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
Showing posts with label Type 1 Diabetes and Pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Type 1 Diabetes and Pregnancy. Show all posts
Friday, January 11, 2013
Saturday, September 22, 2012
23 Weeks along! Volunteering with the JDRF for T1 Mom's and Mom's to Be!
As each week goes on the aches and pains get a little worse in my back and I see slightly more and more insulin resistance. I have been wearing my Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) and have been having nothing but problems with it....what kind you ask....for example on sensor reading on the CGM said I was 274 and going straight up!! OH CRAP!!! So I immediately tested my blood and had a reading of 186. That was less than an hour after eating...So almost 100 points off for the CGM!! How am I supposed to rely on this machine if I am having such crazy readings? That was the worst of them, but others will say: CGM: 140 Actual: 85 CGM: 199 Actual: 130....a LOT of readings are more than their 20% variable. If this is what the artificial pancreas technology is supposed to be based off of, don't sign me up yet!! I have called Dexcom too, done the calibration changes they have suggested....and it's just not working! It gets SO Frustrating!
On a happier note, I'm feeling the baby move a ton more which is awesome! Everyone keeps asking us if we have a name...nothing yet, but if you have any cool girl name suggestions, send them our way please! :)
I'm having to change my inset site every 2 days or so now. It just stops working after a while.
I've been trying to work out at least one day a week still, it does help my sugars and my back. I've been having to go to physical therapy for my back.
Also in staying busy I am volunteering with the JDRF and starting a Type 1 Mom's Group Meetup called Sugar Momma's! It will be for Type 1 Expecting Moms and Moms of Infants, Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers. Our first meeting will be Oct 13th in the San Francisco Bay Area! Very exciting! Message me if you know anyone in the area who might be interested in joining!
Well, next week we'll have a 24 week Growth Ultra Sound! Will let you know how it goes!
On a happier note, I'm feeling the baby move a ton more which is awesome! Everyone keeps asking us if we have a name...nothing yet, but if you have any cool girl name suggestions, send them our way please! :)
I'm having to change my inset site every 2 days or so now. It just stops working after a while.
I've been trying to work out at least one day a week still, it does help my sugars and my back. I've been having to go to physical therapy for my back.
Also in staying busy I am volunteering with the JDRF and starting a Type 1 Mom's Group Meetup called Sugar Momma's! It will be for Type 1 Expecting Moms and Moms of Infants, Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers. Our first meeting will be Oct 13th in the San Francisco Bay Area! Very exciting! Message me if you know anyone in the area who might be interested in joining!
Well, next week we'll have a 24 week Growth Ultra Sound! Will let you know how it goes!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
21 Weeks....No More Cereal!?! (Lost Emails too...)
And the insulin resistance continues! I must have talked to my doctor 3 times over the past week alone! It is crazy and amazing how one little placenta can cause so much ruckus! My carb ratios have gone down from 1:10 in the morning starting in pregnancy, to now 1:6! And I was instructed very clearly by my doctors today, "No More Cereal" for breakfast! Are you kidding me?!?!?! I've been having a cup to cup and a half a day in the morning and LOVE my plain cereal! LOL. I told them I did a cup of Cherrios a day in my last pregnancy and they told me that if they knew that they would have told me to stop it then too. I had no idea! So now, I must have more protein in the morning *sigh*. If I weren't such a picky eater, this wouldn't be an issue at all...and I don't mind the scrambled egg here and there, but I can't do that every day either....BORING. My good friend is going through Gestational Diabetes in her pregnancy right now, so she's just controlling it with diet. She is telling me how bored she is getting with certain foods too, so I think I'm about to find out what she's talking about! haha.
Overall the doctors said my sugars are looking great though. I may have 3-4 hours where my sugars won't come down, but I'm continually on top of it and working to get it down as quickly as possible. Sometimes my hormones just won't allow it to be as quick as I would like. I'm sure they'll check my A1C again soon, but they feel that it will be great since I'm on top of all of my high sugars.
I'm still having to take Zofran every day. The doctors insist though that it will have no effect on my baby...so what can I say, I'm not a doctor, I'll just trust them.
The baby is on the move! This little one seems to be doing flips in there! Which is awesome! I feel her move a lot more than my first pregnancy.
EMAILS!! So thinking that most people would leave comments here instead of emailing, I have Not been good at reading emails sent to my account listed here on the site. I do apologize to the sweet people who reached out to me with such kind words. I do PROMISE to be more consistent about reading and responding!! If anyone wants to talk about anything I've discussed in my blog posts or just share their story or ask questions, please feel free to reach out to me! I look forward to hearing from you:) xo
Overall the doctors said my sugars are looking great though. I may have 3-4 hours where my sugars won't come down, but I'm continually on top of it and working to get it down as quickly as possible. Sometimes my hormones just won't allow it to be as quick as I would like. I'm sure they'll check my A1C again soon, but they feel that it will be great since I'm on top of all of my high sugars.
I'm still having to take Zofran every day. The doctors insist though that it will have no effect on my baby...so what can I say, I'm not a doctor, I'll just trust them.
The baby is on the move! This little one seems to be doing flips in there! Which is awesome! I feel her move a lot more than my first pregnancy.
EMAILS!! So thinking that most people would leave comments here instead of emailing, I have Not been good at reading emails sent to my account listed here on the site. I do apologize to the sweet people who reached out to me with such kind words. I do PROMISE to be more consistent about reading and responding!! If anyone wants to talk about anything I've discussed in my blog posts or just share their story or ask questions, please feel free to reach out to me! I look forward to hearing from you:) xo
Sunday, September 2, 2012
20 Weeks and the Insulin Resistance Continues
After hitting the 20 week mark I am doing nothing but seeing more insulin resistance. Especially in the morning. A week ago I was at a basal rate of 0.975 in the morning from 5am-9am....and now I am 1.175 units per hour! It seems like such a drastic increase in such a short period of time. I feel like it is a lot more than my first pregnancy too. I have also had to increase my night time basals because it would take me 3-4 hours for my sugars to come down. I have run everything by my doctor and we're on the same page.
