To all the diabetic mommies out there:
Being diabetic did you breastfeed your baby? I have found that my sugar dips from the breastfeeding. think I should stop as I nearly went into a coma, when I came to my sugar was 0.5, but I don’t want to stress my baby out. She does not like taking a bottle from me at all.
The doctors and councilors all seem to have different opinions. I have been feeding my baby less and have now got spiking sugars, I assume from my body adjusting again. I am very torn because my baby needs me more than my milk.
Has anyone else out there had the same situation?
Thanks,
Candace
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Hi Candace!
Thanks so much for your message.
As a Type 1 diabetic mom (who’s now pregnant again!) I know exactly what you mean. I had never had any scary hypo incidents before breastfeeding, and then had two within a month of each other. Breastfeeding is extremely unpredictable when it comes to blood sugar and because each case varies so dramatically there haven’t been many studies done.
In my own experience, I found that more sugar was burnt during the ‘filling up’ stage than the ’emptying’ stage and that I had to snack a lot more to keep from going low. Also, the lows were sudden and dramatic, and often in the late evening. Add in any other variable – a little more exercise, a glass of wine – and the results were even more dramatic.
However, on the bright side, things definitely stabilised for me around 3 months (I’m not sure how old your baby is?) My two incidents were at 6 weeks and 10 weeks, because there’s not much of a routine to breastfeeding yet. Once we were in a rhythm it became easier – I suppose also because I was more aware of it and testing more often if I felt a bit funny. I ended up breastfeeding till my son was 14 months and really enjoyed it – it was just those early weeks that were so confusing.
Ultimately it’s up to you what you decide to do, and whatever you decide your baby will be completely fine. You obviously love her enormously and want what’s best for both of you, so don’t feel pressure either way. I think one of the other things that makes breastfeeding so hard is that it’s followed pregnancy, which is such a diabetic marathon, so to have to concentrate on blood sugar more with a newborn thrown in is particularly challenging!
Good luck 🙂