Sometimes diabetes technology can seem overwhelming and out of reach because it may seem too technical and can be very expensive too. Here in India, our daily medical expenses of living with diabetes are not part of insurance and everything is out of pocket for the average person. The limited CGM options that exist, dent the wallet and so we turn to alternatives.

Until recently, the first generation Miao Miao was not compatible with the Libre Pro sensors available in India (the consumer version Libre isn't available here yet), so when Miao Miao wanted me to test their new second generation product, the Miao Miao 2 which works with Libre Pro too, I was pretty chuffed!

What is Miao Miao?

If you haven't heard about it yet, don't worry. The Miao Miao is a reusable and rechargeable device that sits on top of the Libre ( & Libre Pro) sensor (which is an FGM - Flash Glucose Monitor) and turns it into a CGM - Continous Glucose Monitor. This means that you don't need to manually scan each time for a reading (like you do with an FGM), you can see it see it automatically updated on your phone, every 5 minutes. You can also set up high and low blood sugar alarms (and catch them before they actually happen!) and share your BG data in real time with loved ones.

Set-up & application

The Miao Miao 2 came in a little box containing the device, a charging cable, some adhesive tapes and a grey elastic arm band (available to choose in adult and child sizes). I put it to charge overnight and was excited to try it on! Once you download the User Manual, the set-up is pretty simple. Charge the MM2 until you see the green light, reset it with a pin (I use the mobile sim card ejector pin), place it on top of your Libre (Pro), fasten it with tape or a band, bind it to the app of your choice (make sure phone Bluetooth is on and it's connected to the app, not the MM2) and see your current sugars immediately!

Charge - Reset - Wear - Bind- Ready!

Compatible apps

The Miao Miao has its own official app called Tomato. I have been using Tomato along with the Blue Circle Diabetes app (it's a free app we developed and the cool thing is, all our beta testers are T1!).

With the Blue Circle Diabetes app, your followers can track your live BG and get hypo and hyper notifications. You can also generate daily and weekly reports!

What you need -

• Fully charged MM2
• Smartphone with bluetooth (if you are a follower, you'll need one phone for your T1/T2 and one for you to see their sugars remotely)
• Activated Libre (or Libre Pro) sensor
• Internet connection
• Tomato app
• Blue Circle Diabetes app

Where to buy?

The Miao Miao is available to buy online through their website (The EU site is a little more expensive but available here if the Chinese site doesn't deliver). They ship to a specific list of countries (including India). Use this discount code to get $10 off on your purchase.

My experience and tips

I have had a pretty good experience so far with the Miao Miao 2 and Libre Pro and it's been a great contributor to a better time in range (the other contributor being low carb, of course). The hypo and hyper alarms are pretty awesome. I've rarely felt the need to calibrate but if you do, use the 'Calibrate' option in the Tomato app (you can see the calibrate option in the image on the right below) to enter the correct glucose value. Keep in mind, for any CGM/FGM calibrate with no active bolus insulin (fasting BG) and when your sugars are not fluctuating much. Knowing my time in range each day and being able to see the arrows really helps stay on track.

Common questions

1. Can it be worn in water? Yes, it can be worn while bathing or swimming. It is IP 67 waterproof which means it can be immersed in 1 metre water for upto 30 minutes.
2. Do I still need to use my glucometer? Definitely, the same as you would with any CGM/FGM, to ensure that your readings are on the right track.
3. Does it come off easily? It could come off if it's not held down securely with either tape or/and an arm-band.
4. Is it iPhone compatible? Yes, both Tomato & the Blue Circle Diabetes app are available on the Apple store.
5. Is it smart watch compatible? Yes, it works with a few watches (Apple, FitBit, Fossil, Ticwatch, Samsung etc) however it's best to check with Miao Miao if your app and watch are compatible. Also some watches act as standalone collectors and some need a phone, so using a watch might turn out to be a slightly complicated process if you don't have the patience to experiment and set it up.
6. How do I know if it's charged? It shows a green light when fully charged and a blue one while charging. Charge it overnight the first time and for a couple of hours each time henceforth.
7. How long does one charge last? Most Miao Miao 2 users says it lasts anywhere between 10 to 14 days, which means you may need to charge it once in between the 14 day life of the Libre (or Libre Pro).
8. Do I need to remove it from my body to charge it? You can charge it even while it's on your body with a power bank or extension cable. You can also remove it, charge it and fix it back on your sensor.
9. How do I sync the Blue Circle Diabetes app with Miao Miao? Simple 2 step process, see it with illustrations in the blog.
10. Can I use it while on injections or does it connect with a pump? Yes, you can use Miao Miao while on syringes, insulin pens, insulin pumps or even if you're not on insulin. Miao Miao is an independent device that only needs an activated Libre (or Libre Pro) sensor to work.
11. Will it work if my phone is not near me? The phone needs to be with you with Bluetooth and internet turned on. Bluetooth works upto 10m or 30ft so that's how far you can be from your phone before it disconnects and stops showing readings (it usually reconnects automatically if you're back in Bluetooth range).
12. I have trouble binding the MM2 to Tomato, what do I do? Unbind MM2, restart your phone, ensure Bluetooth is on and connected to the app, reset the MM2 with a pin and now bind. This usually works.

Disclaimer : This post is not sponsored and is not medical advice. It is based on the personal experience of the author living with diabetes.