Hypoglycemia and pregnancy

[VCD]

I just found out (via home pregnancy test) that I am pregnant!  I'm very excited but unfortunately, last week I had a severe hypoglycemic reaction that resulted in  a seizure.  I regained consciousness without a problem but I am terrified that this means I could have put my baby at risk.  Could someone shed some light on the risks, or lack thereof, I may be looking at here?  What are the potential developmental risks I could have created with this hypoglycemic reaction?  At only a month or so along would the impact of such an event be fairly minimal?  What do people do in these situations?  I can't imagine I'm the only person in the world this has ever happened to but at the moment it feels that way.  Any help would be  hugely appreciated.  Thank you.  

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

I believe I can offer you some good news. I was in a situation with my second pregnancy whereby the doctors used my situation as sort of a trial to see what low glucose would do to me and my baby. They slightly overdosed me on insulin and I found myself passing out cold about once every couple of weeks. I remember asking my doctors how this was affecting my baby and they assured me that the baby gets all the glucose he or she needs even if the mom is severely hypo. My child was a bit on the small side when born, but very normal. So I believe your baby is going to be fine.

If you regained consciousness on your own, this means that your liver released emergency stores of sugars to help you. This is a good thing, and it helps to protect your body when this happens.

I congratulate you on your pregnancy! I suggest that you step up the glucose testing to every 2-3 hours during this time so that you can catch both highs and lows before they get severe. This would have been very helpful advice to me when I was pregnant back years ago.

[VCD]

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I cannot tell you what a relief it was to receive your response.  I am scheduled to speak with my doctor on Monday for the final word but just to get the voice of experience has allowed me to enjoy this news as opposed to fearing what it may represent.  Thank you for giving my husband and I the opportunity to cherish this moment.

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

We diabetic women are considered high risks in pregnancy, but truly, the statistics are that problems are very rare. And also, when it is the mom that is diabetic as opposed to the dad-to-be, statistics show that the chance of having diabetic children is only VERY slightly higher than the chance of a non-diabetic mom having diabetic children. Type 1 diabetic dads for some reason have an increased chance of having their children become type 1 diabetics, but for the type 1 diabetic mom-to-be, the news is good. Your kids will probably be very healthy and normal. Most of us do have very normal and healthy pregnancies, and for most of us, we have better control than ever before during this time because we so want to make sure everything is right. So you are going to develop some good habits that might actually protect you for the rest of your life. My two kids are grown and both are healthy, and I am complication-free as a grandmother now. I throw that in to encourage you. Congratulations on the wonderful news.


P.S. Just test often. Your doctor is probably going to try to get your a1c down to around 6, and the risk of hypoglycemia increases when control is this tight. Testing often and carrying 2 small cans (6-oz cans) of juice with you everywhere you go will provide a safety net in case your sugars drop when you are away from home. If you test every 2-3 hours, your sugar levels can't drop or rise too much before you catch it happening.