Uncontrolled Diabetes and Early Pregnancy

Hi. I also put a post in the Pregnancy Forum. I'm deperate for information. I found out I was pregnant with baby #3 on July 4. I had my first pre-natal exam today (July 19) and they found sugar in my urine and did a finger stick and it was 300!! I also had high blood pressure. I was unaware that I was having these problems. I thought the dizziness and headaches were pregnancy symptoms (I'm 7 weeks 3 days). My doctor didn't seemed concerned and said they'd discuss everything at my next visit when the blood work came back. However, from what I've been reading I need to get this under control NOW and not wait 3 weeks. Is it possible that my baby has already sustained damage? I have no idea how long or high my blood sugar has been getting. I'm so worried that I may have caused harm or defects to my baby without knowing. I can't believe my doctor just said to wait til I see them again in 3 weeks.

Diabetes II runs in my family and I did have a problem 10 years ago with being pre-diabtetic but was fine with diet/excersice. I had no problems with my other two pregnancies. I know that I have to stop eating out and cut out all refined sugars and eat whole grain but what else can I do to control it? I don't have a monitor and can't afford one right now. I know my insurance will cover it but my doctor has to order it. I'm so frustrated. I just want to take care of this baby and I'm so afraid I've already harmed it. Please if you have any suggestions that would be great.

[Zoelula]

I'm a type 1 diabetic and have information about diabetes, but pregnancy and diabetes is not my strong point. I do know it is important to have tightly controlled blood sugars when pregnant and people diagnosed with gestational diabetes are usually put on insulin. There is a woman named Super_sally888 on this forum who knows a lot about this topic and if she signs on, she will respond I'm sure. Meanwhile, I am sending you a private message with a website with a lot more diabetics and I'm sure there will be people on there who are very knowledgeable about gestational. Best of luck to you. Easier said than done, but try not to worry. You might want to make an appointment with an endocrinologist or an OB/GYN who works with GD.

[spiritwolf31]

I am no expert but I have went this round twice and working on the third time. I have Type II diabetes and was on tons of meds. Every time I get pregnant I get taken off and put on insulin only but the insulin will need to be increased a little here and there throughout the pregnancy. I am 7wks and found out my blood sugars that were staying below 200 are now above 200 and almost to 300. I am having some difficulties keeping it lower and have a doc appt next week to tweak the insulin dosage. My first son was born 3wks early and was 9lbs even. He had to be on IV for a few days because he had trouble regulating his own sugars. My second son was also 3wks early and was 10lbs 8oz with no other problems. I know the blood sugars definitely affect the size and can affect the ability to regulate their own sugars but other than that...I have been lucky!


The doc has me on limited movements because of pregnancy problems I have in first trimester but they do recommend walking and watching your diet. Trust me...once I pass this crucial stage I will be back to walking and that will help lower the numbers. I hope you find some answers and congratulations!!

[angelsrejoice]

Thanks. I spent a lot of time researching online yesterday and made a list of foods low on the glycemic index, went to the market and stocked up and I also did some light exercise for 30 minutes last night. First time in weeks that I was actually able to sleep (yay no insomnia) so I'm thinking that it's helping already. I hope I won't have to go on insulin but I'll see what they say at my next appointment. Gotta do whatever I can to make sure this baby is healthy.

To SpiritWolf: Congratulations on your pregnancy and I pray that all will be well for you and your little one.

[spiritwolf31]

Thank you angelsrejoice! I am praying for you and all the pregnant mothers to have happy and healthy pregnancies as well  =D

[hava]

These pranayam exercises will help control blood pressure during pregnancy.Build up the timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after about a minute.

Anulom Vilom –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril
then – close left nostril with two fingers and breath-out through right nostril
then -keeping the left nostril closed deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 15 to 30 minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years -  do 10 to 15 minutes twice a day.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed.Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.

These pressure points will help the diabetes.
Also everyday, press the centre point of the palm of both your  hands 40 times with the thumb and press the tips of all fingers 40 times each.
There are other breathing techniques and asanas, but are not suitable for pregnant women, so I have not mentioned.

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

Controlling the blood sugar in pregnancy is very important.  Target blood sugars in pregnancy are in the range of 70 - 120.

I got put on insulin very early in my last pregnancy and was on it the entire pregnancy.

I am now trying to get pregnant again and seeing my blood sugars have been higher than they should am now on insulin again.

I believe your doctor is very wrong by not taking immediate action.  High blood sugars can sometimes cause problems for the baby with a risk of heart and spinal defects.  I don't want to scare you, and from your post it seems you are already aware of this.  So I think you should be doing everything possible to manage this very agressively.

I would be getting a second opinion and getting into an endo as quickly as possible, definitely not in three weeks time.  And your doctor should be prescribing you a blood sugar monitor already.   He should be working for you and if he's not, he should be fired!

