From Diagnosis to Diapers: Managing Type 1 Diabetes as a New Mum

Emma is a London-based Podder® sharing her journey and raising awareness about diabetes (find her on Instagram at @emmatanner) and now navigating it all as a new mum. Read on to find out more.

Welcoming My Baby Boy and the Parallels with Type 1 Diabetes

Five weeks ago, I came home from the hospital with a tiny baby boy and a whole load of information I wasn’t sure how to process. The feelings were like the day I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes four years ago. 

Over the last few months, I’ve noticed many parallels between these experiences: sleepless nights, midnight snacks, emotions everywhere, and a huge learning curve!

Managing Glucose Levels During Pregnancy

During my pregnancy, my thoughts and anxieties often centered around my glucose levels. I spent a lot of time trying to keep in range (which for me was between 3.5 and 7.8 mmol/L). When I was given this target, I was nervous—it seemed hard even without the added challenge of pregnancy! But I managed to stay above 70% in range throughout, which was way beyond my expectations. Of course, it took lots of planning and commitment on my part, but a huge part of this success is thanks to the Omnipod® 5 System for making life much easier.

The Omnipod 5 System Support

The Omnipod 5 System has helped me more than I could have imagined over the past year, especially in the last month. Being able to deliver insulin discreetly and quickly while feeding, walking, or pumping saves so much time and has kept me in range more than ever. Now, getting up multiple times at night to feed Noah gives me the perfect excuse to raid the snack cupboard (everyone deserves midnight snacks, especially anyone up at night with a newborn). 

Navigating Insulin Needs During Pregnancy and Postpartum

A year ago, when I was injecting insulin, I might have just taken the extra carbs and gone high through the night, as injecting was such a hassle with the smaller units, and I usually overdid it. Now, being able to enter the carbs with my Omnipod 5 controller in one hand and a baby in the other is a lifesaver.

My insulin ratios also changed countless times during my pregnancy and postpartum. During the second and third trimesters, my intake gradually increased, but more noticeably, I had to bolus up to 45 minutes before eating anything, which I found the hardest part. Then, during the five days I spent in the hospital being induced and recovering, my levels were all over the place! 

Your body can be so unpredictable, especially on the most important days, so the flexibility Omnipod offers with functions like the activity feature is a real game changer.

Embracing Body Changes and New Technology

I was also preparing for a lot of changes to my body. Watching it grow and change was amazing and mostly positive. Thinking back to when I found out I was going to start on Omnipod, I had been so excited in the days leading up to getting it and wasn’t at all worried about how it would look on my body because I was convinced this was going to change my life for the better (spoiler alert: I was right). It wasn’t until I got home and saw myself post-shower that it suddenly hit me. I had been so eager to get this incredible tech on my body that I hadn't even thought about the change I would see in the mirror that first time.

A year later, I can honestly say I love having my Pod visible. Of course, some days you might have had enough questions about it, but every time I explain it to someone, I feel like I’ve taken another step towards making it more accepted and normalised. Similarly, although my body has been through a lot being pregnant and going through a caesarean, I'm trying to appreciate it for what it’s done rather than how it looks.

Up until the day my baby was born, diabetes was usually at the forefront of my mind, and I’m sure one day it will return to its spot. But at the moment, with a newborn, it has taken second place in my priorities.

The amazing thing is that the technology I have allows me to manage it so much more easily, even when my attention is focused on my newborn.