[ciara85]

Hi all,

Relatively new to all this and need some advice! I'm 27 and was diagnosed last June after several visits to the GP complaining about extreme exhaustion and weight loss- fed up of being told I was stressed- finally had a blood test and WAIT...WHAT.. Diabetes??! talk about a bolt out of the blue!

Anyway, I got married in August and my husband and I would like to start trying for a baby. I'm only 7 months past diagnoses and was wondering if anyone else had a pregnancy this early?

Also I would love to hear any pre-pregnancy tips- I know about the importance of folic acid, but is there anything else I can take or do to ensure a healthy pregnancy? Should I ask for a pump?

Any advice welcome

[type1rachelle]

Hi Ciara,

Congrats on the marriage - and too bad about the diagnosis, ouch! I can't imagine how frustrating that was for you - it's a very simple test that sounds like it should have been done much much earlier.

I have had T1 for 14 years and am 31 years old, just got married a little over a year ago. While I do not have kids, I have been pregnant before, and I chose to terminate the pregnancy specifically because it was unplanned and my A1c was 9.1% at the time.

I don't want to scare you because I know tons of T1 mothers, but there are some basic things you should know.

First of all, your A1c needs to be below 7% BEFORE conceiving. You may or may not already know this, but your A1c should be tested every 3-4 months and normal is around 5% - normal for people with diabetes is below 7%. The lower it is, the better. There are direct correlations between higher A1cs and major birth defects so you have to PLAN your pregnancy in advance and get and keep that A1c low before even considering it.

Secondly, once you are pregnant you should be under the care of an ob/gyn who has experience with high risk pregnancies. Many T1s end up not carrying any more than 39 weeks and are actually induced because of large babies. If your blood glucose is high, you're giving your baby more energy than it can metabolize - that's the biggest complication, very large babies.

Lastly, every Endocrinologist and OB/GYN I've ever seen recommends the mother to be on an insulin pump simply because it provides tighter control overall. It might also be a good idea to look into CGMs (continuous glucose monitors).

Again, not saying any of this to scare you, but since you're new to the diabetes world, just thought I'd let you know the basics. I hope to get pregnant in about 3 years - from what I hear, it's not always easy (especially with the hormone changes), but it's worth it. My personal advice would to give it just a little more time to make sure your A1c is as low as possible, and consider going on a pump and/or CGM.

Good luck!

[pljackson]

Type1rachelle, thank you so much for all that information. I'm currently trying to get my A1C down and blood sugars in tight control so that I can be approved to have a baby. I went to a high risk pregnancy doctor last week and they put me on a meal plan that I would actually be on as a type 1 being pregnant. I was told to check my blood sugars every hour also. I go back in a few weeks to see how all is going and if I'm doing well enough to conceive. The doctor did day I should get a cgm and that if I'm not approved for it before getting pregnant, then it would definitely be approved once pregnant. I've had type 1 since 1987 and been wearing the Medtronic pump for a year and a half. The pump for sure makes a different in my diabetes care.

[bloodysugar]

Dear girls,

I have been diabetic for 15 years now. I'm mother of a pretty 3 and half yrs old.
Trying to get ready for kid number two. Need to work hard since my ac1 is quite bad right now. Hopefully it takes 3 months in order to low it.
Anyone out here same condition?
Thanks
Good luck!

[michele87]

Hi ladies I'm kind of in the same situation. I'm 26 years old and I'm getting married in June. We wanted to start trying the end of this year but my a1c has been high. I'm in the middle of changing doctors so I can get my sugars in line. Does anyone know how long it takes or any other advice in what I should do?

[meghanleibas]

I've been Type 1 for 18 years now, been married for 1 1/2 years and we are starting to work on baby#1 .. A1c control is very important. How you get there is up to you ... just know that some insulin haven't been researched and approved to be pregnancy safe. I've been on a pump before and didn't like it, so now I'm taking NPH and Humalog insulins, A1c is down (6.7 the last it was checked) although I have a feeling it might be up when it is checked this month. Know that you have to do what works for you and make sure your partner is ready to help you through the journey as diabetes is complicated and they need to help you control it so you both can enjoy a healthy baby!