PREGNANCY AND DIABETE'S

[BLAINEYLOVE]

I AM A TYPE 1 DIABETIC AND HAVE HAD ONE BABY ALREADY AND I WANT ANOTHER ,MY A1C IS 8.5 AND HAVE NO OTHER PROBS WITH MY DIABETE'S HOW WILL THIS EFFECT MY DIABETE'S WITH HAVING A SECOND CHILD AND WHAT WILL IT DUE TO MY KIDNEYS SHOULD I NOT HAVE A SECOND BABY?AND HOW CAREFUL DUE I NEED TO BE THIS TIME? PLEASE HELP!!!!

[JDRF-VOL-RL]

Hi!  I'm not a medical professional, just the parent of a kid with diabetes.  Congratulations on your first successful pregnancy!  I don't believe that a second pregnancy will be any different than the first, or that there is any more risk than the first.  You may eve find you have an easier time with the second, because you'll know what to expect and what problems you'll see.  

That being said, there is still significant risk in being pregnant with diabetes.  Having as tight of control as possible is essential.  Lowering your a1c would be beneficial.  Are you on the pump?  That would allow you to better manage your blood sugars, which would be better for both you and your baby.  I'm sure you likely already have, but please discuss your desire with your endo, and work out a plan to lower your a1c before and during (and after!) your pregnancy!  Good luck!

[JDRF-VOL-LS]

I'd like to add that the answer to your question "How careful do I need to be this time?" that you need to be as vigilant as you were the first time.  Your doc may advise you to maintain a lower a1c if you can do that without risk of severe lows.  As RL points out, pumping makes that much more achievable.

Good luck!  

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

I am a type 1 diabetic who had two successful pregnancies without any health problems for either me or my two children. That being said, I do think that we need to point out that studies have shown that high glucose readings can result in either damage to the mom OR a higher rate of birth defects in the children. So most doctors like for their patients to achieve a1c levels as close to 6 as possible BEFORE getting pregnant. This is to protect both mom and the fetus. I would suggest that you talk to your endo about your lifestyle so that he or she can work with you to lower that 8.5 a1c level before getting pregnant. A pump is not the only way to do this -- I am able to keep an a1c comfortably (and easily, I might add) at 6.1 with Lantus and Novalog, and others do it with other regimens. The key is to find the setup that is right for YOU, for no two people are the same. If your current endocrinologist is not able to work with you to achieve this, then find one who will work with you. You may have to change your diet or your current medicines to do this, but it is important for both you and your family not only during pregnancies, but also to keep your current good health so you can become a grandma someday with no complications. I do so wish you the very best. You can do it!

[scorpio_mommy]

Congrats on the 1st baby.  I hope the second time around is easier for you.  I am a 35 year old type 1 who is 10 weeks pregnant and I am constantly worried about the health of this baby and the pregnancy.  Did you have any problems at all during your 1st pregnancy.  My A1C is ok, but sometimes I see some swings in my tests which scares me.

[BLAINEYLOVE]

I AM ON A INSULIN PUMP AND WITH MY FIRST PREGNANCY I HAD PRECLAMSIA VERY BAD SO I HOPE I DONT HAVE IT AGAIN.BUT I I EVER HERE IS STUFF ABOUT MY KIDNEYS AND IT COULD BE HARD ON THEM WITH A SECOND BABY, WHAT CAN I DO TO KEEP MY KIDNEYS IN GOOD CONDITION WITH THE SECOND BABY?OTHER THEN THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE,STILL HAVE A A1C OF 8.5 . DOCTOR SAID HE WOULD TAKE OUT THE I.U.D IF IT IS IN THE 8 RANGE,WELL IT IS 8.5 WOULD I BE OK WITH THAT A1C AND GETTING PREGNANT?

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

Swings in tests are unfortunately part of being a type 1 diabetic. You just aren't going to be able to get PERFECT numbers all the time. The real help is to test often and adjust to the numbers you see. I test every few hours -- before every meal and at least once about halfway between meals so I can see if the insulin I took at the previous meal was judged correctly. If I am starting to drop lower than I want to be, I drink a small amount of juice (half cup). If higher than normal, I may take an adjustment unit or so to bring the levels down -- your doctor can work with you to figure out what kind of adjustment is right for you. That's really the best that we can do, and it does prevent severe lows and severe highs. The key is in frequent testing and reacting.

Now, nobody can tell you what the magic a1c number that will give you and your baby perfect health is. Some women with high a1c numbers have healthy pregnancies and some do not. So we can't say whether it is OK to get pregnant while above the desired goal of 7 or lower. You just need to be aware of the facts and make an educated decision.

But since the a1c is the proof of the LAST 3 months' control, it doesn't really mean that you can't be beautifully controlled today. And tomorrow. My advice would be to take one  day at a time and try to achieve the best possible control for that day, adjusting when you need to in order to try to keep the levels as even as possible. What you do today is what is going to affect your kidneys and a possible future baby, not necessarily what you did 3 months ago.

I think all of us who are type 1 diabetic women are frightened during pregnancy, for we read about the dangers and we never know if we will have problems or not. MOST diabetic women do just fine. Even though we have a slightly greater chance of health problems or damage to our babies, these issues are still not as common as healthy deliveries. I think most doctors watch their diabetic patients closer and test more things at checkups just to catch any problems if they occur, so you both probably will do just fine. I know many type 1 women like myself who came through pregnancies with no real problems.

My advice to both of you is to just take one day at a time, one test at a time, and adjust accordingly. Somehow the whole scenario is not as overwhelming when we stop looking at the big picture and just take care of the immediate. Which of course takes care of the big picture all by itself. I do wish you both the very best. Being a mom is great! And worth the work we put into our pregnancies.

[Forum-vol-cmb]

I just had to comment too.  I had preeclempsia with both my pregnancies too.  My kindneys are fine.  I have been Type 1 for 26 years.  My kids are fine I am fine.  I agree with the other comments-try to take one day at a time.  I bought myself a treadmill and walked every day for half hour.  Some days were slow others were faster, but I did it every day.  I still walk every day.  I found that this significantly lowered my blood sugars.  Maybe you will find this helpful too.  Pack your little one up and go for a walk with the stroller.  You will both have fun.