Postpartum & Diabetes: Finding My Way Back To Normalcy

Now that I’m almost 6 months postpartum (after my third child)—I’ve realized the significant changes & how unpredictable my diabetes has been. It’s like being on a roller coaster ride constantly. Each day to the next I’m noticing my requirements of insulin are changing. I will get a clean streak of wonderful blood sugars. Where I feel almost relieved—that maybe I’ve got this under control. Then a couple days later, I will have severe insulin resistance and I’m constantly chasing my blood sugars around.

For most of my life, I’ve been on Lantus (long-acting) and Novolog (fast acting) which worked really well. Unfortunately, I experienced unpreventable peaks. To try to tame them, I was told by my doctor to take 2 doses of Lantus a day (which isn’t commonly done). Still—I’m what you would consider a “brittle diabetic“—very hard to control. This past pregnancy, my doctor urged me to get on the pump (to get even tighter control). When a doctor advises what they think is best in terms of insulin and how it’s delivered, I’m always hesitant to switch. However, I thought—why not? I’ll give it a try. I’ve tried the pump previously (during my first pregnancy) and had poor results. But being I’m more stable and had a great doctor in tune with my health and what’s going on with my blood sugars—I thought it might not be a bad idea.

Now that I’m currently on the Omnipod insulin pump, it’s nice because it gives me a lot of freedom. I don’t have to worry about taking injections, and when the reservoir is low (it alarms me). I was hesitant to try out the pump again because I’ve experienced many hypoglycemia episodes in the past. I was offered to see if I could get covered by insurance for the Dexcom (continuous glucose monitoring). I’ll be honest. I have never heard of this device before seeing this high-risk doctor (MFM) for my pregnancy. I’ve been diabetic for 13 years and up until now, I feel like I’m always the last to get on board. But hey—better late than never, right?!

Now that I have the Omnipod and Dexcom, it’s a blessing. I feel I have some freedom and a little bit of a safety net as well. I’m currently down 65 lbs since giving birth, my goal is another 15 lb. My A1c is at a 6.4, which went up a bit. It was at a 5.6 during pregnancy. With having all the demands of my diabetes and having three kids, I feel pretty good. I know I can always do better, and I try to improve a little bit at a time.  One thing that has really helped me manage three kids and keep tabs on all my devices and necessities is The Diabetic Journey waistband.

It’s been so helpful by keeping my hands free while carrying my insulin pump meter, CGM, and glucose tabs. The best thing about it is now I don’t misplace my devices, and they’re always accessible when I need them. I now can go to the grocery store, exercise, and take my kids to the park—and not have to scramble for my lifelines. I wear it over my clothes (being that I have tubeless pumping), but I also wear it under. It’s so comfortable, and I sometimes forget it’s even there.

I’ve accepted that right now is just a little bump in the road. While my body continues to try to get somewhat back to normal—with all the wacky hormones and losing weight. I will just continue to persevere and stay focused. It does get frustrating at times knowing that my diabetes is constantly changing. I could literally do the same thing every day and get different results. I’m constantly changing. I age, I grow, and I face new challenges every day. It’s life.

It’s all part of the journey.

“Courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering ‘I will try again tomorrow.'”

― Mary Anne Radmacher