The insulin resistance can be frustrating at times, but I'm just staying on top of it as much as I can. I had my first 300 sugar and was like AHHHH!!! I got it down quickly and it happened to be right before I worked out for the first time in a couple months, so that helped too. I finally had energy for the gym and it was awesome! My doctor mentioned that during a second pregnancy you can have MORE insulin resistance....(not sure if I mentioned that already).....but I sure seem to be on that path!
On a good note, I'm feeling the little one kick quite often! I'm also noticing a small reduction in my nausea...so let's just hope that continues!
For now, I'll just keep on truckin' along!
The insulin resistance can be frustrating at times, but I'm just staying on top of it as much as I can. I had my first 300 sugar and was like AHHHH!!! I got it down quickly and it happened to be right before I worked out for the first time in a couple months, so that helped too. I finally had energy for the gym and it was awesome! My doctor mentioned that during a second pregnancy you can have MORE insulin resistance....(not sure if I mentioned that already).....but I sure seem to be on that path!
On a good note, I'm feeling the little one kick quite often! I'm also noticing a small reduction in my nausea...so let's just hope that continues!
For now, I'll just keep on truckin' along!
Friday, August 24, 2012
18 & 19 weeks Pregnant, Insulin Resistance and...IT's A .........!!!
GIRL!!! We are so excited to welcome another little girl into our family! At the 18 week Scan we did a fetal echo cardiogram and that turned out great as well as the scan of all the organs. I don't have to go back for 6 weeks for another ultra sound.
And now we're at 19 weeks and starting to see some insulin resistance! I finally got a chance to talk to the doctor today and she said that it is totally normal to see more insulin resistance in your Second pregnancy. I didn't know that. She said it can come on as early at 20-22 weeks. I'm 19 and 2 days right now, so I'm close enough to fall into that timeline. I remember being on a 1:3 carb ratio at the end of my first pregnancy...if it's going to be worse this time, I can't even imagine how much insulin I will be on in the near future! I started out at a 1:10 carb ratio in the am and I am now at a 1:7 and I have had to raise my basals starting at 2am until 12pm. I've only had a few sugars in the 200's, but when I saw my highest today at 260 after breakfast I did freak out a bit. I know there is nothing I can do but give myself a shot and adjust my insulin levels. I am not making this adjustment after seeing ONE high sugar, but have noticed a steady increase over a period of a week. I never make adjustments with my insulin unless I have seen a pattern for 3 days or more. I have also see some higher sugars in the evening time and only made a mild adjustment. We will see what the weeks to come have for me!
And now we're at 19 weeks and starting to see some insulin resistance! I finally got a chance to talk to the doctor today and she said that it is totally normal to see more insulin resistance in your Second pregnancy. I didn't know that. She said it can come on as early at 20-22 weeks. I'm 19 and 2 days right now, so I'm close enough to fall into that timeline. I remember being on a 1:3 carb ratio at the end of my first pregnancy...if it's going to be worse this time, I can't even imagine how much insulin I will be on in the near future! I started out at a 1:10 carb ratio in the am and I am now at a 1:7 and I have had to raise my basals starting at 2am until 12pm. I've only had a few sugars in the 200's, but when I saw my highest today at 260 after breakfast I did freak out a bit. I know there is nothing I can do but give myself a shot and adjust my insulin levels. I am not making this adjustment after seeing ONE high sugar, but have noticed a steady increase over a period of a week. I never make adjustments with my insulin unless I have seen a pattern for 3 days or more. I have also see some higher sugars in the evening time and only made a mild adjustment. We will see what the weeks to come have for me!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
17 Weeks and No 2nd Trimester Relief
17 weeks! It's definitely exciting to be this far:) But there has been no Second Trimester relief for me. I am still throwing up EVERY day! It's usually in the morning and if I don't take my Zofran, at lunch too. I still keep trying every day to not take it, but then it catches up to me and I must.
My diabetes has been in really tight control. I think at times the doctors think too tight. I've had quite a few lows (nothing major), but I feel like I am starting to see some insulin resistance in the AM....especially after breakfast. I have now reduced my carb ratio from 1:9 to 1:8. And today after breakfast I had my highest sugar so far of 233.
It's been a crazy few weeks of travel, stress and illness. We went to another state and different time zone for a wedding. Adjusting for the 3 hour time difference, in regards to my blood sugars, was mostly difficult on the days of travel, but as soon as I got on the plane I adjusted my pump to the time zone that we were flying to.
Next there was the stress of a death in the family. My beautiful Grandma passed. She lived an amazing 93 years though! But dealing with that a week ago and then the funeral this weekend has been hard. You always wonder how much stress and emotions affect your blood sugars. AND to top all of that off I have been horribly sick the past 4 days. I have been having to use an inhaler and use prescription cough medicine that has Codeine in it. I have been coughing so much every day it's been awful! Even to the point of coughing so hard it's making me throw up:(
All this with trying to make sure the baby and myself are ok. It's been stressful the past couple weeks, but I know I'll get through it! I'm still sending my sugars to the doctor every Thursday. They have only made slight adjustments to my basals and sometimes nothing at all. I'm sure it will get more difficult soon and I'll see more resistance!