Ok, what to do now to get the sugars lower.  Exercise.  I would recomment at least walking for 30 minutes at a time (but fast enough that you are breathing harder than usual) at least twice a day. More often if you can (ideally you do this after every meal).

Cut out all white carbs immediately (sugars, bread, potato, rice etc.).  You also need to severely limit fruit and no fruit juices or soft drinks.  Don't take any foods that have been sweetened.  So go for plain yoghurt etc.   For now, until you can get on insulin (which I beleive you would require given your current sugars) your diet is basically going to be meat, eggs, some dairy and green veges.  This won't hurt for a few weeks until you can be in a better situation for getting this under control / get medical input.  And I do beleive this is very important for your baby.

You are very welcome to send me a message and I will answer you as soon as I can.

Best wishes

[angelsrejoice]

Thanks

I'm trying everything I can at the moment until I can see doctor. Was at the ER last Thursday and my doctors are just playing games. All I want is someone to help me get this under control and/or at least give me a prescription for a monitor. The Primary says since I have not miscarried I still need to go through OB but my OB says that I will miscarry and it's not her problem and I need to see Primary! Ugh! So no one wants to help. They say I will miscarry because I am only measuring 6 weeks when I should be 8 and they can't find a fetal pole or heartbeat but my hcg levels are rising normally. So I'm doing what I can naturally to help my Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure and your recommendations will help! When I was at the hospital retesting my hgc levels on Saturday my blood sugar was down to 229. Still high but it's coming down. I've cut out all simple sugars, white bread, etc. Not really eating much anyway due to morning sickness.

Thanks for all the advice and keep me in your prayers....I don't want to cause any harm to this baby and so afraid that I already have! My OB told me on Friday the the high blood sugar killed the baby 2 weeks ago. So I'm doing what I can and feeling better. Hopefully it's not too late!

[angelsrejoice]

Oh and the ER doc wouldn't do anything saying that he is just an ER doc and diabetes is not his specialty. I told him I just want a script for a monitor but all he did was give me a script for vicodin for the pain if I miscarry which he said would happen over the weekend....well I've had no cramping or spotting or any problems.

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

What a hard situation you are in and I don't like your doctors approach!  Honestly though, you may indeed lose this baby, as such high blood sugars really are very bad for pregnancy.  But don't lose hope.  I beleive that our babies are souls waiting for us.  IF you do lose this pregnancy you can try again and that soul will still be there for you.

I guess you will know in 2 weeks if there is still no heartbeat. Nature truely does what's best to give you a healthy child.

Saying this, there are women with high blood sugar early in pregnancy that have gone on to have a healthy pregnancy, but you would need a lot of work and supportive doctor, which you don't appear to have.  

i am in a bit of similar.  I just had an early miscarriage 2 weeks ago, this coincided with my sugars going high.  But mine were close to 200, not 300.

So after that I got on insulin and now I am doing everything I can to get it well controlled and to be healthy so that I can get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy. I will try again next month.

Regardless of the outcome, you need to get in to see an endocrinologist.  Diabetes should always be aggressively managed.  And even more so in pregnancy, or if pregnancy is planned.  Probably they can put you on a drug called metformin (which is safe in pregnancy), and they may also look at insulin.  Hopefully the doctor will test to find out the type of diabetes you have.

Best wishes and let me know how you go.

Sally

[angelsrejoice]

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have been working out now for 12 days (although some days I go kinda light do to cramping) and I've completely changed the way I eat and today I bought a blood glucose meter and two hours after I ate it was 134 and I also took my blood pressure at the store and it was 127/77! I am so happy that I've been able to get both down to nearly normal after just 12 days and without medication. I go to my doctor on Monday and will go from there but I'm so excited!

[Zoelula]

Good work, angelsrejoice! It's hard to do without medication. Having read your post above, don't think of having to use meds or insulin as a failure, but just what is needed by your body at this time.

[angelsrejoice]

Thank you. Yes, I think that I will still need medication. Numbers are up and down but not going over 200 so I am happy about that.

[spiritwolf31]

I agree with Zoelula. My mother, father, grandfather, grandmother...(you get the drift) are all diabetic. Out of me and my siblings..I am the only one with diabetes which I hate but I understand that it was due to genetics and my own personal poor diet and lack of exercise (mainly because life got "too busy" for me to get into a healthy routine). It isnt where you are now but how you fight your way back from it and from reading all your posts...angelsrejoice, you sound like a fighter and I believe you will do exactly that...fight!

