Pregnant With Type 1 Diabetes: My First Trimester Recap

We are so excited to announce that we are expecting a baby boy this September! It feels so good to finally share this news after finding out this past January. Being pregnant with type 1 diabetes has been a challenge, but surprisingly it feels so much more manageable and intuitive than I ever expected. I’m excited to share all about how I prepared for pregnancy with type 1 diabetes, how I’ve been managing since then, and everything in between in this first trimester recap!

How I Prepared For Pregnancy With Type 1 Diabetes

As you know, I was on MDI (multiple daily injections) to manage my diabetes for years. It was my preferred method of management and fit well into my active lifestyle. I felt so strongly about not wanting to make the switch to a pump, until we started thinking more seriously about having kids. My A1C on MDI was consistently in the 6% range, but I knew that I wouldn’t have the patience to try and tighten it up even more with my current knowledge and management tools.

This is when I decided to make the switch to an insulin pump. I chose the Omnipod 5, due to the small size and the tubeless feature and started on the automated mode which connects directly to my Dexcom g6 sensor via bluetooth. My insulin pump can read my blood sugars and adjust my insulin settings from there (so convenient!).

I also decided to visit with a Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) doctor at a local high risk pregnancy center (who also happens to live with type 1 diabetes and has had 2 healthy babies herself!) to find out more details about what my A1C target was pre-conception, if I needed to adjust my vitamin intake, blood sugar ranges, eating habits, and more. This was so helpful to learn about before trying to conceive because it gave me a clear picture of what what changes I needed to start implementing ahead of time and what life would look like when we saw that positive test.

My doctor preferred my A1C was below 6% when we started trying, however I was around 6.3% and she wasn’t too concerned about that .3% difference. Once pregnant, my target blood sugars would change from 65mg/dL to 140mg/dL. I also started taking a prenatal with folic acid a few months beforehand as well.

I had also started tracking my cycles after getting off of birth control last year using my basal body temperature and the Apple Health App. I took my temperature with this handy thermometer every morning for MONTHS! This allowed me to have a better idea of my ovulation, period, and overall cycle so that when we started trying, it was easier to know what was going on in my body.

How We Found Out

This past January, I realized that my cycle was about 5 days longer than it usually was. I took a test and saw an extra faint line and felt so hopeful! Of course, I immediately googled to find out that a faint line was a positive result! We waited very patiently for the next day to retest and confirm that the line got much darker and I was pregnant! Adam and I were so excited that I tested almost everyday that first week just to make sure it still said “Pregnant”.

After getting a positive at-home test, I made my appointment with my OB and my MFM doctor to confirm my pregnancy. Since we found out at 4 weeks, I still needed to wait until I was 8 weeks along to schedule those appointments. It felt like FOREVER waiting for this confirmation appointment, but was so magical to see our little one during my first ultrasound!

First Trimester Recap

My Symptoms So Far

My first trimester symptoms ended up being a lot different than I expected they would be. I was very thankful to not suffer from morning sickness. I had a day or two of feeling slightly nauseated at moments, but nothing that stuck around for too long. I had a lot of mood swings, bloating, sore breasts, lots of peeing, blemishes on my upper back and shoulders (think puberty but with a vengeance), weight gain, fatigue (especially toward the end of the day), lots of low blood sugars, and eating like a teenage boy. I’ve also experienced my tongue going numb during low blood sugar episodes, which is something i’ve only ever experienced in pregnancy!

I think my biggest pregnancy symptom surprise was how I felt mentally in that first trimester. Watching my body change in such a short amount of time (immediate weight gain, blemishes, bloating) was difficult for me. I also closed myself off socially for a bit due to not wanting to tell anyone about being pregnant until I progressed further. It was a lonely few months and felt mentally heavier than I expected it to.

Cravings

I went through a “big juicy cheeseburger” phase during one of my earlier weeks. I remember needing to order a big Red Robin burger for dinner. Have I ordered a burger from Red Robin in the last 10 years of my life? Nope. But it needed it then, and it was the best thing i’ve ever had. Also, i’ve been consistently craving fruit. If I don’t have cut up melon in the house at all times I will riot.

Exercise

I was consistently working out prior to conceiving, which was helpful when transitioning into my workout routine while pregnant. My doctor cleared me to continue reformer pilates and strength training, which I have done throughout my entire first trimester and hope to continue through the entirety of my pregnancy. It’s helped me with my mental clarity through this process, keeping my blood sugars in range, and allowed me to feel strong, capable, and like I am doing the best thing I can for my body and my baby.

Pregnancy Favorites

Find everything that has helped me through my first trimester here!

---

How I’ve Been Managing My Diabetes This Pregnancy

After meeting with my MFM doctor to confirm my pregnancy, we went over everything she told me initially about my ranges, tips for stable blood sugars, some pump adjustments, and more. She also reminded me about all the scary things that can happen to the baby if I don’t manage my blood sugars properly during pregnancy. Naturally, I was a wreck that next week, worrying that every time my numbers dipper above 140 mg/dL, I was hurting my baby. My added hormones messing with my emotions didn’t help in the slightest.

Ever since then, I’ve done my best to keep my numbers in range by implementing some tips that my MFM doctor gave me during that first appointment:

• Pre-bolus before every meal: Before I sit down to eat any sort of carbohydrate, I now make sure that I am giving myself insulin 15-20 minutes prior to eating. This allows my insulin to start working in my body as I eat my food.
• Eat a protein every time I have a carb: My MFM gave me a pamphlet that suggests different meal options/ideas to eat during the day. Each one mentions that whenever I eat 15g of carbs, I should pair it with 7g of protein. Ever since implementing this, i’ve noticed less rollercoaster blood sugars and more stable graphs.

My first trimester has been a lot of low blood sugars and a lot of eating. My hunger was ravenous the first few weeks of my pregnancy, and I felt like I was eating like a teenager after soccer practice. I also experienced a lot of low blood sugar moments, pretty consistently these past few months, which I’ve heard is normal for a pregnant T1D in the first trimester. I also had one evening where my sugars would not raise above 70, no matter how much I ate — which was extremely freaky, and left me feeling nervous for a rebound high, which also never came!

I recently visited my MFM doctor, who let me know my A1C is down to 5.4% after my first trimester. I was so shocked and thankful to hear this information that I started crying! Pregnancy with type 1 diabetes has been hard, and it’s easy to feel guilty for every out of range number. I’m thankful to have a wonderful support system (doctor, husband, family, and online community of fellow type 1 mamas) to help guide me through this time in my life.

Many changes still to come with navigating a type 1 diabetic pregnancy and I can’t wait to share them all with you! Follow along with me on instagram and check out my first trimester video on youtube, with our special gender reveal. Talk to you soon!