Corinna’s faithful companions in her journey to motherhood
Corinna is a bubbly 27-year-old new mom. We visited the young family in Nuremberg, Germany, to hear first-hand about her journey to motherhood. The 1-year-old Matteo fills up every room with smiles. Despite being a "diabetes veteran" – Corinna was diagnosed at 12 – pregnancy was a very intense period for her. Starting on myLoop in the second trimester allowed her to focus on the beautiful moments and the health of her future son.
Once we decided that we wanted to have a baby, it was very important to me to have my HbA1c well-controlled and to maintain good levels throughout the day.
During pregnancy, I naturally had my ups and downs. I had to restructure my daily routines a bit and take new experiences in stride, especially focusing intensely on my glucose levels to ensure nothing would happen to the baby. It took time, but it was also a very beautiful life experience.
Transitioning from insulin pump to hybrid closed-loop
The transition to myLoop was not an issue for me as I was already familiar with the YpsoPump. The only challenge was that I had to refrain myself from interfering with the algorithm’s learning process.
After the initial learning period, I knew I could rely on it — that it was there for me and looking out for me, so to speak. It really was a faithful companion.
Diabetes management by trimester
The three trimesters were very different. In the first trimester, I was not yet on myLoop, which was very exhausting because I could not control my levels. The second trimester – after switching to myLoop – was much more relaxed because I knew my glucose levels were in range, and I could focus on work while managing my diabetes on the side. In the third trimester, I had good glucose levels consistently because I was already familiar with the myLoop system.
During my pregnancy, myLoop effectively curbed the glucose roller coaster. I could always use the "Boost" function when I had eaten too much without bolusing. If I ate meals that took longer to digest or needed to regulate my levels more gradually, I used the slow absorption meal setting.
The role of the medical team & partner
The support from my medical team was amazing. I could approach them anytime – they always took care of me, whether it was my gynaecologist or diabetologist.
In addition to the medical team, I had my husband by my side, who supported me at all times. These were all important points for me to have a positive pregnancy experience and feel comfortable and focused.
Giving birth
During the birth and the week in the hospital, my husband supported me 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He took care of me and my needs, including managing my diabetes. myLoop was always in his hands, and he monitored what needed to be done to relieve my stress so I could focus on the birth, which was one of the most beautiful moments.
He found the app very easy to use and we were really able to focus on the birth of our child without him having to intervene much.
Life as a young mom
After the birth, myLoop was ‘re-learning’ every day because my levels had changed again. I had to readjust the target glucose values that were set lower during pregnancy. After about two to three weeks, it was optimally set again and running smoothly.
Breastfeeding did not have much impact on my glucose levels except for my snack cravings, which myLoop managed well by correcting the levels downward. I just pay less attention to my phone or the app and let it do its thing.
Advice to future moms
Dear woman with Type 1 Diabetes, if you've just found out you're pregnant, my advice is to listen to yourself and your baby because only the two of you can decide and feel what's important to you. Profit from the features of the pump and loop therapy, incorporate some exercise and good nutrition.