Trying to get Pregnant

[Bethie79sd]

I am 27 and have been T1 since I was 21, I have been on many different insulin regimins and now I think I am on the best mix for me.  I take Lantus @ 6:30 am and 6:30 pm and I take Novalog @ each meal on a sliding scale and I have a changing base # depending on how my BG is running.  I see a perinadal specialist and she has me on a strict diet I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks every day, some days thats all I feel like I get done.   I know I have to do what she tells me but I get so frustrated b/c I still don't have control over my BG I am a by the booker now and I have not always been, and most days Im pretty good number wise but I still have highs and lows.  I was wondering if any one had any suggestions on what I could eat to help me I know I've had this for a while but I really haven't had any good educators it was always just do this and change this but never what I needed to hear.  My husband and I really want to have a baby and I need to know of any fast quick healthy meals and or snacks for a T1 and her non-diabetic husband, so I can hurry and get pregnant. I am on a balanced cho and protien meal plan. My HGA1C has come down from 7.5 to 6.8 and hopefully it's still comming down.  I would really appriciate andy helpful hints.

[JDRF-Team-wak]

I am not a physician, but the mom of a type one diabetic.  I would suggest that you find an ob/gyn that is knowledgeable or specializes in high risk pregnancies, and that knows how to handle type 1 diabetics.  I would also suggest that you discuss and ask or endocrinologist I he/se know of good doctor for you to go to.

I would suggest you discuss with your doctor about going on an insulin pump.    I know that they help a lot in controlling blood sugars and make life a lot easier now and when you have the baby.


I wish you luck.  Please let us know how it goes

[JDRF-Team-cb]

hi!  You sound like you are doing everything you are supposed to do, except relax!  I was 31 when my husband and I started to try to get pregnant.  My doctors-endocronologist and ob-gyn both told me to get as healthy as possible.  I ate right, watched my numbers, quit smoking(yes, I too had bad habits and my blood sugars were not always so good)and lost 10 pounds.  I took pre-natal vitamins too.  My ob-gyn told me it could take up to 2 years to get pregnant.  It didn't.  With my first child it took 2 months and with my second it took about the same.  I have friends that it took a year and they are not diabetic.  I don't know why some get pregnant quickly and others don't.  

I did go on-line and found a site to help me understand when I was ovulating.  Did you try that? I cannot remember which site it was, but I know there are many.   It explains the best times to try and it helps you figure out your cycle(counting from the first day of your period to find out when you are most likely ovulating) Maybe you could talk to your ob-gyn so he/she might explain more, give you more info, because I can't remember!  or like I said do your own research.  

My advice is to try and not stress either-I know it is easier said than done.  I was four years older than you when I got pregnant and I got worried because when I turned 30, my doctor(ob-gyn) told me I better start seriously thinking about what I was going to do if I wanted children.  I did and we got our plan in action. I just wanted you to know that it will happen and you do have time.  I am now 35 and have two beautiful, healthy children!  I am glad I did what the doctors suggested.  I hope this helps.  

[Bethie79sd]

thank  you all for your advice, I am going to a Dr that specializes in women w/ t1 and t2 before and during pregnancy. She has put me on a strict diet and I am still on my birth control pills until I get my HGA1C at or below 6, as for the insulin pump I am going to start my application process in Oct.  my insurance made me wait 1 yr for pre existings 10/1/06 will be 1 yr.  so hopefully soon I will get the pump.  I think I am doing everything right I just needed some encourgement b/c I don't know any one in my situation that I can talk to, none of my friends really understand the stress this can cause and the complications I can have they all say just go ahead and do it and I have to remind them that I'm "sick" and I have to get my body in a better state b/4 I can do it.  I have a team of Drs that are helping me but I jsut get furstrated and I need to talk to real people.

[JDRF Team SGG]

There really are reasons for all the care... diabetic women have a slightly greater chance of birth defects or of losing the baby near the end of the pregnancy (I will explain), so the really good control before and during pregnancy is not only to ensure the woman's health, but also the health of the baby. During the first few weeks of pregnancy, a great amount of fetus development is happening, and high blood sugars mean that things can go wrong. This is why it is important to have that ideal glucose level as the NORM before getting pregnant. When you get pregnant, your hormones will change, and glucose levels may rise as hormones that are more insulin-resistant increase. So the ideal is to make your habit that great glucose control that gives the near 6 a1c level before getting pregnant so you have some room for error before the baby is damaged. And at the end of pregnancy, the placenta can lose nutrition from tiny blood vessels if glucose control is poor (high glucose levels damage small blood vessels) -- if this happens, the pregnant woman can lose her baby after carrying it safely for most of the pregnancy. So extra care is taken to ensure good glucose control at that time also.

When the glucose control is kept tight during this time, most women do just fine, and the actual percentages of healthy babies is almost the same as for healthier women. Many women say that their glucose control is the best in their lives at this time, and many also keep that tight control after their children are born, therefore improving their own chances of a long and complication-free life. I was one of these women, and I am now a healthy grandma with two grown healthy children. It is worth the effort you put into it, believe me. I am without complications, and other than having to test my glucose and take insulin to cover the carbs I eat, I feel that I am in much better condition than many of my overweight peers. Keep your future in mind when you start to feel weary of all the work. It becomes second nature in time, and the results are fabulous good health.

I wish you the very best.

[Kristy1019]

Hi!  I'm also a T1.  I'm 27 and have had diabetes for 10 years.  I recently got married, and of course am ready to start my family, so I have been working diligently with my doctors to get my Diabetes well controlled.  I first worked with a diabetes educator to learn carb counting, this brought my HbA1C from over 7 to a 5.1.  I then got on an insulin pump which is the best thing I've ever done for my diabetes!  My last A1C was a 4.7-it's outrageous.  And I then got the green light to try to get pregnant.  I was adviced if I had continued with the humalog, lantus, symlin, and metphormin regimen I was on, rather than the pump, that I would have to stop taking everything but the humalog when I got pregant, so make sure you work closely with your doctors to ensure you aren't taking anything that could be harmful to your developing baby.  Check your sugars often, and see if you can learn carb counting, it really helps.  Rather than one large dump of insulin, you are tailoring what you take to what you eat-this helps to eliminate the highs and lows you are experiencing now.  

I'm still trying to get pregnant, and hopefully it will happen soon.  Just be sure to keep a close watch on your blood sugar and take care of yourself, your baby will need a healthy mom!!  Good luck!

[jpugh]

i am 38 and have just married for the 2nd time i have 2 lovely children from my previous marriage and a beautiful step daughter and would now like to try for a child of our own with my second husband but am i too late and  is it dangerous