What’s the purpose of having to time how long my daughter can eat?

@JoeThank you. I will try that.

I find that small basal changes can make a big difference - even 1/10th of a unit may be just what I need. I suggest you make your changes gradually. Trial and error is the name of the game.

Thank you for that advice.

I’ve have not heard of having a time limit on eating. I was told to calculate carbs, give insulin and wait 10-15 min before letting my daughter eat after the insulin was given.

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I’ve never heard of this before, however, there could be a good reason for waiting 20 minutes to give her insulin. There is never a good reason to take food away from a child and I fear that will cause some long term issues with food which no one needs help with in this day and age. Also, Diabetes is so manageable with the knowledge and the medication we have now that there certainly should be no reason to limit what your child is eating at a meal. If she is hungry and enjoying her food, she should do just that. If there is not an explanation that your doctor can give you that you feel comfortable with, please seek another opinion. I’m curious to hear what (s)he says. Good luck!

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Hi @Mommaof6 and welcome! I am a nurse and a t1d diagnosed 4 years ago. I have never ever heard of an eating time limit for a newly diagnosed diabetic child. It sounds awful, and I agree with the other poster who pointed out that it might provoke emotional problems with food for her.

Not every medical practitioner has the best knowledge about type one diabetes. At work I’ve come into contact with colleagues like that.

Since your new endocrinologist appointment is just a few days away, could I suggest not yoinking her food at 20 minutes for her meals until then? Instead use the timer to give insulin 20 minutes in for what she’s had so far. When she’s finished eating give insulin for the rest.

At my endo appointments, I have him explain everything. I take notes and repeat it back as I understand it, and have him confirm I’ve got it. I ask all my questions. Might sound obsessive of me but this curve ball in life is bad enough without having to worry about communication issues with the doctor. Btw, I was unable to establish a good working relationship with my first endocrinologist; I shopped around and now I have a great one. Don’t be afraid to do the same.

I wish you and your precious daughter the best!! Let us know here how it goes.
Carolyn

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We may take it for granted that medical professionals have an understanding of diabetes, but that is not universally true. I would hope that at diagnosis she was assigned an endocrinologist who specializes in that area (endo covers a range) but it could be the doctors who treated her muddled some information and it was miscommunicated to you.
Hopefully by now you’ve clarified things with your own diabetes specialist, or called for a more thorough explanation. Can’t wait to hear what you find/found out.

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She needs to take insulin for what she is eating 20 minutes before eating so her blood sugar does not spike, that is what the doctor should have explained.
My doctor suggested for me to take my insulin 15-20 minutes for a meal.

That may be the case, but timing of insulin with meals may depend on the type of insulin used and is a detail that should be discussed with her endo.

Natasha, I have never heard of this, the only thing I have heard of the 20 minute rule is that our insulins now start working faster, and I was supposed to be eating within 15 to 20 minutes after taking it, never was I ever given a time limit too finish. . And considering that insulin stays in the system longer than 20 minutes, personally this is not my practice and I would ask her Doctor to explain why this is a good idea. It is not realistic, and too restricting. I take my Insulin as needed and I don’t eat to the insulin I take, I take Insulin to the food I eat. Hope this makes sense. This idea is way too restriction and for those of us living a full life. Insulin is supposed to offset the food we eat, and as I said before I take my insulin based on my BS and what amount of food I am adding to that, and it is not a standard amount, it varies as my BS and food intake and exercise requires. ps" All my Docs agree with my approach, at some point in time you’ll discover what works for her, and it may not be by the rules, nor everyone’s body read the rule book. Take care, things will get easier. PPS: Puberty will cause changes don’t panic, just adjust. Diabetes is a adjustable disease. Hope this helps. Bye jan

My daughter just got T1 so if I watch her monitor her correctly she will be fine? But what if she has little extra food then her insulin is that a big risk?

@Madhokraj, it depends on what she eats and how much. Very simply, we need to match our insulin dosage to our carb intake. Keep an eye on her numbers. The best thing to do is get guidance from her doctor for her target range, and what to do based on her numbers. You will learn about making adjustments over time but if you are new, and concerned about something your daughter ate, give the doctor a call. It’s very helpful to keep a detailed diary of insulin, food, activity, etc. so doctor will have as much information as possible to guide you. I use the Mynetdiary app myself but there are others that are very good, very popular, and free. Even if you don’t have one and need to call the doctor, give them as much info as you can.

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Hi @Madhokraj, there’s a lot to learn this first year. In general, your child can have a very broad diet and take insulin for carbohydrates. Your goals are blood sugar control and you can tell by frequent blood sugar testing and / or CGM. I hope you have access to a great medical team.

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Thanks so much thanks for taking your time to reply yes I will keep a diary that’s a good suggestion.

Yes i was worried she won’t be able to eat any of her fav food but as I am learning it’s helping but still very scared.Thanks for helping I’ll have a lot more questions

The goal is to balance insulin, exercise and food. If she eats more than you can give her more insulin. Are you carb counting? Is that how you are managing how much insulin to give? The best way to keep her BG levels within range is to try to get the carb ratio right, inject accordingly, and just monitor her BG. If she is running out of range than you can correct by giving a bit of insulin to bring them back down. It is not a good habit to get into, running high BG levels. This is what will cause long term complications. It happens, as so many things affect BG but the goal is to try to keep them in range. We try our best everyday, its all we can do. As far as having high blood sugar levels in the moment, it is not risky, like having low blood sugar, but anyone with diabetes knows that it does not feel good - lethargic, low energy, thirsty, blurry vision, irritable…it really makes our bodies feel terrible. Good luck! You’re doing great! Keep asking questions :slight_smile:

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Thank you so much very helpful information I’m trying to keep them in normal range now

Hi @Mommaof6. I was looking through some posts and thought I would check in to see if things were resolved at your doctor visit? I hope your daughter can eat at her leisure now. How are things going?

You could try an extended bolus, if he is on a pump. I do that when it looks like a meal will come slowly.