I'm ready for a vacation! Maybe there will be a babymoon in our future, but we'll see! Next appt is a big one. We will have a Fetal Echo Cardiogram this week and also an ultra sound to see if the baby is growing correctly and get the results of our second trimester blood draw. They do a fetal cardiogram because diabetic babies can have more problems with heart development. We had this done with our first pregnancy. We are hopeful that will all turn out well and that we'll get to find out the sex of the baby!:)
My diabetes has been in really tight control. I think at times the doctors think too tight. I've had quite a few lows (nothing major), but I feel like I am starting to see some insulin resistance in the AM....especially after breakfast. I have now reduced my carb ratio from 1:9 to 1:8. And today after breakfast I had my highest sugar so far of 233.
It's been a crazy few weeks of travel, stress and illness. We went to another state and different time zone for a wedding. Adjusting for the 3 hour time difference, in regards to my blood sugars, was mostly difficult on the days of travel, but as soon as I got on the plane I adjusted my pump to the time zone that we were flying to.
Next there was the stress of a death in the family. My beautiful Grandma passed. She lived an amazing 93 years though! But dealing with that a week ago and then the funeral this weekend has been hard. You always wonder how much stress and emotions affect your blood sugars. AND to top all of that off I have been horribly sick the past 4 days. I have been having to use an inhaler and use prescription cough medicine that has Codeine in it. I have been coughing so much every day it's been awful! Even to the point of coughing so hard it's making me throw up:(
All this with trying to make sure the baby and myself are ok. It's been stressful the past couple weeks, but I know I'll get through it! I'm still sending my sugars to the doctor every Thursday. They have only made slight adjustments to my basals and sometimes nothing at all. I'm sure it will get more difficult soon and I'll see more resistance!
I'm ready for a vacation! Maybe there will be a babymoon in our future, but we'll see! Next appt is a big one. We will have a Fetal Echo Cardiogram this week and also an ultra sound to see if the baby is growing correctly and get the results of our second trimester blood draw. They do a fetal cardiogram because diabetic babies can have more problems with heart development. We had this done with our first pregnancy. We are hopeful that will all turn out well and that we'll get to find out the sex of the baby!:)
Thursday, July 19, 2012
14 Weeks- Second Trimester!!!!! Back up plan for your pump!
I have finally hit the second trimester!! YAY!! The nausea is still in full force though, not letting up as of yet! I met with my diabetes doctors today and they think that everything is going really well. They are happy with my sugars. I am still having to fuss with some basals, but overall I've been in really good control. I think I am getting close to the point though where I will start wanting to wear my CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor). I know insulin resistance will be happening soon.
We saw the heartbeat again today, but the baby was facing away so we couldn't hear it, hopefully we'll be able to do that within a couple of weeks! For now, it's still staying on top of my sugars and a vacation! Can't wait!
I realized this week the importance of having a back up plan for my insulin pump. When I go on vacation Animas is great in giving me a vacation loaner. One time on vacation my pump didn't make it through a mild depth of water and I didn't have a back up plan in place. I spent the last 2 days of my vacation on fast acting insulin and having to wake up to test every 2-3 hours! This week my pump blanked out on me for no reason what so ever! I had just changed the battery the day before, so maybe it was a bad battery? As a result of this it reminded me to talk to my doctor. They called me in a prescription of Novolog so in case of an emergency, I'll be prepared! At least for now I have my back up pump, so now I just have to write my basals down somewhere for a back up record!
We saw the heartbeat again today, but the baby was facing away so we couldn't hear it, hopefully we'll be able to do that within a couple of weeks! For now, it's still staying on top of my sugars and a vacation! Can't wait!
I realized this week the importance of having a back up plan for my insulin pump. When I go on vacation Animas is great in giving me a vacation loaner. One time on vacation my pump didn't make it through a mild depth of water and I didn't have a back up plan in place. I spent the last 2 days of my vacation on fast acting insulin and having to wake up to test every 2-3 hours! This week my pump blanked out on me for no reason what so ever! I had just changed the battery the day before, so maybe it was a bad battery? As a result of this it reminded me to talk to my doctor. They called me in a prescription of Novolog so in case of an emergency, I'll be prepared! At least for now I have my back up pump, so now I just have to write my basals down somewhere for a back up record!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
13 weeks! The dreaded "C" Word!!
I am 13 weeks today! I am starting to wonder if my nausea is starting to subside, or if it's just in my head. Sometimes you wonder....am I throwing up just because I'm thinking about it, hence making myself, or is it really my body? I would never intentionally make myself...but you can't help but have these feelings sometimes.
I have been dealing (sorry if TMI for some, but that is what this blog is about, right?)....the "C" word....Constipation!! It's been so bad that I've talked to my doctor and they have me taking Colace 100mg 2x a day and 1 Miralax a day. I hate having to take something, but being so uncomfortable is so much worse. The stool has just be so hard that I'm needing something to soften everything. I think it's a result of 1) Pregnancy...digestion is much slower and 2) the Zofran I'm having to take for nausea.
When my symptoms start to go away I have to say I freak out a bit though! I'm like is everything still Ok??? I can't help this feeling since last time we lost the pregnancy at 9 weeks. I'm doing my best to stay positive though and to not read into every little thing....though it's kinda hard sometimes.
My blood sugars are still seeing some lows so I've reduced my basals slightly more, but as a result i'm seeing numbers a little higher than I'd like...like waking up at 138 this morning, so I've readjusted. Before I was waking up in the 60's or 70's so now I need to find a happy medium! I am finding that if I eat more starchy or fatty foods at night that my sugars are a little higher (138) and if not I'm a little lower. It's such a balancing act sometimes and it can be frustrating!
