I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a mother, but I also wanted to enjoy being a young adult as well. I lived like a god(ess) in France and was happily reckless. Even with the ups and downs I had with my blood sugar. Then came that moment of shock with my endo, who said I should start using an insulin pump if I really wanted to have a child.
After a long time reading about the different options, and having had several consultations and conversations, I made my choice: Kaleido. Its size, compactness, and range of colours were of course important. But, the best thing was it didn’t have a horribly long tube attached to it! Combining the Kaleido with my continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and lots of checks at the hospital resulted in an HbA1c of 42. I got the green light.
And then I got pregnant
I was able to fulfil my long-held wish. My partner and I ‘practised’ quite a lot, not knowing how long this sort of thing takes. Several friends had told me it took them more than a year – or even two. Would that be the same for me? You can imagine how astonishing it was when, after just three weeks, I found out I was pregnant! Apparently, the whole process seemed to go a bit faster than we’d expected. We were over the moon with the news, but it was also very unreal!
Everything looks good!
An early ultrasound (at 8 weeks and 5 days) detected a heartbeat, and everything looked good. Our adventure with the three of us could begin. After registering with the midwifery department at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), I was given an ultrasound appointment. Because of my diabetes, I had to go to a whole host of other appointments. What a shock that was! Extra ultrasounds, extra appointments with the specialist. And the goal to have blood sugar levels that stayed between 5.3 and 7.6 mmol/l.
The hospital staff are aware how much it takes out of you. Having spoken to my partner about it, I decided to take the non-invasive pre-natal test (NIPT) at eleven weeks. We had to wait at most two weeks for the results. Thankfully, the test results were positive, and I wasn’t faced with having to terminate my pregnancy! I couldn’t have asked for better news! From now on, I can really enjoy my pregnancy. That evening, I shared the news on Facebook and Instagram, and told my whole family. Luckily, I haven’t had any problems in the first trimester, so it’s a ‘perfect’ pregnancy so far. I’ll keep you posted!
About Lucille
Lucille, lover over tropical places and what the Dutch call ‘gezelligheid’, has been working in HR for the past 5 years and living with diabetes for 12. After all the parties and concerts over the past few years, and some amazing travel adventures it’s now time to slow down. Ready for a new, adult, adventure, she’s currently building her life with her partner and baby on the way.