I’m in my TWW after IVF and have my first Beta on the 23rd. I’m 6 days past my embryo transfer. I was doing amazing on the ranges my Endo gave me for being ready for pregnancy. My fasting was good and I was hitting my 1hr and 2hr goals after eating.
Then, of course, I catch a cold. It’s just some gnarly chest stuff, very mild fever, and sluggishness but being ill has always wreaked havoc on my blood sugars. I haven’t gone above 170 but I am struggling to get my fasting back down to 95 for three days now. I’ve gone on 4-5 walks a day to bring it back down to 100 when I see it trending upwards and that seems to help, but inevitably it creeps back up to 140-150. I’ve increased my basal (I’m on Omnipod and Dexcomm G6), corrected, and done just everything I can think of to reign them in.
I know I have a long journey ahead of me (fingers crossed my beta is positive) but I am absolutely terrified I am risking a positive outcome because of my blood glucose. My endo was so serious about my numbers I can’t help but feel like I’m failing this potential baby already. I’m beside myself, I know I can’t walk on a treadmill all day.
Does anyone have any advice? I’m 6 days in and I feel like I’m drowning already. The first 3 were perfect and then I got sick… and I don’t even know how long this chest cold is going to hang around. Ugh.
@roninviolet hi Jessica I hope you don’t mind a comment from a guy.
Anxiety can make my control worse. You have got a great start. Life will always throw you a curve ball, that’s just life. Do not despair if you get a random 300 mg/dl. Correct, compose yourself and keep going.
A high or low is not failure. It is a signal for you to adjust, just like when you are driving and you see you are a smidge over the speed limit. Let the feelings end there. We tend to become what we are thinking so let that “failure “ language go, please.
You are NOT failing your potential baby. I’m only 20 and in college so I can’t speak to your specific concerns about pregnancy (maybe someday!), but I want to let you know that I think it’s amazing that you’ve been so sick and haven’t gone above even 170. I’ve been struggling to get below 200 for the past few days with just a cough, never mind fever; you keeping such tight control is remarkable. Please don’t be so hard on yourself. Even if the 140-150 that you’re worrying about was your overall average blood glucose, your A1C would still be in the 6’s; take a look at this post from the JDRF and see if it can put your mind somewhat at ease: T1D and Pregnancy: A Firsthand Account - JDRF
I am with you and thinking of you. Does your doctor have a way for you to share your Dexcom data with him/her? Specific suggestions about your basal rates might be very helpful. If this particular endo is making your anxiety worse, on the other hand, it might be worth considering a different doctor.
I am an RN,CDE on an Antipartum unit, have t1 x47 yes and 2 successful pregnancies. I have 2 admit, I don’t really have experience w ivf, only what happens afterwards. Keeping your bgs at those levels is pretty amazing considering I’m guessing, taking a lot of hormones and now fighting a cold. Please stop worrying and try 2 relax…I know easier said then done. Most of my patients are admitted w A1cs over 7-8 and fastings over 200s. My A1c at the beginning of my first was 7 and my fastings would sometimes go over 200.
My daughter was born at 37+wks a little chubby but healthy. The thing I warn patients about is the rescue lows that can happen wo warning. The tighter your control, the more chance of having one. Keep a couple of glucagon kits handy and make sure your partner knows how 2 use it.
You seem 2 b managing your bgs extremely well after going through the strain of ivf, and as the the last poster said don’t beat yourself up. Even you highs aren’t considered high. Everytime I had a high right away I thought I was hurting my baby and the guilt was horrible. A nurse told me that babies are more resilient then we relize and enjoy the time. Keep in contact with your ob and med teams, call when u have questions and concerns, but try 2 keep calm. You’re doing fine. Good Luck.
Good morning I saw your post and I completely understand where your coming from. but the only thing is that i never went threw IVF but I’ve been a type 1 diabetic for 38 years I was diagnosed at the age of 2 years old. and I had a rocky life with uncontrolled blood sugars. and I thank God that I still have my sight, all my organs still functioning, I still have all my limbs. I had 5 pregnancies which I lost 2. but was able to deliver 3 healthy babies. my oldest is 10 years old, my 2nd is 5 years old, and my 3rd is 11 months old. as long as you manage what you eat and monitor your sugars and always make sure you take your insulin everything will fall into place. I had a few set backs in my pregnancies with very low sugars. but as long as you and your doctor work together you can have a healthy and beautiful pregnancy. Hope all the best for you and your precious bundle of joy.
Hi Jessica,
I don’t have diabetes, my daughter does. But I do have 4 children and I have a lot of friends who have done IVF.
You are doing GREAT. I know how stressful this time is, and feeling like you need to do everything possible. After the two week wait there’s the 12 week wait, and then the 20, and then the 26, and so on. As mothers as much as we wish there were tea leaves to read or something we could do to guarantee a good outcome, there isn’t. Other than keeping yourself as healthy as possible and managing your blood sugar as best you can. Nothing you do will affect your outcome at this point. And if you get good news at 12 weeks you should be out of the woods and I’m sure will do everything possible for your baby to be born healthy. Just remember your health matters as well, including stress. And I agree, if your endo stresses you out, find a different one. Best of luck to you and your little one.
Hi Jessica,
All of the replies to you have sounded very good. I have had Type I diabetes for 68 years and had 3 babies in the dark ages. I wish that we had had SBGM back then, life would have been so much easier. At any rate all 3 of my children are alive and well . I took 2 years of pre med, but do to my father’s death; I became a registered nurse, CDE, and worked as the Diabetes Nurse Specialist in the University of Florida college of medicine Endocrinology department. I did a lot of MD, Nurse, other health professional, and patient education and helped regulate patients insulin. I agree anxiety can definitely raise your blood sugars. With the cold I would suggest that you take a sick day( what I call sit back drink fluids and relax. Think about wearing a bright yellow dress and using a handkerchief with big purple polka dots and do nothing. The cold will not go away until you kick back and relax for at least 3 days. Even if you were a healthy athlete I would tell you to NOT exercise as exercise makes the virus worse.
I struggle to keep my numbers that good when I’m sober. With everything that goes on during pregnancy/diabetes, Sounds like you are way ahead of the curve as it is. It’s not my field of nursing but if you’re keeping your fasting under 150 you should be more than fine. Plus you being sick and then adding the stress on top of everything, you are going to see some variations. You have to find a way to destress yourself, you are doing everything you can, be proud of how well you are doing. Find a way to destress(seems to help all areas of your health). If you constantly see yourself creeping up you may want to ask your endocrine to possibly start a low dose regimen of Treciba or Lantus.