Next week my 14 week appt before I'm off to Hawaii for a week! :)Til then:)
I have been dealing (sorry if TMI for some, but that is what this blog is about, right?)....the "C" word....Constipation!! It's been so bad that I've talked to my doctor and they have me taking Colace 100mg 2x a day and 1 Miralax a day. I hate having to take something, but being so uncomfortable is so much worse. The stool has just be so hard that I'm needing something to soften everything. I think it's a result of 1) Pregnancy...digestion is much slower and 2) the Zofran I'm having to take for nausea.
When my symptoms start to go away I have to say I freak out a bit though! I'm like is everything still Ok??? I can't help this feeling since last time we lost the pregnancy at 9 weeks. I'm doing my best to stay positive though and to not read into every little thing....though it's kinda hard sometimes.
My blood sugars are still seeing some lows so I've reduced my basals slightly more, but as a result i'm seeing numbers a little higher than I'd like...like waking up at 138 this morning, so I've readjusted. Before I was waking up in the 60's or 70's so now I need to find a happy medium! I am finding that if I eat more starchy or fatty foods at night that my sugars are a little higher (138) and if not I'm a little lower. It's such a balancing act sometimes and it can be frustrating!
Next week my 14 week appt before I'm off to Hawaii for a week! :)Til then:)
Friday, June 22, 2012
10 Weeks 1 Day Scan
I went for my 10 week 1 day scan yesterday. It went well! The baby measured at 10 weeks 4 days. Last week it measured 9 weeks at the 9 week 1 day scan, so maybe it had a little growth spurt! :) Our next Ultra Sound will be the Nuchal Translucency Ultra Sound in 2 weeks.
I've still had a lot of morning sickness and the doctors have given me medicine for this, but it's still not helping 100%. They still have me taking Endometrin 100mg until 11 weeks, but only once a day now and not twice. Because of the random morning sickness throughout the day I am experiencing lows sometimes afterwards. I always make sure to have my sugar pills handy! I like the Dex 4. They taste the best.
My blood sugars are still having some mild ups and downs. We have to more reduce my insulin though because I am having more lows. We did up my lunch carb ratio though from 1:11 to 1:10. Other than that we have reduced some basals. The doctor told me to expect peaks and valley's in my numbers during the first trimester. (some high some low).
Now the 2 week wait until the big scan!
I've still had a lot of morning sickness and the doctors have given me medicine for this, but it's still not helping 100%. They still have me taking Endometrin 100mg until 11 weeks, but only once a day now and not twice. Because of the random morning sickness throughout the day I am experiencing lows sometimes afterwards. I always make sure to have my sugar pills handy! I like the Dex 4. They taste the best.
My blood sugars are still having some mild ups and downs. We have to more reduce my insulin though because I am having more lows. We did up my lunch carb ratio though from 1:11 to 1:10. Other than that we have reduced some basals. The doctor told me to expect peaks and valley's in my numbers during the first trimester. (some high some low).
Now the 2 week wait until the big scan!
Friday, June 15, 2012
9 weeks 1 day scan
As you can see I am not updating every day, but after each appointment or any major changes. I went for my 9 week 1 day scan yesterday and so far so good! I was thinking or more hoping that the throwing up all week in the morning was a good sign. :) It's been pretty bad though the past week. At least 3 times before lunch, so I had to ask the doctor for some medicine. I took a pill today and felt so much better!
My A1C was 5.1 which was great! Now I'm at the point where I am starting to see my sugars go a little lower so I'm starting to have to reduce some of my basal levels. I go over these numbers with the doctors every week. We usually make adjustments together, but sometimes I will make some on my own. Like this week I kept getting low after breakfast so I changed my carb ratio from 1:9 back to 1:10 where it was before.
I'm still exhausted! So that's hopefully another good sign! I will go back next week for another appointment and to have my blood drawn for my nuchal transluency blood work. As long all goes well I will have that appt on July 5th!
My A1C was 5.1 which was great! Now I'm at the point where I am starting to see my sugars go a little lower so I'm starting to have to reduce some of my basal levels. I go over these numbers with the doctors every week. We usually make adjustments together, but sometimes I will make some on my own. Like this week I kept getting low after breakfast so I changed my carb ratio from 1:9 back to 1:10 where it was before.
I'm still exhausted! So that's hopefully another good sign! I will go back next week for another appointment and to have my blood drawn for my nuchal transluency blood work. As long all goes well I will have that appt on July 5th!
Friday, May 25, 2012
6 Weeks 2 Day Scan
Today I had my 6 week 2 day ultra sound and we saw a little flicker for a heartbeat for the first time! It was so exciting! The doctor said our chances of miscarriage now reduce by 90%! Woo hoo! But, I do have to remember that we were in this same situation last time and we saw a heartbeat, but miscarried at 9 weeks 1 day. So now, it's just the waiting game. And also doing my best to stay positive!
My blood sugars have been under good control. I am still on a lot more than normal insulin though. My basals are up about 15-20% compared to normal. I am working with my doctor to make the necessary adjustments.
As for symptoms. I'm extremely exhausted! And when I get really tired I'm getting really cranky! lol. My poor husband! Yesterday I had my first real bit of nausea and the day before that my breasts were sore all day. The only consistent symptom is the tiredness.
We'll go back next week for another ultra sound so I hope I continue to stay feeling decent for now! :)
My blood sugars have been under good control. I am still on a lot more than normal insulin though. My basals are up about 15-20% compared to normal. I am working with my doctor to make the necessary adjustments.
As for symptoms. I'm extremely exhausted! And when I get really tired I'm getting really cranky! lol. My poor husband! Yesterday I had my first real bit of nausea and the day before that my breasts were sore all day. The only consistent symptom is the tiredness.
