An emotional rollercoaster

I am 30 and have had Type 1 diabetes since the age of eight. My husband Richard and I have two fabulous boys, Adam (three) and Edward (nearly two). We also have a daughter. Her name is Charlotte and she was our first baby. Tragically she was stillborn four and a half years ago.

I first fell pregnant in May 2003. At the antenatal appointment I had several blood tests and was immediately prescribed folic acid tablets. I had appointments at the diabetes antenatal clinic approximately every two weeks, where my weight, urine, blood pressure and diabetes control were closely monitored.

The strict regime was hard work but I was aware of the importance of good blood glucose control, for the health of the baby as well as my own. As the baby grew bigger, I noticed the movements decrease. When the midwife was unable to hear the baby’s heartbeat she contacted the obstetrician who carried out a scan. My worst fears were confirmed - our baby had died.

Charlotte’s birth was complicated. She had grown too big to pass through the birth canal easily, and her shoulders became stuck, a condition known as Shoulder Dystocia.

My obstetrician told me that if I was to become pregnant again, a natural birth would not be an option and the baby would need to be delivered by caesarean section.

My husband and I were desperate for another baby. My diabetes consultant suggested that I had pre-conceptual care to ensure my diabetes was stable. I fell pregnant in September 2004, and the antenatal rituals became part of life again. The pregnancy was an emotional rollercoaster, but I had tremendous support from family, friends and my diabetes specialist team.

At 31 weeks I started contractions and was faced with ‘threatened premature labour’. I was immediately admitted to the delivery suite where I was given drugs to try and delay labour. I was also injected with steroids to help the baby’s lung development.

The contractions continued, but labour was delayed, and I remained in hospital for a further five weeks. At 36 weeks I started to experience more hypos than normal. I kept a record of these blood readings and when I showed them to my obstetrician, he arranged for a caesarean to take place as soon as possible.

The operation ran smoothly and, after what seemed like an eternity, Adam entered the world. He weighed 8lbs 14ozs and was large for a baby of 36 weeks' gestation.

I took Adam for his outpatient’s appointment when he was ten weeks old, and he had an ultrasound scan on his heart. We discovered that there was a problem with one of the valves, and he was diagnosed with mild Pulmonary Stenosis. He also had a small hole in his heart. The consultant was not concerned, and believed that these problems would rectify themselves over time.

I fell pregnant when Adam was nine months old, and the pregnancy progressed well. At 35 weeks, I began having increased hypos and was admitted to the high-risk ward. After a few hours I became anxious when I was having hypos even after eating a large amount of sugary food. I reduced my insulin intake, but the hypos continued.

I was taken straight up to the delivery suite and the following morning Edward was born at 11.52am weighing 7lbs 9ozs.

Twenty months on and life could not be better. I am blessed with a beautiful, healthy family whom I love with all my heart. My husband and I miss Charlotte terribly, but that is a sorrow we will always have to bear.

August 2008