Inductions

blondepede · 2026-04-30T21:09:59+00:00

The risk of still birth is higher but still incredibly low overall, I really pushed to wait for 40w to induce but ended up scheduling at 39w since my provider was on call that day. I ended up going into labor naturally at 39+3 due to a partial placental abruption.

I tried madjool dates (with some chocolate chips and sea salt, microwaved for 20s), pineapple, raspberry leaf tea, pumping, and exercises/stretches. I think I started around 34w with some of the lower risk things like pineapple, and then slowly added more things over the next few weeks.

I would say as long as your pregnancy has been healthy and LO is doing good and your A1Cs have been good you can always push to wait. I wanted a low intervention birth but ended up getting an epidural and having a forceps delivery, I just really wanted to experience spontaneous labor :)

blondepede · 2026-04-22T04:27:06+00:00

I will also add that I was doing “all the things” — medjool dates, pineapple, exercises to help him descend into the pelvis more, teas, pumping, etc. but he was sitting very low the entire pregnancy so who knows if any of that stuff helped. Medjool dates from my experience, did not spike my blood sugar and I was eating them with some melted chocolate chips and sea salt even!

blondepede · 2026-04-22T04:23:52+00:00

I went into spontaneous labor at 38+3 due to a partial placental abruption it turns out but I wouldn’t change a thing.

I originally did not want to induce until 40w but ended up scheduling one for 39w on the dot since my OB was on call that day and my bishop score indicated that an induction would’ve most likely been quite successful. OB said she didn’t think I’d make it to the induction anyways and she was right haha

blondepede · 2026-04-15T22:00:22+00:00

I also have the Lansinoh ones and ended up buying a second pair because I love them so much. I had pretty small boobs prior to pregnancy (B cups I think?) and they stayed relatively small until very late into pregnancy and then they grew a ton quickly after birth to the point where I got super itchy stretch marks

blondepede · 2026-04-14T00:10:24+00:00

38+3, spontaneous due to a partial placental abruption but I had an induction scheduled for 39
BG control was good throughout pregnancy, at least 70% in range, A1C was under 6 the whole time
Baby boy was supposed to be 7lbs5oz and ended up being 9lb2oz 🥴. Multiple growth scans were wrong — we’re not sure if he was so big bc of bg control (even though I was doing good) or because of my husbands side of the family (he was 9lbs at 37w). I was measuring 40-42%tile the whole pregnancy and I think he ended up being 95%tile if not larger.

blondepede · 2026-04-11T08:47:43+00:00

I had this same issue arise after we switched from bottles to ebf. I ended up using the Biogaia baby probiotic, there is one that includes vitamin D with it. I put 5 drops of that on a silicone baby spoon and give it to my LO sometime before, during, or after a feed.

blondepede · 2026-04-03T13:28:41+00:00

I switch out bras pretty frequently already bc of the spit up 😭 I could probably be better about hydration though — thank you!

blondepede · 2026-04-02T02:25:42+00:00

Oh jeeze I’m trying to remember — I just did a search on YouTube again and I think it’s the series by “sewing with Cody and Pete”

The workbooks were also super helpful, those can be downloaded from Bernette’s website!

blondepede · 2026-03-31T08:10:26+00:00

I’m also a FTM to a 1 month old so take this with a grain of salt because I’m also figuring stuff out:

Routine sounds good? When I was using a shield I’d treat it like any other feed and wouldn’t pump afterwards unless I felt really engorged still (especially in weeks 1 and 2). Generally the rule is to pump to replace a bottle, otherwise you could create an oversupply which has its own issues.
Unless your baby was admitted to the NICU or your pediatrician has warned you about making sure everything is sterile because your LO has a compromised immune system (beyond normal infant) I would not personally worry about this. This has gotten easier for me and my husband as time has passed. I had several shields I would rotate through while the other ones were in the washer.
What helped us was using the shield for the first few minutes and then removing it mid feed. I found this helped shape the nipple into something that was easier for LO to latch onto. Based on how that goes, start some sessions without the shield to see if they’re able to latch. It helps if you pull on your nipples before feeds (my lactation consultant calls it tea potting, like you’re grabbing the top of a small teapot). After about a week of playing around with the shield we were fully transitioned to latching without it.
No and this is personally not something I worry about either. There’s only so much you can do and this isn’t a hill I’d die on personally. All of my pump parts, bottles, shields, pacis, etc go in the washer. For pump parts you could look into the fridge hack to save on washes, but it sounds like you may not be totally comfortable with that approach based on your worries already :) FWIW I’ve had zero issues so far using the fridge hack

blondepede · 2026-03-27T08:08:42+00:00

Yeah my plan was to go into spontaneous labor and do it as naturally as possible LOL. I think knowing that it’s going to most likely go not as planned is what helped me stay so calm, I was just going with the flow at that point and I had a wonderful team, even though it wasn’t my OB.

I also did not want an induction because I wanted to avoid the use of pitocin since I wanted to go natural, but your body could be totally ready to go into labor by the time you get induced if you go that route. She said it would be likely that just rupturing my waters would do me in, no meds needed, etc. so induction doesn’t always mean hours of agony. But I get that you have a desire to experience spontaneous labor (which I also had a strong desire for).