We'll go back next week for another ultra sound so I hope I continue to stay feeling decent for now! :)
Friday, May 18, 2012
5 week 1 day scan
So yesterday went about as well as could be expected. I met with all my diabetes doctors who were super stoked to have me back. This included the head of the Diabetes/OB clinic and the Endocrinologist and nutritionist. They said I'm on the right track right now...so I'll keep it going!
As for the ultra sound. We hit 2 milestones out of 3. We saw a gestational sac which measured 5 weeks 1 day and it was in the right spot in the uterus!:) We could not see a heartbeat yet so we will have another scan in one week. Until then all I can do is control my sugars and try to relax!
My sugars are pretty stable. Over the past couple of days I have been high after breakfast though so I changed my morning carb ratio from 1:10 to 1:9. Hopefully that will make a difference. By 'high' I mean I am not under 140 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours after breakfast. I have been anywhere from 160-215 so I'm trying to fix that!
Am I telling people yet you may be asking? Only a couple of people know. Considering what happened last time and how long it took us to get pregnant, until I see a heartbeat and maybe even until I'm out of the 1st trimester, I think I will just keep it to the small group who knows....Right now it's just one day at a time!
As for the ultra sound. We hit 2 milestones out of 3. We saw a gestational sac which measured 5 weeks 1 day and it was in the right spot in the uterus!:) We could not see a heartbeat yet so we will have another scan in one week. Until then all I can do is control my sugars and try to relax!
My sugars are pretty stable. Over the past couple of days I have been high after breakfast though so I changed my morning carb ratio from 1:10 to 1:9. Hopefully that will make a difference. By 'high' I mean I am not under 140 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours after breakfast. I have been anywhere from 160-215 so I'm trying to fix that!
Am I telling people yet you may be asking? Only a couple of people know. Considering what happened last time and how long it took us to get pregnant, until I see a heartbeat and maybe even until I'm out of the 1st trimester, I think I will just keep it to the small group who knows....Right now it's just one day at a time!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The Results Are In.......
And we're Pregnant!!!!!!! It's official!!! 4 weeks and 1 day! Yay!!! WOO HOO!!! This IUI worked! After 20 months of trying, and one miscarriage, failed IVF and IUI's we are expecting a baby! :)
So I went to the doctor 2 days ago to have my HCG and progesterone checked and my HCG was 74 and progesterone was >40. I waited to say anything because I wanted to go back for the 48 hour blood test today and the HCG came back at 209! It more than doubled so the doctor says that is really great! Now the next step is to go in for an Ultra Sound in a couple of weeks where we will hopefully see a heartbeat!
It's hard to get too excited after everything we have been through. I'm just taking one day at a time. The journey is not over yet, we just got over one of the biggest hurdles...but there are so many more to come.
As for my diabetes I am already experiencing a lot of insulin resistance. It started at about 3 1/2 weeks, before I knew I was pregnant. I woke up 3 mornings in the mid 200's. I freaked out and swore that my period was coming....and I kept feeling the cramping like it was. It was so uncomfortable at one point I called the doctors office. I think maybe the vaginal suppositories are not helping with the discomfort. When I was pregnant before I didn't have this uncomfortable feeling.
Overall I have raised my daily basals from 19.5-22.5, just trying to control my sugars! I'm getting into my doctors office right away next week for this. I am thinking the hormone surges in the beginning are really throwing my blood sugars off. I'm doing the best I can to keep them under good control.
Well...that's where we are now! If anyone ever has questions or just wants to chat and talk about their journey, I'd be happy to do so! Also, if anyone I know personally reads this blog to find out I'm pregnant....it's ok to tell me you know!
Can't wait to go through the next chapter with you all! :)
So I went to the doctor 2 days ago to have my HCG and progesterone checked and my HCG was 74 and progesterone was >40. I waited to say anything because I wanted to go back for the 48 hour blood test today and the HCG came back at 209! It more than doubled so the doctor says that is really great! Now the next step is to go in for an Ultra Sound in a couple of weeks where we will hopefully see a heartbeat!
It's hard to get too excited after everything we have been through. I'm just taking one day at a time. The journey is not over yet, we just got over one of the biggest hurdles...but there are so many more to come.
As for my diabetes I am already experiencing a lot of insulin resistance. It started at about 3 1/2 weeks, before I knew I was pregnant. I woke up 3 mornings in the mid 200's. I freaked out and swore that my period was coming....and I kept feeling the cramping like it was. It was so uncomfortable at one point I called the doctors office. I think maybe the vaginal suppositories are not helping with the discomfort. When I was pregnant before I didn't have this uncomfortable feeling.
Overall I have raised my daily basals from 19.5-22.5, just trying to control my sugars! I'm getting into my doctors office right away next week for this. I am thinking the hormone surges in the beginning are really throwing my blood sugars off. I'm doing the best I can to keep them under good control.
Well...that's where we are now! If anyone ever has questions or just wants to chat and talk about their journey, I'd be happy to do so! Also, if anyone I know personally reads this blog to find out I'm pregnant....it's ok to tell me you know!
Can't wait to go through the next chapter with you all! :)
Thursday, March 8, 2012
My 2nd Opinion....
