Hi All! So I started on the CGM shortly after I became pregnant to help ensure tight control and it has been great... I will be 25 weeks on Wednesday and so far everything is looking good. Unfortunately, when I went to change my CGM site this morning the needle only went in a tiny bit... I tried 3 different times in my upper abdomen on each side and it just would not go in all the way. I think that maybe my skin is just too tight there now since I'm getting bigger. Any advice on other sites to use?
Any helpful hints/advice would be much appreciated! And let me know if you've encountered this at all... maybe I just had a bad needle?? I don't want to waist another sensor trying in the same spot...
I recommend trying your lower back right above the waist line of your pants. That's where I found to be the best part towards the end of my pregnancy. I'm familiar with the issue of the site not going in all the way and it's a total pain! I hope your pregnancy is going well! I too found the CGM and pump to be a huge help throughout and hope that you will be able to self manage during labor.
Just a tip: work with your Diabetes Educator and Endo to come up with alternative rates, assuming that you are on the pump as well, for during labor and after since your requirements change drastically in that short time.
I agree about the the lower back being a good site. I've also had great luck the past few weeks with the upper parts of my thighs - like where the pocket of your pants hit. I'm 25 weeks also! :)
This may be a silly question, but I am 7 weeks pregnant and have been wearing a CMG for almost a year now (love it!) but is there any HARM in continuing to wear the CMG on your belly as the baby gets bigger? Is it ridiculous that the sensor or the needle would cause any harm to the baby? Thanks!
although I am not pregnant yet, I always bleed a lot when I put my CGM in my stomach. So lately I have been wearing it on my lower back and I really like it there. I have also tried it on my upper butt area where I wear my pump site but I kept having lost sensor signals so I try to stay away from that spot now.
I bleed alot too Lisa. Where abouts on your lower back? Isn't that too far from your meter during the day? I tend to get weak signal if I either have my pump in my bra or on opposite sides of my stomach ahhhhhh its so frustraing to always have to keep them three inches apart on the same side/spot. help...
for the lower back I mean like an inch or two above the waistline of your jeans (the little love handle area). So then I usually wear my pump site on my opposite side usually upper butt, so they are more than 3 inches. I havent really had too much problem with lost sensor, if I wear my pump on my jeans, and sometimes in my bra-depending on my outfit. Hope that helps :)
It does help. I just tried it and I keep the sensor and pump site on the same side because if I do them on opposite sides of my body I always tend to get "weak signal" it is sooooo frustrating. Also my calibration seems to be pretty off. my pump will say I am 45 and my bloodsugar reading says 101.
Nicole-when you say " I keep the sensor and pump site on the same side because if I do them on opposite sides of my body I always tend to get "weak signal"....remember its the pump and the sensor that talk, so it shouldnt matter where your actual pump site is. If that is what you meant. And about your callibration that is a pretty big difference. You may want to check with your CGM consultant just to make sure your sensor is good, also you may need to callibrate more often since thats what keeps the number more accurate. I know its veryyyy frustrating tho :( I feel for ya girl!
I struggled with all of this especially the bleeding and the weak signal. Also it was very hard for me to actually get the sensor needle all the way in. And I have just one word for you ladies on the minimed CGM...DEXCOM! It is the best!! I had the minimed CGM for about a year and would get so frustrated that I would just not wear it. So then I switched the Dexcom and it absolutely fabulous...SUPER easy to insert and the callibrating it too much is never an issue. I been using it for quite some time now and have never had to throw out a sensor, they all go in as planned. Also it shows your more info and graphs. The needle also seems slimmer so insertion doesn't hurt, and since I have had it I have never bled. It made my life so my more enjoyable with a CGM. This is all just my opinion of course, but after reading this I thought....they need a Dexcom! Hehe, Let us know how it goes!