Hi,
I just had a nurse tell me that the ideal blood sugar range for pregnancy is 60-90 before meals and 80-100 two hours post meals. That seems really severe to me.
I'm curious to know what target ranges are others using for pregnancy?
Thanks!
-Corinne
Hi Corinne,
Yes, almost the same. Lots of women write that being type 1 and pregnant is having a full time job, on top of any other work that you do. I think that 70-90 before meals is more reasonable, and my doctors agree. Sixty is getting too low; you don't want to lose your warning signs. I'm 16 weeks pregnant with twins, and the 30 day average in my meter is 113. It's taken many blood tests, working closely with and trusting a certified diabetes educator who I talk with every other week, and lots of help from my husband. You can do it!!
My range is 90-100. Ever since I got pregnant, I have had some extreme lows so it is actually easier to stay in range. Once I get to around 80 it isn't long before I get really really low. The doctor said it is acceptable to get up to 140 once in a while after eating. Even a person without diabetes will spike after a big meal. I also have PCOS and I have been taking Metformin for about a year and a half and it only took me two months to conceive. Good luck, if you haven't tried Metformin I would recommend it!
Those targets seem a bit severe to me. Seems like it might put you at risk for lots of lows. What does your endo or ob say? My targets for both my pregnancies were 70-90 before meals and 100-120 one hour post meal. Of course I don't hit these targets every single time, but I work hard to be there most of the time and my A1C's during pregnancy have mostly been in the 5.4%- 5.8% range.
Corinne-My goals are the same pre meal, I went to a conference in which if glucose levels pre meal in DM 1 were not less than 90, there was no way to minimize the spike post meal. The lower premeal, the more flexablility you have post meal. Obviously, safety is always a priority as well, thus goals are not the same for everyone. Carefull with hypoglycemia unawareness, otherwise your goals need to be increased. Hope this helps, Karen
what combination of foods do people find keep their blood sugars from NOT spiking? i have had some success with brown rice and beans....or eggs with a piece of sourdough...just looking for interesting combinations that metabolize slowly. thanks!
i stuck to and still stick to whole grains and proteins from legumes. brown rice, quinoa, millet, whole wheat grains, etc... they really do make the difference. i also tried to make the bulk of my meals based around vegetables. nursing now (i have a son born 8/31) has caused me to need more carbs because you burn so much sugar. so for that I also tend to have lots of salads but I mix rice in or have whole grain breads. :) good luck and lots of health to you and your budding family!
My goals are similar. I am only 9 wks pregnant, and while I have gotten the morning blood sugars down to 60-90, I cannot nail the post meal blood sugars during the first half of the day. I am taking insulin a good hour before eating, and my one hour post-meal sugars are still typically over 120. And then around 6pm my sugars plummet until the next morning around breakfast time. It is very frustrating, but I keep trying different foods. I have found that any grains at all for breakfast or lunch send me over 120 one hour post-meal, so I am trying to figure out how to work around that right now. But, at dinner it seems like I can eat anything and manage my sugars to stay on the low end all night long. It's very frustrating, but I will keep working with my nurse and dietician to find what works.
maybe you need to adjust your basal rates so it's higher in the morning and lower in the evening? it can't be that simple can it?
also, i am just wondering, how often do people talk to their diabetes educator/nutritionist and adjust their insulin requirements. i am only 4 1/2 weeks and finding there are some real flucuations day to day.