Hello, I am new to this site; Randomly found it when looking for Pump reviews. My husband and I are thinking of baby #3 and my new Endo suggested a pump. She gave me info on the MiniMed 530G with Enlite. I’ve been diagnosed with T1 for 3 years and never used a pump. I was pregnant with my 2nd 3 months after diagnosis and used a CGM for a month. I hated it. it was always wrong! I am excited to try a pump but also nervous. Can anyone give me their Pro’s for a pump and Con’s? Thank you, I meet with the nurse next week to go over which pump I want.
I have been on a Minimed pump for 14 years and don’t think I’ll ever go back to shots. (I’m currently on the 530G with Enlite) Pumps are great because you can dose with precision and only have to change your site every 3 days instead of taking a shot every time you eat or have a high BG reading.
I also like Minimed’s products because the pump and CGM are in one device. Dexcom, the other CGM manufacturer, is not integrated with a pump so you have to carry a separate receiver around.
A few cons of pumping:
*You’re attached to a device almost 24/7
*I’d say there’s a pretty big learning curve when first starting a pump. It’s not hard once you’re used to it, but don’t expect to slap a pump on your hip and automatically see your A1c drop. You will initially have a lot of work and adjusting to do to get your settings right.
*If the pump malfunctions or you run out of insulin, you will become nauseatingly high and likely have ketones within a few hours because you are only taking short-acting insulin. This does not happen often in my experience, but it can happen.
For me, the benefits far outweigh these smaller hassles. I’m sure others can offer more advice. If you have specific questions about the 530G system I’d be happy to try to answer them.