

i see my endo tomorrow (finally).

Belle'sMama · #5 (**permalink**) 11-05-2009, 08:27 AM

Just wanted to tell you D ladies something I found humorous. I was given this pamphlet the other day by the dietician and it's pretty up to date since it even talks about the insuling Apidra. Anyway....it says "a type 1 diabetic woman's need for insulin should not increase in the 1st trimester and only change, needing a decrease, at 10 wks" LOL!!!! it even showsa graph of a woman's need for insulin as a steady line as the same as before pregnancy. HAhahaha! geez, I am already on more basal than I ever was at anytime in my last pregnancy!

I increased it to 1.15 overnight and finally woke up with a good fasting, for the 1st time in probably a week~84.

Candace · #6 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 09:09 PM

Hi just found out that im a little over 6 weeks myself. and i have so may questions. How big do diabetics babies get and come out weighing. I've heard that we can kind of "prone" to larger babies. and that we also have to stay in the hospital larger than most after the birth. Is any of this true? This is my first btw!

Jules49 · #7 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 10:09 PM

Congratulations to all you ladies! Both of my kids were born before becoming a Type 1. Think it might have started working on me before my last one was born. I barley gained 15 lbs with him and he weighed 9 lb 13 oz. I weighed less when I got out of the hospital than I did when I got pregnant. This was before all of the testing the doctors do now. It was shortly after he was born that I had constant thirst and I was losing two pounds every week. Was so tired. Be proud that you know and doctors are much smarter now. I wish you all the best of luck.