How To Know When You’re Ready To Have A Second Baby When You Have Type 1 Diabetesfeatured

Here’s a pic taken 1 week ago when I was 28 weeks pregnant.

This post comes almost 2 months since my last one, which gives you an idea of how busy and tiring life has been these days.

The good news is… I am alive and well! :)

But caring for a 19 month old and my full time friend, diabetes, is tough.

It doesn’t help that Golden Top has been tantruming and basically wants to be held most of the day. And that’s why a part of my plans for tonight are to start reading: Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers. 

I’m inspired by a follower of Diabetes to Go who sent me the following email:

“Just wanted to ask how old was your first one when you got pregnant for the 2nd time. I am just scared that I won’t have energy to care for 2 kids…”

I wanted to post my response to this question, since I’ve had other type one moms asking the same thing.

And honestly, this exact concern crossed my mind many times when preparing to enter into our second pregnancy. I feel like it’s a big concern from moms in general…

But it’s an even bigger concern for us people who have pesky diabetes to babysit too!

Here’s my response:
I became pregnant when Peter was 13 months old. We wanted another one from the time he was born, as crazy as that may sound.

But I had to wait to get my thyroid sorted out, as I don’t respond to T4 meds well. It was a tough period of time after he was born up until his 1st birthday. I felt so tired and essentially was hypothyroid.

But as soon as my thyroid meds were straightened out we tried. (And we were successful, yay!)

I knew it would be tough going into this pregnancy, because I’d been there, and not that long ago either.

It has been a challenge… but overall, it’s been better this time around. I feel more confident making changes to my insulin doses and have worn a Medtronic Enlite glucose sensor the whole pregnancy.

I just feel like I know what I’m doing much more than when I was pregnant with Golden Top. :)

Having the glucose sensor has allowed me to get better sleeps, without the worry of having a low overnight. This has made a HUGE huge difference. (I rarely wore one with Golden Top.)

My strategy is to take things one day at a time.

Yes, life with a toddler is busy and tiring, but I look to the future and imagine our children playing together in a few years and eventually enjoying their adult lives together.

This is the moment I look forward to soon! This is Golden Top and it was the best day of my life. This pic was taken when I help Golden Top for the first time.

I also ask for help all the time: from family and my husband… and we also have a lady come to help with our little guy so I get more breaks then I would if I wasn’t preggo.

When I get down or overwhelmed with all the sugar checks, or feel frustrated by the out of target sugars or doctor appointments, I think of the day when our baby will be born.

I imagine holding him or her and marvelling in their uniqueness and beauty.

That makes everything worth it!

I also imagine myself running a marathon, the finish line of course being the addition of an irreplaceable member of our family.

I wish you great discernment in deciding what your next step is… feel free to ask me any further questions.

–  –  –

I want to add one more important point.

Something I reflected on after responding to this email and sipping on a sugar-free decaf latte (my total crutch these days…more on that to come) :)

Why should I let diabetes get in the way of my dreams?

My diabetes team always has told me: Don’t let diabetes get in the way of your goals in life.

Did you really think you could ride a bike the first time you got on one? Probably not… but you likely can now. Try and catch yourself on “I can’t thinking”.

Truthfully, though… I know that for a lot of my life, crippling thoughts about diabetes have crept in. A diabetes counsellor I’ve seen calls it: Stinkin’ thinking’…

And it has come in many forms:

“How can I go to university and care for my diabetes and keep up with the work load?”

• Oh look diabetes, I did it.

“I won’t make a good nurse… how can I care for people with diabetes, if I need to treat a low myself?”

• Check, did that, too!

And the most crippling one:

“How can I be a good mother, if I have so many things I need to do to take care of myself?”

Wow, that one crushed me for years. I totally believed it.

And then after I had Golden Top and realized that I was doing a pretty decent job, I had the next “stinkin” thought:

“How can I manage 2 children, one baby and a pregnancy with dia-freakin-betes ?”

The truth is, you just do.

I took the leap… not even knowing what it would be like or if I could.

It just all falls into place. And you realize you’re way more brilliant and capable then you thought yourself to be.

I’ve always dreamed of having a fairly large family, so why should I let diabetes ruin that for my husband and I?

Do you agree? What are your stinkin’ thinkin’ thoughts?