I am one of those women who was diabetic with all my pregnancies and the only problems were at the end of pregnancy in which both my sons were large and had to be born nearly 3wks early. My first was 9lbs and my second was 10lbs 8oz. My blood sugars ran in the high 100s during my first pregnancy and in the mid to high 200s with my second. So far with this one I am pushing the 300 but am fighting hard to get them back to the low 100s that I had just weeks before getting pregnant. The OB said that high blood sugars can cause pregnancy complications such as miscarriage but some of the more common come later like in cases where the babies get large and have a greater chance of getting stuck in the birth canal and also problems with breathing, regulating their own body heat, and maintaining their own blood sugars after birth.

Good luck hun...hoping for the best!!

[angelsrejoice]

Hey Spirit. Thank you. You give me hope that my little one is ok. I am so glad to know that your kids were fine...although large and a little early. Sounds like they did fine though. My OB doc basically convinced me that no baby could survive high blood sugar but I know that there are women who have had successful pregnancies and healthy babies...you are proof! I can't wait to get my u/s and see a baby and just let that doc have a piece of my mind! LOL She really wanted me to have a d&c immediately but after what happened with my son I knew I couldn't do that. If I am meant to miscarry then I have asked God to allow it to be natural and so far....nothing and lots of pregnancy symptoms so I am going to keep fighting!!

[angelsrejoice]

UPDATE:

So I had my last ultrasound today. I should have been 10 weeks 5 days but I'm still only measuring 6 weeks. They could see a baby today but no heartbeat. So looks like a missed miscarriage. Very sad day for me, heart is very heavy. I just wish I could hold my baby. I'm so sorry that I could not protect him and give him the chance to be born :(

[Zoelula]

I'm so sorry to hear your sad news. Stay close to the ones you love through this difficult time.

[Raos1]

My wife in 2002 had a miscarriage at 3months, then doc diagnosed type 2 D for her but they did not inform us that next time we try again we should take good control etc.
We tried again in 2003 and chemical preg / 4 weeks, lost again.. again this time Dr did not advice anything..
We tried again in 2004, got preg 3 months after they said u have high glos so put you on insulin...
We prayed for everything,, but unfortunate that at 5 months u/s they found hell lot of problems with that baby and big, so they gave option to terminate otherwise a high risk of baby/mother..
so with heart broken, terminated ....cried a lot..
my wife said she will not try again soo we left it for nearly 3 year...
again this time in end of 2008 a planned insulin 3 months before trying and we started it in 2008, and until now no success in preg at all.... few months back dr found my wife is having fertility issues. Diminished ovarian reserve, so we went for private fertility treatment last month with ovulation induce,, but without success..
heart broken for us,,, we are trying to get a baby from 2001 since married, until now.. so many complications, so many miscarriage, termination, diabetic, insulin, fertility issues..
My wife is now gave up.. she refused and stopped the insulin and back to tablets from today.

I wanted to try for another fertility treatment (last final chance), but she refused..
I cannot believe we are in a such a mess.. both are below 39 years.

Is really God helping us?I'm losing hope now and that we will never have children.
We have no children at all.
I don't know what to do now.. do we need to go for adoption? so lots of things going on my mind.. sometime i feel like not interested in anything. I'm in tears writing....sorry.




  

[Super_sally888]

Hello,
at 39 it may be harder, but not impossible.  If you both really want a baby please do not give up yet.  There are many women who do end up having a healthy pregnancy at 39 and older.  However, your wife does need to control the blood sugar very well and for that insulin is her best choice.  Even if she does not get pregnant it will enable her to be healthy.  3 months is not long to try.  At our older ages it can take 6 or more months. I think you and she is giving up too easily...

She does need your love and support and encouragement.  Trying to have a child can be emotionally very draining.

ON the other hand, adoption could also be an excellent option.  A baby you look after and love becomes your own.

My heart is sad for you and I feel your pain.  Don't give up this dream of yours.  I had my daughter at 38.  I am now 40 and trying again.  I will also need to be on insulin for the pregnancy.

[Raos1]

Hi,
I think you got the timing wrong.
AFter our termination in 2004, we put a break for nealry 3 1/2 years - because she refused to try..
And then after lot of talk, my wife agreed to try again so Dr put her on insulin in mid 2008, and then we are trying from mid 2008 until now Nov 2010 with no success..
During this period Dr found fertility issues, so we went for private fertility treatment just last cycle and ended up BFN. Now as of now, 10th Nov she stopped insulin and back to tablets.
She is refusing to try now so, it is a very sad and heart broken for us.
I don't know how to convience and talk to my wife and agree her to try again.
See, Dr said without fertility treatment we cannot get a baby.. so with insulin and with fertility drugs and with my wife's agreement only this can happen, and that too we don't know and not sure whether the IUI will be a success.
My wife is 35 and me 39.

[21type2]

Hi I am 21 yrs old an have type 2 an have not been taking my meds for months an have had diabetes for 3 yrs prob. But today I was suppose to have my period n didn't. I have had unprotected sex for the past 3 months n this is the first missed period, I think I may be preg. What shud I do?