My pregnancy Journey started when I found out I was pregnant on May 25th, 2016. I was very excited and was literally shaking when the two lines showed up on the pregnancy test. I was too excited to wait for Bryan to come home so I told him over Facebook while he was at work. Maybe it wasn’t the best way to tell him but I couldn’t wait to share the news with him.
When those two lines showed up on the pregnancy test, I knew it was going to be a long road of doctor appointments and monitoring because of my Type 1 Diabetes. During my 38 weeks of pregnancy, I had many appointments with endocrinologists, an obstetrician, nutritionists and nurses. At times, it felt like I was living at the hospital but I knew in the long run, it would all be worth it – I would have a baby.
When I would tell people I was diabetic and pregnant, they immediately thought I had gestational diabetes. I didn’t develop diabetes during pregnancy; I have had it since I was 17 years old. I’m on an insulin pump and my body does not produce any insulin. What many people don’t know is that Type 1 Diabetes is an auto immune disease. For some reason, your body thinks the cells that produce insulin are a virus and destroys them. Unlike Type 2 Diabetes, it doesn’t matter how well a person eats or how much exercise he or she does, the pancreas will never produce insulin again.
While pregnant, my hormones were up and down, which affected the amount of insulin I took. The most significant change was in the third trimester. I went from taking 30 units of Humalog a day to 70 units. My body demanded so much more insulin because of the placenta. The placenta produces a lot of hormones that block insulin; as a result, I had to take a lot more in order for it to work. This required me to monitor my glucose levels very closely. Some days, I would test my glucose levels up to 20 times a day.
Besides the diabetes, my pregnancy went very well. I didn’t have morning sickness, I worked close to my due date and I was quite active. It wasn’t until January 13th, two and a half weeks until my due date that my blood pressure increased. I was induced on the night of the 13th with prostaglandin. By the afternoon of the 14th, I was given an epidural and then put on oxytocin and a glucose drip. I was hooked up to two monitors that measured my contractions and the baby’s heart beat. Bryan tested my glucose levels every 45 min and wrote them down.
By the morning of the 15th, I was 10 cm dilated and pushed for over two and a half hours. The baby was crowning but was stuck and an emergency c-section was performed. Some of the nurses thought she got stuck because of her size. They automatically thought because of the diabetes she was going to be a big baby, however, she ended up being only 7 pounds 15 ounces.
As soon as Baby Kinsley came out, I was very relieved and emotional. I had been up for almost 48 hours and was exhausted. My insulin levels drastically changed at that moment as well. My placenta was out and I had to decrease my insulin by 65%.
Baby Kinsley has been home for a month now and we could not be more happy. It is so interesting to see how much she has changed in the last month and her personality is shining through.
Photos:
Below are some pictures over the last few months of my journey: Announcement, maternity photos, newborn photos, hospital photos, baby room and baby shower.
Erin Sweet Photography – Summer pregnancy announcement photos
Stacie Lynn Photography – Last two photos of baby shower
Kind Light Photography – Winter Maternity Photos
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