Checking and keeping track of blood sugars with type 2 diabetes

Checking your blood sugar is a really important part of taking care of your diabetes. Blood sugar is checked on a small machine called a blood sugar meter.

Most kids check their blood sugar before each meal and at bedtime. Your diabetes doctor or nurse will tell you what times of day to check it.

Blood sugar target ranges:

• Before meals: 80 to 130
• 1 to 2 hours after a meal: less than 180

A diabetes nurse will teach you how to check your blood sugar.

Follow these steps:

• Wash and dry your hands to be sure to get an accurate reading.
• Put a test strip into the meter.
• Use a small needle, called a lancet, to poke your finger. This will get a very tiny drop of blood on your fingertip.
• Touch the window on the test strip to the drop of blood on your finger. The test strip “sucks” the drop of blood into the strip.
• In a few seconds your blood sugar reading will show on the screen on the meter.
• Keep track of your blood sugars so you, your family, your school, and your diabetes team can help keep your diabetes in control.
  • Write your blood sugar reading on the blood sugar record log your diabetes nurse gives you.
  • Some people use an app on their smart phone to record their blood sugars.

Keeping track of your blood sugars is important because:

• Your diabetes doctor and nurse will talk to you on the phone or by email about your blood sugar log on a regular basis.
• They will help you change your medicine or insulin doses if needed.
• If you do not keep track of your blood sugars by writing them down or entering them into an app in your phone, your doctor or nurse will not be able to help you get good control of your diabetes.

Please bring your meter and blood sugar log to every diabetes appointment.