5 weeks pregnant, scared spitless by doctor

[kbluebird 10]

Hello,

 

I have recently found out that I am about five weeks pregnant (i.e. 3 week old baby). I'm a type 1 and my last A1c was 8.3, which is the lowest it has been in the 8 years since I've been diagnosed. I realize that it's not low enough, and it's probably even a bit higher than that right now.

 

As soon as I found out I was pregnant (4 weeks), I began checking my sugars 6+ times per day, taking all my shots (6-9 per day), and walking for about 30 minutes per day. I have found that my sugars are still pretty high despite cutting down my carbs and going down to about a 1:5 carb ratio (previously a 1:10 ratio or 1:7 when I was PMSing), as well as increasing my lantus 4 units (up to 38). Well, they're all over the place, more accurately.

 

So I had my first doctor visit today and he was very... harsh. I showed him my sugars and he said they were way too high. I tried to tell him that my insulin requirements had doubled since becoming pregnant, but he said it was way too early for that to happen and that I just wasn't controlling them enough. Granted, I was irresponsible to have tried to get pregnant with an A1c that high, but as SOON as I found out I started trying my darndest. I said, "But I am pregnant, right?" and he said, "I'm not even going to answer that because it's at such a high risk right now." He asked what my morning blood sugar was today and I told him 6.5 (about 117) and he said, "Too high." ...Really? A 6.5 blood sugar is bad for baby? Then I'm doomed...

 

I'm so afraid that my irresponsibility has hurt this baby! But I'm also angry because I feel that I am doing everything humanly possible to get my blood sugars down, and they just aren't coming down. I'm eating a low carb breakfast, usually a salad or wrap for lunch, and am trying to increase my fruits, veggies, and water. I'm going on a 30 minute walk per day. I'm taking at least 6 shots per day. I'm getting pretty hungry because I'm eating a lot less due to my having trouble getting my blood sugar down after I eat...

 

Sorry if this was a jumbled post, I am just upset and needed to rant. I hope you can give me some reassurance. I know that my first 2 weeks of high blood sugars could effect things, but what's done is done and I want to move on and try to have as healthy a pregnancy as possible. But I feel very depressed and discouraged after my doctor's visit and hardly feel like trying anymore. He made it sound as if it was probably going to be a miscarriage.

[Jan B 54]

The best you can do is your best! And you are doing it! Congratulations by the way. I'm sorry your doctor has such a rotten bedside manner. I admire you for protecting your new little life inside the best you can. Of course you cannot change the past . . . and you ought to have a kind, supportive doctor. It's possible your doctor is just trying to scare you straight, but from what you have described, it wasn't very effective. Now you are upset, and that's no good!

 

There are many women here who have had very healthy babies, even though they didn't always start out with great control. Just try to relax and do the best you can from this point forward. And one little thought: fruit isn't the greatest thing for trying to control your bgs. But I'm no expert in pregnancy - be patient, and you will hear from some wonderful women. Hugs.

[katetana 10]

First of all...Congrats! Right after I found out I was pregnant, my BG spiked big time. My insulin/carb ratio doubled (went from 1:15 to 1:7). I pretty much stopped eating carbs for a couple of weeks....I got so sick of salad and eggs. But it did get better. By the end of my first trimester my insulin needs dropped drastically. My ratio at one point was 1:20. I'm 29 weeks now and have gotten back down to 1:9/1:7. My insulin resistance really started about a month ago and continues to get worse. So now I'm really having to alter my diet for the first time since those first couple of weeks. I was also testing around 15 times a day through my first trimester because it is so crucial and you can have unexplained highs and lows. I backed off to about 10 times a day since the beginning of the 2nd trimester.

 

I think the way your doctor treated you was uncalled for. You are pregnant and even if you didn't start out in the best control...you are doing your best to take care of yourself now. The biggest thing I try to keep in mind is that you can't change yesterday. You can't even change what happened 5 minutes ago. You can't beat yourself up about those highs....just correct them and move on. I also try to learn from them....such as white potatoes make my BG spike so I limit my intake of them. You can learn a lot about yourself while you are pregnant since you pay so much attention to your own body because there is a baby in there to take care of. All you can do is your best and just remember that your diabetes care is going to continually change over the next 9 months. What works for you one week might not work the next week.

 

Oh and I had some pretty high BG readings in those first couple of weeks and sporadically since then and my baby boy looks perfectly healthy so far.

