And This Journey has a Happy Ending :) L&D and Breast Feeding

After failed IUI's with clomid, failed IVF and then a successful IUI with fertility medication, we happily welcomed baby Keira into our lives on December 31, 2012! She was born at 37 weeks and 5 days after an induction. The version worked and she stayed head down and we had a successful natural delivery!

We went into the hospital for an induction on December 30th. Since they were bring her into this world early, they did an amnio to make sure her lungs were mature. They were so they induced me beginning at 3:30pm on the 30th. It started with 2 rounds of oral cervix softener. Each one took 4 hours so it was 8 hours total before starting Pitocin. They monitored my sugars consitently throughout this whole time, but I got to stay on my pump until I had my epidural. At 11:30am on the 31st I was 4cm dialated. They tried to break my water to move things along, but it was so uncomfortable that they had to give me the epidural at that time to do it. It took them 3, YES 3 times to get the epidural right!!! And the medicine made me so sick after each big bolus, that it caused vomiting throughout the rest of the delivery:(

After the epidural was placed the nurses put me on an insulin drip. Since the hospital uses the same algorithm for EVERY Type 1...and I was not happy how my sugars were controlled in the last delivery, I met with the Labor and Delivery Nurse and my Doctor before I went into the hospital and we reviewed my current basals and boluses and created a Special algorithm for me. This meant I got the nurses to give me insulin based on my current rates that were in my pump before taking it off, instead of some standard plan that they just give everyone. My sugars were so much better controlled this time....it was great! What I didn't like was when I was about to go on the Drip and the nurse looked at me and said "We're going to place another IV now just for the insulin drip"....I looked at her and said "No you aren't" She told me it was "Protocol" and I told her they didn't do it last time so I wasn't going to let them stick me unnecessarily again! She said she had to check with the doctor. I told her to do so and if the doctor had a problem with it to please have them come talk to me....and guess what??? I didn't have to get a Second IV! Thank goodness!!!

The contractions got stronger and stronger. Come 6:20pm I was ready to push....20 minutes later baby Keira was born! The advantage to a second child...they usually come out much faster! I had contractions in my upper back though too and those were quite uncomfortable.

2-3 hours after delivery I was allowed to go back on my insulin pump. I made the mistake of putting the inset in a part of my stomach that was stretched before and unfortunately it didn't work and resulted in my highest blood sugar in 10 months! I was 285 at first...took a big bolus and went to 290 an hour later. I was honest with the nurses and doctors about this and told them it was a faulty inset. I changed it and was down immediately. But because of this high to low sugar, the doctors wanted to check me EVERY HOUR ALL NIGHT LONG!! I kept fighting this...it was just a faulty inset!! I didn't do anything wrong! It's not my body! I just had a baby and need to sleep!! They eventually let me have a 2 hour stretch, but I didn't get any rest because every other doctor was coming in. We were exhausted! It's amazing how once the placenta was delivered how quickly my blood sugars went back to normal. Within hours!

Though tired and over the moon, I did want to do something fun to celebrate New Year's Eve:) I just had the best NYE with the birth of my daughter, but my husband and I also brought NYE hats, noise makers and little bottles of Champagne to pass out to the nurses to celebrate! We went to a room on the top floor with the nurses, brought the baby and rang in the New Year with a view of beautiful fireworks out the window! It was amazing! The nurses couldn't believe I was up and about just after giving birth! Me either, but it was all worth it!

Now I am at home and breast feeding. Wow does that burn some calories! I was back on my pre pregnancy basals and now I have reduced those about 30% to try and prevent myself from getting low!

1 week after we got home we all got the stomach flu:( Minus the baby, thankfully. I couldn't keep anything down one night and had the hardest time getting my sugars out of the 50's. It was horrible. My body didn't want to digest anything! Thankfully now I am getting over that.

Well, what can I say, it's been a challenging, but an amazing adventure. Last New Years I was in tears because once again I got my period, this year, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Being pregnant is not only a challenge in itself, but being diabetic on top of it is a full time job! I'm happy to have started a group this past year for Type 1 Moms who are expecting or have young children. It's so nice to find people that you can relate with! Hopefully I can grow this group for Type 1 moms around the world to be able to connect:) www.facebook.com/type1diabeticsugarmommas

Dealing with infertility or subfertility is never an easy thing. Being a diabetic on top of that can at times make it more challenging, but not impossible. I realize that I am fortunate to have had such a positive outcome, and that it's not the same for everybody....I wish you all a successful outcome in your journey....I will always be available to chat and or just listen. bapple08@yahoo.com
Thank you for following my journey! And maybe, just maybe, there will be another one in the future!!
xoxoxo

Brooke 

37 Weeks..ECV and Hospital Prep for Induction

Right after 36 weeks we went for our last growth ultra sound.....baby measuring 6 lbs 10oz! Not too bad! 60th percentile. I was fearful because of the diabetes that she might be really big, and already being breech, they would just schedule a C-Section.

