HI I am new to this WEbsite. My 1 year old has Type 1 and has an Animas One TOuch Ping Insulin pump HE tends to always run high even with his pump? I am having Feeding Isssues with him does any one have any suggestions on good snacks or meals I can give him? He is only 16lbs with other health issues But his Diabetes is affected clearly when he eats? I am stuck and frusrtated?? Thanks!!
I think you are definitely in the right place. While I personally don't have children with Type1 I can say for me, personally, I do better with small meals if I am mixing fats and carbs (think measuring portions or halving them even) and then lots of snacks throughout the day. Like I have a tendency to like sandwiches with cheese on them, but then struggle for control of blood sugar the rest of the day.
So I don't eat cheese with carbs anymore. I might have a string cheese, by itself, or with an apple for a snack.
Apple slices with a little peanut butter is pretty good too.
Trying to think of kid friendly solutions...but I'd stay away from the mac n cheese (or lessen it, or use whole grain macaroni if it's a must) and away from grill cheese or again find a way to make it filled with fiber.
Cereals and milk can be WAY more challenging than you think and at his age he needs the dairy fat, maybe just not with cereal. I bet some T1 parents will chime in soon.
Oh and pizza can take HOURS (like even 8 hours) to spike blood sugar fully so don't overdo pizza as your child gets older (I know 1 year olds don't do a lot of that but you know what I mean)
Hang in there!
Carolyn,
There are other moms here who have had children diagnosed at 1 yr and younger, that may be able to help more, but I will try to help too. My son was dx'd at 3.5 yrs, so he was already used to eating a wide variety of foods. Since moving to the pump, I let him eat whatever he wants and just give the right amount of insulin for it. You should be able to pretty much do the same for your son (feed him whatever 1 yr olds eat) and just dose appropriately.
How long has your son had type 1 and how long has he been on the pump?
I would just try to give as varied a diet as you would to any 1 yr old. Measure his servings - I'd suggest getting a digital scale so you can precisely measure what you give him. You could weigh both before and after so you know more closely what he actually got in. of course that won't count what he smears all over himself or his high chair or feeds to the dog. :) But you get the idea. THis will be easier to figure out the carbs by weight since you will typically give much smaller than the recommended serving size by volume (a 1/2 cup, etc.) that the package lists.
Unless he has other dietary restrictions, foods that don't have carbs are eggs (hardboiled or scrambled), cheese, small pieces of meat, chicken or fish. My kids also loved avacado (or guacamole) and that is a great food if you are trying to get him to gain weight as it has lots of healthy fat. Any cooked root vegetable is good and can be cut into small pieces. And while many 1 yr olds are getting calories made up by constantly having access to a cup of juice or milk - that is more difficult for you to do. If he likes that, it is OK for it to contain plain old water. :) If calories and weight gain are the goal right now, you can allow it and know that you will be giving corrections at the next meal. (Or you could try temp basal settings when he has a cup of milk that he is sipping from.)
I would work very closely with your endo's office on the pump settings. It will change a lot since babies are doing so much growing - you might only get a few days or a week of good settled out numbers before you change it again. One thing to consider is aiming for good numbers overnight. If you can get his basal setting(s) right for overnight, then you know you have at least half his day with in-range numbers. That is no small accomplishment!
Hang in there! We are all here to support you!
Thanks SO much! He was Diagnosed when he was 9mon old he has been on the pump since Dec It has been a blessing Becasue I was sticking him 6-9 times a day? He is a terrible eater we have taken several classes and even in Speech therapy to help but nothing yet! He HATEs eggs that was my go to food for a bit before he realized he didn't like them! lol! So Right now we are on a lot of pediasure and pray every week he dosen't lose any weight!
Hey! Welcome. (:
I just wanted to add that I'm a speech pathologist, and not all of us have much feeding experience. Try another if it didn't work the first time! If not, try an occupational therapist w/ feeding experience, esp if it's sensory based. (Do you know if it's a primarily motor-based or sensory-based feeding disorder?)
Also, please talk to the pedi about seeing an gastroenterologist or ENT -- make sure to rule out reflux or food allergies that might make feeding painful. Type 1 is autoimmune, so unfortunately, your baby is more prone to developing allergies. It could make him not want to eat.
Send me a message if you need to discuss infant/toddler feeding, because I also have experience w/ D (obviously, lol). The earlier you get the feeding stuff under control, the better, because the D/insulin adds more complexity to the feeding and few speech paths or OT's know about D... I'll send you a friend request so you can send me private messages.
Is there a dietitian you've seen through the endo's office? I'm giving you a lot of appts to make, and you can't make them all at once. But, eventually, she may be a helpful member for your team to explain the diabetes part of the puzzle to the feeding therapist.
Hang in there! You have a lot going on, but there's definitely help out there once you find the right supports.
Hey there Carolyn,
I wish I could help! I am newly diagnosed too, but at the age of 21. I'm so fortunate I am old enough and smart enough to figure this out on my own, but I can't even imagine being diagnosed at a really young age. And at 9 months!?!?!? I can only guess how much stress and concern you must face every day!
You are definitely in the right place though! This website is full of great and helpful people! My thoughts are with you and your son!
Best of luck,
Jacob