[kbluebird 10]

Thanks for the encouragement.

 

I think that perhaps after seeing this week's blood sugars maybe he just didn't believe I was taking it seriously? But rather than "scare me straight," he kind of demotivated me and made me depressed. I really am doing all I can. I just truly believe that my sugars are going batcrap crazy right now and there's only so much control I can have over them.

 

Unfortunately, many people in this city don't even have a regular doctor, so I absolutely don't have the option of switching to another one. No doctors are taking any new patients. I am going to see my diabetic nurse on Wednesday, though, and she is much sweeter and more understanding (she's a type 1 herself).

[mell1682 10]

Hello,

 

I have recently found out that I am about five weeks pregnant (i.e. 3 week old baby). I'm a type 1 and my last A1c was 8.3, which is the lowest it has been in the 8 years since I've been diagnosed. I realize that it's not low enough, and it's probably even a bit higher than that right now.

 

As soon as I found out I was pregnant (4 weeks), I began checking my sugars 6+ times per day, taking all my shots (6-9 per day), and walking for about 30 minutes per day. I have found that my sugars are still pretty high despite cutting down my carbs and going down to about a 1:5 carb ratio (previously a 1:10 ratio or 1:7 when I was PMSing), as well as increasing my lantus 4 units (up to 38). Well, they're all over the place, more accurately.

 

So I had my first doctor visit today and he was very... harsh. I showed him my sugars and he said they were way too high. I tried to tell him that my insulin requirements had doubled since becoming pregnant, but he said it was way too early for that to happen and that I just wasn't controlling them enough. Granted, I was irresponsible to have tried to get pregnant with an A1c that high, but as SOON as I found out I started trying my darndest. I said, "But I am pregnant, right?" and he said, "I'm not even going to answer that because it's at such a high risk right now." He asked what my morning blood sugar was today and I told him 6.5 (about 117) and he said, "Too high." ...Really? A 6.5 blood sugar is bad for baby? Then I'm doomed...

 

I'm so afraid that my irresponsibility has hurt this baby! But I'm also angry because I feel that I am doing everything humanly possible to get my blood sugars down, and they just aren't coming down. I'm eating a low carb breakfast, usually a salad or wrap for lunch, and am trying to increase my fruits, veggies, and water. I'm going on a 30 minute walk per day. I'm taking at least 6 shots per day. I'm getting pretty hungry because I'm eating a lot less due to my having trouble getting my blood sugar down after I eat...

 

Sorry if this was a jumbled post, I am just upset and needed to rant. I hope you can give me some reassurance. I know that my first 2 weeks of high blood sugars could effect things, but what's done is done and I want to move on and try to have as healthy a pregnancy as possible. But I feel very depressed and discouraged after my doctor's visit and hardly feel like trying anymore. He made it sound as if it was probably going to be a miscarriage.

 

 

 

Sending a million hugs your way. I think your doctor behaved in a very uncalled for way and you may want to find another doc if it's possible. I got pregnant the first time with an A1C much higher than yours (think teens); I was uninsured and couldn't take care of myself and honestly didn't think I could get pregnant. My first doctor appointment was very scary but my doctor had really awesome bedside manners and that is important. Yes they're are risks when you get pregnant with a high A1C but it's not unheard of or unimaginable that a healthy baby could come from a mom with one. My 8 yr old daughter is living proof of that. She was born healthy and her start was far from ideal. I did exactly what you did and began immediately taking care of myself (I felt like a human pin cushion lol) and got my A1C to the lowest I ever had it since or before (6.0). You're doing all the right things and is NOT too early for your insulin requirements to be going up. Every woman's body reacts to a pregnancy differently. I'm so sorry you had such a scary appointment.

[Kathryn10 13]

Congrats on the pregnancy! I understand how you feel. I became pregnant right around the time I started using an insulin pump and my a1c was not the greatest; however, I worked extremely hard to get my blood sugars under control and actually got down to an a1c of 5.5 for most of my pregnancy which is lower than it had ever been. In the beginning I know it was much higher. You can only do the best you can and it seems like that is what you are doing. Stress is bad for you AND the baby so just focus on the here and now and getting the best numbers possible. The first endo I had in the high-risk clinic at the ob/gyn was a real witch who said my diabetes was "uncontrolled" (it wasn't) and was very rude and mean to me. I "fired" her and was transferred to a different endo who was MUCH easier to work with. Do you have the option of switching docs at all? If so I would suggest doing that. Good luck with everything and if there is anything we can help with we are here for you