Last Christmas Eve was a big day for us! We went to the hospital for the External Cephalic Version (ECV) and it was successful!!! Amazing! The baby had been breech for so long. We had anti-natal testing yesterday and thus far she is still head down! Fingers crossed that she stays that way! The ECV was a lot of pressure.....but I have good amniotic fluid levels, so I know that helped her to turn. I had my husband video it too. It's really cool to see! You can see her flip from the outside! A lot of people told me how horribly uncomfortable it was so I was scared, but in the end, child birth is much worse, so I could handle it.

I see my insulin requirements dropping once again. I don't know if this is because the placenta is not having to work as hard?

I had a sit down with the diabetes nurse in labor and delivery a couple of weeks ago to go over what my insulin requirements will be if and when I go on an insulin drip in the delivery room. After my first delivery I was not happy with the generic form they used to decide how much insulin I would get every hour and for corrections of my blood sugar. Every Type 1 is at different levels by the end of their pregnancy and I want to make sure those insulin levels will work for me so I'm not running high like I was last time. This time I am choosing to be in more control of my sugars than last time. It was better that the nurses, doctors and I agreed on this ahead of time instead of trying to fight them in the hospital. I wanted to make sure I was very clear how things will be handled with me and my diabetes. I feel more comfortable going into the induction now.

This Sunday is the BIG Day! We are going in for an amnio to see if the babies lungs are mature. If they are they will induce labor that day! If not, they will give me a shot of steroids to mature the lungs and then induce labor 2 days later. I'm hoping for a "natural" delivery as opposed to a c-section, but you never know what might happen!

Here's to a great end of the year, a near end of our fertility journey and to an amazing 2013!!

35 weeks- Placenta has kicked back in and ECV

After thinking my placenta was plateauing, it sure has kicked back in! I am definitely at a 1:2 carb ratio for breakfast now (before pregnancy I was at 1:10) and lunch and dinner I am 1:4 and 1:5 +2. It's crazy how quickly it happened too!

I have realized that I have to be very careful with what I eat. I ate white pasta one evening this week and another night a regular crust pizza (2 small pieces) and my blood sugars were elevated for so many hours after!! It took 6+ hours these nights for sugars to come down....so once again I will not be eating these items during pregnancy. I hadn't had them at all and thought I'd give them a try. BAD idea. I have had whole wheat pasta and thin crust pizza a couple of times and those didn't affect me nearly as bad. So I can refrain for another couple of weeks.:)

My Exterbak Cephalic Version (ECV) is scheduled for next Monday the 24th of Dec. I regretfully "Dr. Googled" the procedure and now I am more fearful to go into it. I have a growth U/S on Thurs and an appointment with my doctor so I will ask them about the risks. It sounds so uncomfortable too!!! I'm just hoping she will flip on her own first. Say a prayer for me!! (thanks!) I am wondering if I will have to take out my insulin pump too? I hate that I am having to change my inset every day now. It is so hard and sometimes so painful to find a good spot that works. Maybe due to the increased blood in my body, my insets are making me bleed much more often and I am bruising more on my stomach. It gets frustrating. Sometimes I have to use 4 insets just to get one that feels right and good nowadays. Ouch!

Looking forward to Thursday to see how big this little one might be!!

34 Weeks- Insulin Plateauing and Breech Baby

34 weeks along! I can't believe it. My insulin needs have been plateauing over the past week, which is something that I do not remember from my first pregnancy. My doctors say that my placenta is realizing that it's job is almost done, so it's not requiring as many hormones, therefore as much insulin. I've actually had to back off a bit on my basal rates. I don't know if it will continue or not??

I got my last A1C back....4.8%! I was pleasantly surprised!! I have had some lows, but not a lot. The doctors see my numbers every week and have been very happy with them! I have had few high numbers and if it is elevated, I get it down very quickly. I will change my inset if I don't see a change within an hour usually...or if my sugar rises. But overall I'm happy with that result! I guess the testing 20 times a day (ouch! lol) is paying off:)

And now the little one is Breech....;/ she has 2 weeks to turn before they do an external version. This is where they will try to turn the baby from the outside of my stomach. If it doesn't work, they will schedule a c-section. On the day of the c-section they will give me a spinal tap and then try to turn her one more time. If it works, they will induce natural labor (vaginal delivery) and if not, they will proceed with the c-section. I'm praying that she turns on her own! Until then, I'm visiting the chiropractor and acupuncturist to help. Fingers crossed!