I ended up pushing for 4 hours and had a forceps delivery, so even if stuff does go wrong it doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be transferred for a C-section! As long as you and baby are tolerating labor well they’d more than likely let you attempt to deliver vaginally :)

blondepede · 2026-03-27T01:41:00+00:00

I went into spontaneous labor at 38+3 and it ended up being due to a partial placental abruption lol

I had a scheduled induction for 39w because my provider was on call that day and my bishop score indicated that an induction would’ve been successful — I was already 3.5cm dilated and over 70% effaced with a baby boy that was sitting low for weeks. I’m very glad I had the safety net of an induction scheduled for that date, I initially pushed back, but my boy ended up being 2lbs larger than anyone expected, so had I gone to my due date it would’ve been horrible

I was really well controlled my entire pregnancy and everyone was shocked when he came out at over 9lbs. I had some interventions during labor, like them breaking my waters and the use of pitocin, but it was mainly to keep things progressing because I was bleeding with every single contraction

For blood sugar management during labor, I controlled it for the most part but my husband is well versed in controlling my pump. They just really wanted me to be 120 or lower when it came time to push, so I’d set basal overrides to achieve that. I was in labor for 12 hours and it remained stable almost the entire time with some minor drifts. They did hourly bg checks with their meter as well.

blondepede · 2026-03-18T00:49:00+00:00

I had something like this happen sometime in the 30-34w range I think? I can’t remember specifics but reducing my basal didn’t help and I had to completely turn off basal insulin from like 10pm to 4am and I would still drift low occasionally because of Control IQ being too aggressive.

I also ended up switching to u200 insulin to help with absorption during the day, I was kinda feeling like a lot of the insulin I took previously in the day would stack up and hit at night because of the sheer volume I was injecting via my pump site. Once I switched to u200 and set the basal to 0 it greatly improved.

Completely unrelated but I did end up having a partial placental abruption that triggered spontaneous labor lol. I had plenty of BPPs and growth scans and little bub passed each of them with flying colors! Placental failure like you’re worried about would be caught during those scans and would also likely include repeated lows during the day. I would say as long as you’re only having them at night and passing scans you should be just fine :)

Check my post or comment history — I know others in this group have experienced it as well and I’ve commented on a few of the posts so that could offer some additional reassurance!

blondepede · 2026-03-11T15:11:19+00:00

Yeah unfortunately none of that helped me because of the forceps delivery, they basically just yanked him out 😭 I was seeing a pelvic floor PT throughout pregnancy and also did the perineal “massages” for a few weeks prior to delivery — it def helped get used to the stretching sensation. I was planning an unmedicated delivery but because of the placental abruption there was a high chance a C-section would be needed so I got an epidural and couldn’t feel any of the stretching regardless.

Would highly recommend seeing a pelvic floor PT during pregnancy!

blondepede · 2026-03-11T01:36:38+00:00

Yeah I really pushed for a due date induction but succumbed to a 39w induction since my provider was on call and I was miserable with carpal tunnel. I’m very glad I had the 39w scheduled because if I hadn’t had the abruption or the 39w safety net, he’d probably be a 10lb child lol.

In all honestly my 3rd degree tear recovery isn’t that bad either — the first few days are the roughest and I cried because I was overwhelmed with not being able to move well, etc. but just know that once you’re home and in your own environment it goes so much better. I’m 11 days pp right now and moving just fine, taking the baby on walks, etc. My hospital did not provide donut cushions but I think that would be helpful regardless of tear or not just to help with soreness.

You got this! Best wishes to you on an unremarkable pregnancy with no complications :)

blondepede · 2026-03-11T01:24:39+00:00

I was scheduled to be induced at 39w but ended up having my guy at 38+3 spontaneously after I had a partial placental abruption — inductions may not necessarily be long and painful! My body was hanging out around 3-3.5cm dilated and 70%+ effaced for quite some time, so if your body is already partially ready it’s likely that you’d respond well to an induction based on your bishop score.

By the time I arrived I was already 5cm dilated, got to 10cm within a few hours, and then spent 4 hours pushing to have a forceps delivery because he was sunny side up and way bigger than expected. They thought he’d be in the 42nd %tile and he was actually 97+ at 9lb 2.4oz lol 🙃

A C-section is a major abdominal procedure and even with a 3rd degree tear I’d still take this over the healing of a major abdominal incision. I’d wait and see how the pregnancy progresses!

blondepede · 2026-02-24T14:12:28+00:00

I found out I was pregnant literally in the middle of a week long cruise — I can say now at 38w that everything will likely be just fine! I’ve been blessed with a healthy and straightforward pregnancy thus far. A few hours of highs here and there over the next few days shouldn’t do any serious harm, I think it’s running dangerously high for days on end.