[Steal 16]

One thing that I have learned from going through this experience twice is that a big part of it is working hard, being honest and remaining calm. I never thought I could bring my A1C down to the 5's and once I was there, I can't imagine being anywhere else. I hate leaving the doctor feel depressed and have had numerous experiences where I leave furious and frustrated, but I found that this all changed for me when I felt more in control. I tested 15-20 times daily, adjusted my basal and bolus rates, focused on specific times of day that were frustrating, woke up in the night to test and ate low carb to help my control and kept records of everything. When I went back in to see the doctor, I came with an arsenal of information and our relationship became more one where I was checking in with the doctor, versus seeking approval. This might be something to strive for and really did help me to leave without as much frustration.

[KCP 10]

I hope you're starting to feel better I have a little bit of advice: TEST.. Lots.. Lots and lots. If you think its enough? Test more! Im 16 weeks this week, and in my first 9 weeks my insulin needs shot up, which Ive heard is completely normal for the first stages. After that I started going hypo alot more so I adjusted my insulin needs and upped my carb intake to keep things on an even keel. Last week I noticed I was very wonky all day,so I adjsuted my basal amount and now im sitting between 4-10 all day (and I test over night as well)

Im testing 15 times a day or so and I told a MW at the hospital this and she gasped.. Motivation, thats what she called it. I am motivated to keeping my child healthy and alive And the only way I can do this is by knowing what my blood sugars are doing at any given time..

[CrystalBlue 13]

Don't let him discourage you. I knew I was pregnant only a week or so after conception, mostly because of what my sugar was doing. Most women's need for insulin shoots up very early on. I'm 5 weeks right now myself, and this is my 3'rd pregnancy. I went into my first with an A1c over 9, this was over 10 years ago and they were not as strict then. I remember the doctors telling me they'd rather have me "run a little sweet" than risk getting too low. I know the research has proven otherwise since then, but my point is, my son was born perfectly fine.

 

With my second pregnancy, they had me in tears at the first visit. They showed me this chart that compared A1c to risk of miscarriage. They told me I had a 50/50 chance of losing the baby. He is 3 now, and perfectly fine. I'm not saying you should disregard everything they tell you, or stop trying your best to bring your numbers down. But I do think they can get a little alarmist about the whole thing. So congratulations, keep working at bringing your numbers down, and take it easy on yourself! I'll keep my eyes out for more posts from you as we've probably got very close due dates. (I'm 12/25)

[jessica11 10]

I'm so sorry you had such a scary appointment.

[Brookie 14]

Hello,

 

First, Congratulations!!! Don't let your doctor stress you out....it's not what you need right now! You just need to focus on staying calm and keeping those sugars under good control:) It sounds like that is exactly what you are trying to do so great job!

 

When I was pregnant, I experienced much higher blood sugars in the first few weeks too. Not until week 7 or 8 did my insulin requirements go back down. My doctors said to me too that they shouldn't be affected that early, but they were. So I completely understand where you are coming from. Just do what you can to control them. You might see your requirements drop too in a few weeks:)

 

The second time I was pregnant, the doctor came in the room (she was a resident) and told me that my 114 am blood sugar was way too high as well. I was pissed! I thought it was really good too! I just think every doctor will have a slightly different opinion of what is "perfect". I don't think it was bad at all, but just gave myself a little more insulin over night to come down some. Honestly, the hormones are just getting going, so they will cause sugar fluctuations. Just don't beat yourself up over each one. Good luck!!

[Charlotte76 10]

I had that as well. The nurse was not happy with my blood sugars and sent me to the dietitian. However when I went to see the doc, he was fine about it. I was testing 5-6 times per day and my A1C was 6.

 

Some people have different ideas on good control and my son is now 3 years old and healthy. He was also a good weight at 7lbs 5oz.

[mcdo0063 10]

Hey, I also had a doctor with terrible bedside manner when I got pregnant. The key is to find a doctor you like. I found one who was great for me. Listen to what they have to say! My A1C was 6.9 when I got pregnant and at the lowest it was 4.5. I had a 6.5lb baby born at 38 weeks. Be careful with lows. That was the hardest part for me. As much as I would try to watch it, my BG would drop. Hopefully, you will get to this point. I wish you the best of luck!!