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!!