32 weeks and Anti Natal Testing begins

The insulin resistance continues! At the end of my last pregnancy I was at a 1:3 carb ratio and now it's slowly creeping upwards and I'm only 32 weeks! I'm at about a 1:3 +1 carb ratio in the am now. The rest of the day isn't as bad, about a 1:6-1:8. But my fasting sugars have been a really big issue. I keep waking up between 140-170. The doctors and I have upped my basals, which will do me great for 1 or 2 mornings, then I'm up again. My sugars are decent the rest of the day. The doctors don't ever seem freaked out (though I do a bit)....they think I'm doing a great job. I guess they see more diabetics in pregnancy than I have experience with, so all I can do to relax about it is trust them. I used to be at a .950 in the morning about 5am for my basal rate. I am currently at 1.7!! It's crazy how insulin resistant pregnancy can make you! My correction has doubled in the am too!

So we had our 32 week growth Ultra Sound on Wednesday...so far so good, but a Big baby!! She's averaging in the 77th percentile! Already 5.3 lbs! Her head and abdomen are in the 95th percentile!!! The doctors don't look at those numbers, but the overall average they told me. She's also currently Breech so let's hope that she turns within the next 4 weeks! Turn baby Turn!:) I don't know how I feel right now about a C-Section......

When I left the doctors office I was more nervous and freaked out rather than excited. That seems like a BIG baby to me! My Endo office called later and they said it was totally fine after the numbers I told them. They baby's size is not diabetes related. So during Thanksgiving yesterday I asked my family how big all the babies were....my family makes BIG babies!! LOL. We range from 8 lbs to 10 lbs 5 oz!! So she's right on track!

My Anti-Natal testing starts next week and I will go twice a week until I deliver. This really makes me feel like I'm getting into the home stretch! I know I won't be completely comfortable and relaxed though until she's here in my arms. The anti natal testing will monitor and track the heart rate, contractions and movements of the baby.

Not too much longer...soon my fingers will get a break from the 15-20x+ a day of testing!! But it will have all been worth it!

30 Weeks...High fastings & Induction Date Set

I can't believe I'm already at 30 weeks! It's been slow, yet fast at the same time. I have a little kick boxer in training moving around in there! I'm slowly starting to get more and more excited! The baby is definitely sitting low and causing me more discomfort this time. Sleep is getting harder too...which is to be expected! Still having to take my Zofran Every day.....

The doctors think I've been doing really well with my sugars, sometimes even being too hard on myself. I've only had a few numbers in the 200's. I've definitely had high 100's, but they don't seem as concerned about them as I do. They tell me they get more concerned with people whose sugars are in teh 200's-300's and they don't correct right away. I think the most difficult time of day for me is the AM. I've been waking with a high fasting for the past week or two. I usually catch it and correct right away, but I get super frustrated. More probably because I can't find the right pattern in my sugars to correct it overnight. I usually test around 2am and 5am and then when I wake between 7-9am. I've been low and higher at different times throughout the night so without being able to find a pattern, all I can do is the consistent testing to stay on top of it. Frustrating!!

My pump was having problems over the weekend so I had to get a replacement sent to me overnight on Monday. I would change the battery and the screen wouldn't come back on! I checked the batteries and they were all good. Thankfully it came back on again and I didn't have to switch to my Lantus backup. I've Never done Lanus so I had to call my doctors and figure out what my emergency plan would be just in case. Thankfully I didn't take that route!

An induction date has been set! It's funny, it's almost like calling up to order a pizza delivery. LOL "Yes, this date, this time please"...woo hoo! So my 37 weeks when they would like to induce me is the day after Christmas.....so we pushed it out a few days to Dec 30th! I will go in and they will do an amnio to see if the lungs are developed...if not, I get a shot of steroids and stay in the hospital and have them induce me 2 days later. If the lungs are ready they will induce me that day!

Sugar Mommas!! The Type 1 moms group that I started will meet again this weekend. Very exciting! You can find us on Facebook if you're local and would ever like to join!
www.facebook.com/type1diabeticsugarmommas

My Anti-Natal testing starts soon! 2 more weeks and a growth ultra sound right before Thanksgiving!!

28 Weeks: Growth Ultra Sound, Rhogam and More Resistance

Had our 28 week Ultra Sound today and she's growing well! With Type 1's they are concerned the baby will get to be too big if sugars are not controlled, but my doctor told me that a lot of Type 1's end up having smaller babies. Well as of today we're measuring in the 73%. I asked my doctor if I should be concerned and she said no, it's actually great where we are at since most Type 1's tend to have smaller babies as mentioned. So that made me feel better. I've been doing my best to keep good control with my sugars and if the baby was larger because of my diabetes, I don't feel that I could make my sugars any better at this time to change that.

Insulin resistance is just getting more and more every couple of days. I was told to expect this until about 34 weeks and then it should level out a bit. We'll see what happens! Right now I'm on anywhere from 15-25 more units Per Day than normal and having to change my inset 1-2 times a day! Sometimes they just don't seem to work so I change it.

My blood type is O Negative so I have to have a shot of Rhogam today. I didn't see any affects on my blood sugars from the Rhogam.

I'm still battling morning sickness and think it will stick with me throughout the pregnancy! I take my Zofran every day, which doesn't affect my sugars, but makes me feel much better! :)