Well, it's been a long week and I needed a little break before sitting down to re-hash it all out:)
First let me start with my last appointment follow up. On Monday I had my last and final talk with my current doctor on the outcome of my IVF cycle. He said that I had only 2 good eggs from 3 follicles that they were tracking. (It's funny that he told me they were both good, because I remember him saying initially that the first egg wasn't great quality) Anyways, he said that my immunology looked really good. He was really surprised that it was so good with me being a Type 1 diabetic. He said there should have been a 60% chance that it wouldn't be good because of the diabetes. He also said that my uterus was great. My lining was 13mm....perfect! He thinks the reason that I didn't respond well to the medications was because of my previous endometriosis. He feels that a good chunk of my ovary was removed in my surgery in 2009, but mostly that the endometriosis probably damaged my ovaries a lot before I even had the surgery. Without the surgery that I had I probably wouldn't have conceived my beautiful daughter. So he thinks that it would be best to just try on our own over the next few months. They say that you have a "rebound" effect where your body responds well to fertility the first few months after a failed IVF cycle. This is because your body has taken all of the fertility drugs, aspirin, antibiotics, etc. If in 4 months we are not pregnant, he said he would do another IVF cycle with us, but that we shouldn't expect better results than the first time....meaning that we will only produce probably the same 2-3 follicles. It doesn't mean that they wouldn't fertilize the next time, but just that we would be spending a lot of money for very little increased odds....He even went as far out to say that we could possibly even consider DONOR EGGS.....but this is honestly not something that I am even will to consider at this point. I still have faith that I'm just not done on my own yet....call it a gut feeling.....
My 2nd Opinion!! I really enjoyed meeting my second doctor...we'll call him Dr. L. Dr. L was so personable. Not that my other wasn't....you know when you just have more of a connection with someone? Well Dr. L told me that if I had gone to any other IVF facility in the area where I live, that he might think they didn't do something right....but he said coming from the doctor that I went to....if he couldn't do it, than he wouldn't have better results.
The first thing he said when he came in the room is basically that he doesn't think doing another round of IVF would be worth it. He measured my ovaries. After the surgery the left one is 2/3's the size it should be and the right one is at about 80%. He said my uterus looks great as well! The best thing about Dr. L...he DIDN'T make me feel defeated! He brought up the potential too of Donor Eggs or not trying anymore, but neither one of these are options for me right now. Since Clomid didn't work for me he said there is another medicine that I can try in pill form (I keep forgetting the name) and that it works a bit better than clomid. He thinks we should do either this with an IUI OR the best option he thinks for us would be do do the IVF hormones again, but at a much lower dose and only once a day and then do an IUI with this. He thinks we should try this month on our own and then next month do the hormone shots and IUI. He thinks it would be good to do it right after the failed IVF because like the other doctor said, my body is primed and ready to go! Or the 3rd option is just to wait and let it happen naturally. It happened twice before so the good thing that we know is that I can get pregnant....now it's just a matter of how and when....
Honestly, I feel excited to still have options. BUT, at the same time...I am Tired. Exhausted. Plainly....temporarily over it. I just need a break and guess what...I'm going to give myself one! I don't think one will ever Stop wanting it each month and still trying for it...but I just need a little break. My husband and I are going to go on a vacation!! We have the grandparents baby sitting our daughter for a week and we are taking some MUCH needed us time. I'm hoping this will allow us to refocus a little bit.
So now the next big decision is do we start hormone therapy next month again...or just let nature take it's course? One day at a time. I will continue to keep the blog updated and keep posting about our fertility adventure....it's a journey right now, not a destination! :)
First let me start with my last appointment follow up. On Monday I had my last and final talk with my current doctor on the outcome of my IVF cycle. He said that I had only 2 good eggs from 3 follicles that they were tracking. (It's funny that he told me they were both good, because I remember him saying initially that the first egg wasn't great quality) Anyways, he said that my immunology looked really good. He was really surprised that it was so good with me being a Type 1 diabetic. He said there should have been a 60% chance that it wouldn't be good because of the diabetes. He also said that my uterus was great. My lining was 13mm....perfect! He thinks the reason that I didn't respond well to the medications was because of my previous endometriosis. He feels that a good chunk of my ovary was removed in my surgery in 2009, but mostly that the endometriosis probably damaged my ovaries a lot before I even had the surgery. Without the surgery that I had I probably wouldn't have conceived my beautiful daughter. So he thinks that it would be best to just try on our own over the next few months. They say that you have a "rebound" effect where your body responds well to fertility the first few months after a failed IVF cycle. This is because your body has taken all of the fertility drugs, aspirin, antibiotics, etc. If in 4 months we are not pregnant, he said he would do another IVF cycle with us, but that we shouldn't expect better results than the first time....meaning that we will only produce probably the same 2-3 follicles. It doesn't mean that they wouldn't fertilize the next time, but just that we would be spending a lot of money for very little increased odds....He even went as far out to say that we could possibly even consider DONOR EGGS.....but this is honestly not something that I am even will to consider at this point. I still have faith that I'm just not done on my own yet....call it a gut feeling.....
My 2nd Opinion!! I really enjoyed meeting my second doctor...we'll call him Dr. L. Dr. L was so personable. Not that my other wasn't....you know when you just have more of a connection with someone? Well Dr. L told me that if I had gone to any other IVF facility in the area where I live, that he might think they didn't do something right....but he said coming from the doctor that I went to....if he couldn't do it, than he wouldn't have better results.
The first thing he said when he came in the room is basically that he doesn't think doing another round of IVF would be worth it. He measured my ovaries. After the surgery the left one is 2/3's the size it should be and the right one is at about 80%. He said my uterus looks great as well! The best thing about Dr. L...he DIDN'T make me feel defeated! He brought up the potential too of Donor Eggs or not trying anymore, but neither one of these are options for me right now. Since Clomid didn't work for me he said there is another medicine that I can try in pill form (I keep forgetting the name) and that it works a bit better than clomid. He thinks we should do either this with an IUI OR the best option he thinks for us would be do do the IVF hormones again, but at a much lower dose and only once a day and then do an IUI with this. He thinks we should try this month on our own and then next month do the hormone shots and IUI. He thinks it would be good to do it right after the failed IVF because like the other doctor said, my body is primed and ready to go! Or the 3rd option is just to wait and let it happen naturally. It happened twice before so the good thing that we know is that I can get pregnant....now it's just a matter of how and when....
