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Home > Knowledge & support > Resource hub > “The technology that’s given me peace of mind”
‘When I found out I was pregnant, I worried constantly about how I’d manage my type 1 diabetes (T1D) alongside looking after a newborn. Now, ten weeks after giving birth to my son Dillan, I can honestly say my hybrid closed loop (HCL) has been a blessing.
During pregnancy, the technology helped me maintain excellent control – my HbA1c was in the mid-forties, and I was really happy. But I did worry that I’d struggle to keep that up once our baby arrived. The reality of recovery from an unplanned caesarean section, plus sleep deprivation and the overwhelming responsibility of a newborn, felt like it could knock my diabetes management off course.
Those first few weeks were incredibly hard. I was recovering from major surgery, trying to establish feeding, and dealing with the normal postpartum exhaustion. My hormones were all over the place, and my insulin needs dropped dramatically – from 160-180 units a day in my third trimester to about a third of that now.
Without technology, I would’ve been back to finger pricking and using insulin pens, trying to manually work out the right doses whilst recovering and caring for Dillan. Instead, the HCL reacts to my glucose readings in real time and adjusts the insulin delivery. Within a few weeks, everything had balanced out.
One of the things that has made a huge difference is not having hypos at night. A few years ago, night hypos were common for me. Now, with the HCL, they’re very rare. When you’re finally getting a chance to sleep between feeds, the last thing you need is waking up with a hypo. The system keeps my sugars stable overnight, which means when I do get to sleep, it’s uninterrupted… Unless Dillan needs me, of course!
Being a new mum I’m constantly thinking about feeding, nappies, whether he’s too hot or too cold, whether that cry means he’s hungry or tired, or all the above. Adding diabetes management on top did feel really daunting at first.
But the HCL is doing about 70% of the work. Even when I’m too tired to calculate carbs perfectly, or forget to give insulin because I’m prioritising Dillan’s needs, the system catches it and adjusts. My HbA1c is now in the mid-fifties, which is still excellent, and I’m not having to obsess over every reading.
There have been moments when both Dillan and my pump are crying for attention. But having technology that works in the background has given me peace of mind to focus on being Dillan’s mum, whilst keeping myself healthy too.’