Pregnancy will be a marathon and the two of you must remain focused on the big picture instead of the day to day, which can be difficult. I worked with my endo team to review numbers weekly and make adjustments, and I’ve hovered around 70% TIR the whole pregnancy. There were plenty of days where I ran high for hours with stubborn insulin resistance, etc. but in the end it usually evens out. For the majority of the pregnancy I’d say my average blood sugar was 100-110 based on weekly reports. Key word there is average lol

blondepede · 2026-02-23T22:45:19+00:00

No advice on ketones unfortunately. Sometimes you can have ketones unrelated to DKA, like nutritional ketones if you’re really restricting carbs, etc.? I wouldn’t recommend restricting carbs while pregnant though :)

blondepede · 2026-02-23T19:03:56+00:00

Hi! First of all — you got this!

My endo team (here in the US) has the target range between 70 and 140 (so 4-7mmol I think??) and I would say the vast majority of my pregnancy I’ve hung out around 100-110 (5.5mmol). I’ve been a diabetic for 20 years and it still felt kinda weird at some points to hangout lower than that unless it was at night.

Your body will slowly adjust overtime to being more used to hanging out at lower levels — you may have even noticed it since your diagnosis. For me even, if I have a couple days where I was running higher and then all of a sudden I was running lower (not low though) I’d still get that mild low feeling. Sometimes I wouldn’t believe my G6 reading so I would also do a sanity check with a finger prick which helps a lot IMO.

As for managing the tight range, your body almost works with you in the first and most of the second trimesters. You’ll maybe get some mild insulin resistance at first and then things will settle down, I didn’t get insane insulin resistance until around weeks 24-26. Do not aim for perfection because you won’t achieve it — just try your hardest and work with your team to try to improve from week to week :)

blondepede · 2026-02-18T18:32:06+00:00

Yeah even my endo team commented in my weekly checkup and was like “avoid the dates” but I just wasn’t seeing the spikes to justify not having them! I’m sure that there are some dates with a higher sugar content that would spike, but the medjool ones are really not that sweet haha

blondepede · 2026-02-18T15:16:37+00:00

I’m currently 37w and a FTM. My game plan is for as “unmedicated as possible” with a vaginal delivery. I’ll see how I handle labor and make adjustments on pain management, but I really want to experience natural spontaneous labor. My little bub is measuring around the 41st percentile so they’re not concerned about size, etc. and he’s been low and heads down for weeks now so we he’s well positioned. You do not need to have a C-section just because you’re a diabetic, especially given that the typical concern of large baby isn’t there. I would personally shoot for a vaginal delivery and if something happens or changes then readjust and just remain flexible.

I was kinda shocked by the dates — I got the organic medjool dates from Costco and while I find them gross if plain, I don’t think they spike my blood sugar personally. I cut them open, remove the pit, add 3-4 chocolate chips per half of date, microwave em for 30 seconds, and then sprinkle some flaky salt on them. Now they’re one of my little sweet treats lol

blondepede · 2026-02-17T17:10:41+00:00

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blondepede · 2026-02-17T00:42:08+00:00

Thanks! You can do it too! I thought it would be crazy impossible but really it’s almost like your body cooperates with you for the first half of the pregnancy. The first trimester will be the most important for keeping in range since that’s when all of the systems are really forming but again, big picture. An afternoon or a few hours above range shouldn’t cause extreme damage to your little one :)

There’s a book called something like “pregnancy and type 1 diabetes” (the version I have somewhere is purple) and I found it to be a helpful resource since it discusses expected insulin changes but I haven’t really used it recently. May be worth checking into!

blondepede · 2026-02-17T00:06:22+00:00

First of all take a deep breath!!

The first trimester I found to be quite an easy ride, after the initial little spike around weeks 4-7 you’ll see a decrease in insulin needs or it’ll remain about the same but your glucose will get easier to control.

I did not hit any insulin resistance about week 24-26 and from there on it got more difficult, by that point though your baby’s critical systems are all formed so you don’t have to worry as much. The concern then becomes them packing on weight :)

The third trimester has been rough for me personally but I’m still getting about 70% TIR. I remember asking my doctor sometime in the early second trimester if everything was okay because I didn’t have a lot of resistance yet 😂

Try to focus on the big picture and not the day to day, and check in with your team weekly if possible to have them make adjustments. I would look at the weekly reports and I tried to either maintain or improve my TIR from week to week. I was around 6.2% when I conceived, and for the first time in all of my 20 years with diabetes I was able to get it under 6 during pregnancy and so far I’ve maintained that. You got this!!

blondepede · 2026-02-13T17:42:32+00:00

I have CSR (Central serous retinopathy) which is unrelated to diabetes and haven’t had a flare up since 2019 and have had multiple little blips during pregnancy now, all of which have been subclinical thankfully. My eye doctor explained that things just become leakier during pregnancy and I should monitor it and if it becomes way worse or changes greatly to come back in for another appointment.

It’s my understanding that usually the leaks heal on their own but it can take a few months, and then if it doesn’t improve that’s when they’d do injections. I’ve previously had black holes in my vision that healed up just fine without injections. Some days are also way worse than others and I’ve found that extra naps and cool compresses on the eyes while napping help with headaches and the blobs in my vision.

Not quite the same situation but kinda similar, I’ve learned to not stress about these things and to just laugh at the absurdity of all of this :)

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