It’s a busy time of year with many celebrations as we get ready for the new year. You may be worried about how to manage what your child with Type 1 Diabetes eats during holidays and celebrations.
Blood Sugar and the Holiday Season – Food For Children With Type 1 Diabetes
If we go to dinner at a friend’s place during the holidays, I am often asked what they can make for my son for dinner.
The answer is: nothing special.
My son is usually too excited at a gathering to eat much anyway, but it wouldn’t matter. As long as I can correctly cover his carbs with insulin, we are good.
That does not mean that those cooking for us need to figure out the carbs for their dishes, of course. But it does mean I need to pay attention to what he eats and learn from previous experiences about carb counting. In some cases it means increasing hourly basal rates.
Blood Sugar Checks in the Night
What I find the most challenging is the night time after a holiday meal. I always get up a couple of times during the night to check my son’s blood sugar to make sure I bolused correctly. Sometimes I do not see the effects of dinner on his blood sugar until long after he is asleep.
The reasons for this are many – the type of carb, excitement, activity that day, in some cases hormones. It just depends.
Perhaps checking in the night is also to put my mind at ease. I would rather check than have him not sleep with high blood sugar the whole night.
Although administering insulin at night is tricky, once you understand how to manage these things with your doctor’s or diabetes team’s recommendations, it will all make more sense for you. Every child is different in their blood sugar activity and need for insulin.
Is Anyone Awake?
I often see people seeking advice in online groups asking, is anyone awake? Despite the time differences across the world, there will likely be a parent of a diabetic child awake in your time zone at any given time – celebration or not. It is just part of the job of being a pancreas 24-7. Find those support groups you can rely on and don’t be afraid to reach out for comfort.
Lack of sleep is a difficult thing sometimes, but you are not alone.
Best wishes for you and your loved ones this holiday season, from all of us at DiapointME.
What is your biggest challenge when it comes to blood sugar and the holiday season?
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