Parenting is a challenge. Unfortunately, in addition to the diapers, doctors, vaccines and insomnia, I am also trying to manage diabetes. In the first weeks, I had reached out to other Type I Diabetics (T1D) on the JDRF LinkedIn group and Juvenation site after I found myself staggering through the days of being a new parent. I asked them what kinds of tips and tricks parents with diabetes use to get through it all?
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| A calmer moment with our little girl. |
BE PREPARED
When you're traveling with a newborn, parents generally err on the side of caution and pack a few extra diapers, a box of baby wipes and some clean clothes. You know... just in case.
My tip is to take the same precaution with your diabetes against sudden lows by stashing sweets around your newly frequented areas, such as the diaper changing station and feeding chair. If a sudden change in blood sugar hits while you're in one of these places, it may be difficult to simply get up and go deal with the problem. On more than one occasion I've had to prematurely wake my semi-asleep baby to deal with a low blood sugar. It would have been so much easier to pop a few glucose tablets than go to the kitchen for some juice.
Also, stashing a spare glucometer is much more convenient than trying to carry one around the house and it's a lot cheaper than you might think. I use a FreeStyle Lite by Abbott technologies and it only costs $20 at most pharmacies. Extra tip - make sure you always have unexpired test strips with each glucometer.
BE AWARE OF HOW YOU'RE FEELING
Being aware of how you're feeling is connected in many ways to being prepared. If you feel low, check your blood sugar. This is when having an extra glucometer and glucose tablets stashed by the bassinet may come in handy. There's nothing quite like having a baby almost fall asleep only to be woken by a swing that stopped moving or creaking floorboards as you step out.
The same goes for high blood sugars. In my own mind and experience, I worry much more about low blood sugar readings than high. There's an urgency with lows. Highs can linger and while I may feel terrible, I know I won't die or pass out - at least not for many hours or days depending on how severe.
But don't ignore feeling terrible from highs or lows. High blood sugar can foggy the mind, make you frustrated more easily, feel drowsy and achy. Imagine dealing with a fussy infant that doesn't want to take a bottle even though he or she is clearly hungry and also having to deal with the uncomfortable high blood sugar. No one needs that extra pain. A clear mind will make life easier.
YOU NEED TO BE CARED FOR TOO
Something a lot of parents will neglect is their own care when there's a newborn in the home. Diabetics can't really neglect their health without sometimes severe consequences. Ignoring lows is downright dangerous and keeping long-term highs can lead to huge headaches in other ways, including an even greater fatigue, aggravation and just feeling generally cruddy.
Make sure to keep up on your doctors appointments. Set a reminder to take your medicines. Remember that as a diabetic you have specific needs that can't be ignored. If you don't take the time to care for yourself, you may end up much worse and not be able to help when it's really needed.
Here's an anecdote I have to share. When our little girl was born, I basically stopped monitoring my blood sugars and was on little to no sleep for 2-3 weeks. Consequently, I lost 12 lbs and starting throwing ketones. I became less helpful as my health declined and more frustrated with even the smallest problems. I finally realized that even if the baby cries a extra few minutes, I needed to find the time to check and correct, as well as eat and sleep. Coffee and pacifiers helped a lot. Don't worry, the coffee was for me.
EAT!
Such a seemingly simple tip, but meals are something new parents have little time or energy to make. Eating is such an essential part of life! It's a wonder how new parents forget that so quickly while they're feeing their newborn every 2-3 hr. Proper meals are critical to keeping healthy as a diabetic. When you skip meals, you see unusual highs and lows (Yes, the stress can end up causing a high blood sugar if you don't eat and you can thank your liver for that). This eventually eats into your time in other ways. So just take a moment to eat something even if it isn't a proper 3 course meal. Try protein bars, on-the-go shakes or soup from a cup (make sure it's cool if you're holding the baby). Anything to keep you from skipping meals.
FIND A ROUTINE
If possible, find some semblance of a routine. This can be a lifesaver that tackles all the problems mentioned above. Of course, newborns aren't keen on a "routine" anything and I have no advice for breast-feeding Moms that are diabetic, but anything to keep some order would be helpful. Try setting alarms and keeping notes around to check your blood sugar or take your medicine. I like to put my morning medicine in my coffee cup. I'm certainly not foregoing coffee in the morning! That could be just enough to keep you going in the right direction.
These are just a few starter tips, but they helped me tremendously. Parenting is no walk in the park either and diabetes is pretty tough too. But you have to recognize that this is not a completely unique problem. Many T1D parents are dealing with this stress and it will be OK. Even though diabetes is a tough disease to deal with, parenting and diabetes management can be done with some work on your part. I wish I thought about these things BEFORE our little girl was born.
Try to remember - staying healthy is important because your baby is important. Those moments when our little girl looks at me keep reminding me that I need to be healthy to help her in life. It really makes that $20 glucometer seem like nothing at all now.
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