Honestly, I feel excited to still have options. BUT, at the same time...I am Tired. Exhausted. Plainly....temporarily over it. I just need a break and guess what...I'm going to give myself one! I don't think one will ever Stop wanting it each month and still trying for it...but I just need a little break. My husband and I are going to go on a vacation!! We have the grandparents baby sitting our daughter for a week and we are taking some MUCH needed us time. I'm hoping this will allow us to refocus a little bit.
So now the next big decision is do we start hormone therapy next month again...or just let nature take it's course? One day at a time. I will continue to keep the blog updated and keep posting about our fertility adventure....it's a journey right now, not a destination! :)
Saturday, February 11, 2012
IVF or IUI?? Even Lower Follicle Count
Let me start off by saying that that Ganirelix is driving me nuts! lol...Ever since I have started taking it I go through a period of insulin resistance during the day. It's usually in the afternoon, after lunch. Where it would normally take me 3-4 units to get my sugar down, I am taking about 10+! This has just been while I have been on the Ganirelix. I mentioned this to the doctor today and he was surprised to hear this because the Ganirelix is just a LH prohibitor.(My LH won't rise so I won't ovulate early)
At my follow up appointment today we found out that I only have 3 follicles that have grown....I really wish it were more. Because of this the doctor has once again brought up the idea of doing an IUI instead. I have been pregnant before which the doctor says that I have in my favor. If I hadn't ever been pregnant before, he would say 100% do the IVF. But because I have, he is thinking that we might be better off doing an IUI (Artificial Insemination), but he is leaving it up to us. The biggest advantage of doing an IUI would be that we would get up to 50% or more of our money back...and if it didn't work, we could put that towards trying again starting in April. But there is still a chance that the follicles that I have produced have at least ONE viable egg in it! And after that there are more variables against us....Is the egg mature? Will the egg fertilize? Will it grow? So it's a big decision....what do we decide to do? We've come this far, do we just go all the way?! I have until tomorrow to decide......
At my follow up appointment today we found out that I only have 3 follicles that have grown....I really wish it were more. Because of this the doctor has once again brought up the idea of doing an IUI instead. I have been pregnant before which the doctor says that I have in my favor. If I hadn't ever been pregnant before, he would say 100% do the IVF. But because I have, he is thinking that we might be better off doing an IUI (Artificial Insemination), but he is leaving it up to us. The biggest advantage of doing an IUI would be that we would get up to 50% or more of our money back...and if it didn't work, we could put that towards trying again starting in April. But there is still a chance that the follicles that I have produced have at least ONE viable egg in it! And after that there are more variables against us....Is the egg mature? Will the egg fertilize? Will it grow? So it's a big decision....what do we decide to do? We've come this far, do we just go all the way?! I have until tomorrow to decide......
Monday, January 16, 2012
The Journey Begins....Why We Are Chosing IVF
This is a blog about being a Type 1 diabetic, getting pregnant and trying to get pregnant again...and hopefully it will be about being type 1 diabetic throughout pregnancy...everyone's story is a little different and this is me chronicling mine.
When I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes almost 27 years ago, I didn't at the time quite realize how diabetes would change my life, nor did I think about getting married, or even having children in the future. I just always assumed that because I had Type 1 diabetes, that I probably wouldn't have kids. Way back in the "olden" days, that's what you heard about Type 1 diabetics. I am happy to say that is one of the furthest things from the truth. It IS possible....but it doesn't mean that the path to get there was not and is not frustrating, and the whole process...sheesh! You think pregnancy is tough...add on being pre-gestational diabetic! It's a whole other world of frustration and worry....but it is possible to get through it!
So some people might look at this and think "IVF, that means you must deal with Infertility". In my case, no. My husband and I were diagnosed with "Sub Fertility". Almost 2 years ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. But that was after over a year of trying and going through surgery to remove endometriosis from my ovaries and slightly blocked tubes. After the surgery and another 4 months of trying we conceived naturally our beautiful baby girl. 3-4 months after having her we decided to go for the next one. Since that time we had 1 miscarriage (at 9 weeks), which was completely heartbreaking. No, it was devastating to me.
It's been just about a year now with no luck on conceiving again. This is where the doctors tell us that the "Sub Fertility" comes in. Thank goodness for decent medical insurance right now because we have gone through thousands of dollars worth of blood tests, immunology tests and fertility drugs. My FSH is over 10 (10.7 to be exact...and this was tested more than once), my 21 day progesterone is a little low (so they say it would make it hard to sustain a pregnancy) and some of my immunology tests were Mildly off (which means, potentially, that if I am getting pregnant naturally, it's possible that my body might be fighting off the pregnancy....seeing it as a forigen object) And oh yes! To top it off...my blood type is O negative....Rogam here I come! And fertility drugs....*sigh*. Those were even frustrating before I took them! Scared on what they were going to be doing to my insides, how they would make me act, wondering if this is too far out of the relm of not "natural"...and I haven't even gotten to the IVF drugs yet! We started with Clomid...and clomid alone. No success. Then we did another couple of rounds of Clomid with the HCG Trigger shot. (Watch out hormones! My poor husband....I was definitely not "non-emotional" throughout all of these processes). But once again, no success. So after multiple OBGYN's, blood tests, sperm tests and different opinions left and right we have decided to do IVF. Before coming to this decision for sure, we got the opinion of 2 different IVF doctors as well. They both agreed that I have Sub Fertility and that my Follicle count was lower than it should be for somebody my age. Here is a little time line of how things have gone:
Deciding to put myself through the process of IVF, especially because I'm a Type 1 Diabetic, definitely has me freaked out! Hormones, fluctuating sugars, moodiness...is this all what is going to happen to me?! Most importantly, how will this all effect my sugars? Also I wonder, am I just not being patient enough? Because we can get pregnant...we've proved that, but the docs say that with certain blood tests results that came back, failed IUI's, having had surgery for endometriosis, along with having diabetes for so long, that I should just go for it!
So OK, I'm going for it!! I've looked online and have tried to find websites/blogs with more info about being Type 1 diabetic and doing Invitro Fertilization. There are some, but I want to share how these drugs seem to effect me because of my diabetes! They may do nothing at all! But my purpose is to chronicle my fertility journey. I remember some things from before, but this will be a whole new adventure...and like they say, "no two pregnancies are ever the same!". So wish us luck, we start the first shots in about 8 days.... and here we go!!
When I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes almost 27 years ago, I didn't at the time quite realize how diabetes would change my life, nor did I think about getting married, or even having children in the future. I just always assumed that because I had Type 1 diabetes, that I probably wouldn't have kids. Way back in the "olden" days, that's what you heard about Type 1 diabetics. I am happy to say that is one of the furthest things from the truth. It IS possible....but it doesn't mean that the path to get there was not and is not frustrating, and the whole process...sheesh! You think pregnancy is tough...add on being pre-gestational diabetic! It's a whole other world of frustration and worry....but it is possible to get through it!
So some people might look at this and think "IVF, that means you must deal with Infertility". In my case, no. My husband and I were diagnosed with "Sub Fertility". Almost 2 years ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. But that was after over a year of trying and going through surgery to remove endometriosis from my ovaries and slightly blocked tubes. After the surgery and another 4 months of trying we conceived naturally our beautiful baby girl. 3-4 months after having her we decided to go for the next one. Since that time we had 1 miscarriage (at 9 weeks), which was completely heartbreaking. No, it was devastating to me.
It's been just about a year now with no luck on conceiving again. This is where the doctors tell us that the "Sub Fertility" comes in. Thank goodness for decent medical insurance right now because we have gone through thousands of dollars worth of blood tests, immunology tests and fertility drugs. My FSH is over 10 (10.7 to be exact...and this was tested more than once), my 21 day progesterone is a little low (so they say it would make it hard to sustain a pregnancy) and some of my immunology tests were Mildly off (which means, potentially, that if I am getting pregnant naturally, it's possible that my body might be fighting off the pregnancy....seeing it as a forigen object) And oh yes! To top it off...my blood type is O negative....Rogam here I come! And fertility drugs....*sigh*. Those were even frustrating before I took them! Scared on what they were going to be doing to my insides, how they would make me act, wondering if this is too far out of the relm of not "natural"...and I haven't even gotten to the IVF drugs yet! We started with Clomid...and clomid alone. No success. Then we did another couple of rounds of Clomid with the HCG Trigger shot. (Watch out hormones! My poor husband....I was definitely not "non-emotional" throughout all of these processes). But once again, no success. So after multiple OBGYN's, blood tests, sperm tests and different opinions left and right we have decided to do IVF. Before coming to this decision for sure, we got the opinion of 2 different IVF doctors as well. They both agreed that I have Sub Fertility and that my Follicle count was lower than it should be for somebody my age. Here is a little time line of how things have gone:
- July 2008- Started tying for a baby
- May 2009- Surgery for Endometriosis
- September 2009- Pregnant!!!!!
- May 2010- Delivered Healthy Baby Girl
- October 2010- Started Acupuncture with herbs
- December 2010-Pregnant
- December 2010- Severe allergic reaction to Medicine after conception
- Feb 2011- Miscarriage at 9 weeks
- August 2011- Begin Clomid 100mg- still doing Acupuncture and herbs throughout all
- September 2011-Tons of blood work. FSH 10.7
- September 2011- up Clomid to 150mg with IUI and HCG Trigger Shot and Progesterone Supplement
- September 2011- OBGYN suggests IVF after we get blood work back
- October 2011- Clomid again with 2 IUI's and 3 HCG trigger shots and Progesterone, Acupuncture and herbs
- October 2011-OBGYN suggests IVF again- have phone consult with IVF doctor
- November 2011- still not pregnant, Obgyn suggest IVF Again
- December 2011- FSH 10.7...Again
- Jan 2012- Still not pregnant...Starting Plan 1 of the IVF process. Still doing Acupuncture and herbs.
Deciding to put myself through the process of IVF, especially because I'm a Type 1 Diabetic, definitely has me freaked out! Hormones, fluctuating sugars, moodiness...is this all what is going to happen to me?! Most importantly, how will this all effect my sugars? Also I wonder, am I just not being patient enough? Because we can get pregnant...we've proved that, but the docs say that with certain blood tests results that came back, failed IUI's, having had surgery for endometriosis, along with having diabetes for so long, that I should just go for it!
So OK, I'm going for it!! I've looked online and have tried to find websites/blogs with more info about being Type 1 diabetic and doing Invitro Fertilization. There are some, but I want to share how these drugs seem to effect me because of my diabetes! They may do nothing at all! But my purpose is to chronicle my fertility journey. I remember some things from before, but this will be a whole new adventure...and like they say, "no two pregnancies are ever the same!". So wish us luck, we start the first shots in about 8 days.... and here we go!!
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