hello im am 20yr. old female height 5’4 weight 120lb. i have been a type one diabetic since the age of eight, im a medical mystery as i was at a perfect weight for my age , i despised treats and i was in 3 sports every year. The reason im here is because im about to get married to the man of my dreams and he wants 3 kids. The only story ive heard about a diabetic pregnancy where the woman had it preexisting she almost had kidney and liver failure days before delivery. That terrifies me i want to be able to give my future husband 3 kids without the fear of death on my mind. thats why im here i know all the general things to expect with a diabetic pregnancy but i wanted to hear from a real person and not some research journal. Im not talking about gestational diabetes but stories from women with pre-existing type 1 diabetes and have had succesful and relatively uneventful pregnancies. Im planning on starting in 3 yr. as im heading to veterinary school and i want to start having kids before 26 to reduce risks to myself and the baby. So please any women who have pre-existing type 1 pregnancies please share your experiences so i kinda know what to expect and maybe ease my fears as right now im in the state of mind that i might die a horrible death during my pregnancy even with perfectly controlled sugar(im on an insulin pump) and diet and exercise. thank you
You’re not so much a medical mystery. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Obesity, sedentary lifestyle and TAD aren’t the big risk factors for type 1 as they are for type 2.
Find a good obstetric endo (easier said than done) and do a little research about well-controlled diabetes and pregnancy.
There are also different types of insulins out there that may work better with the other hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy.
Good luck!
Autoimmune Kiki
Bless your heart! First, I want to wish you the best of luck, and the best of times with your hubby-to-be! There are plenty of women with diabetes that are able to conceive, carry and give birth to healthy babies, although it is more difficult. I belong to a website that has a section dedicated to pregnancy and diabetes. The site is http://www.i-am-pregnant.com. If you scroll to the bottom, there are lots of links for sub-categories, and Diabetes I & II is one of those links. Don’t give up on the idea! Best wishes to you and your fiancee’!
I second the medical mystery thing. Type 1 diabetes is not caused by weight, lifestyle, etc. If you’re pre-determined to get it, you will get it and nothing can be done.
Also, don’t be too worried about pregnancy. Diabetic pregnancy is only bad when you don’t take good care of your diabetes. The way you take care of yourself may have to change when you’re pregnant, but diabetes itself will not cause liver and kidney failure during pregnancy for the hell of it. See your doctor and take care of yourself and you should have three healthy pregnancies :)
Hi,
Just wanted to point you to the blog of a girl with type 1 diabetes who posted all throughout her pregnancy…you can find her at
https://www.thesweetnesswithin.blogspot.com/
and all of the pregnancy stuff is in her archives. The baby is now several months old so you’ll have to backtrack to find out more about her experience.
Best of luck with vet school, your marriage, and your family plans!
My sister has type 1 and she has a 2year old little boy. She is also 10 weeks pregnant with her second! She did great the first time and so far so good this time! She also has the pump! Feel free to ask me more questions and I can ask her for you! My email is ilovetoshop1014@yahoo.com
Honey, does your soon to be husband know that diabetes can cause pregnancy issues? I’d have a nice sit down talk with him and explain what it can do to you. Or perhaps have your GP have a talk with him. Gather your information and then make a decision, it’s your life, and your uterus. Having babies is awesome, but I’m not too keen on the idea of risking your life. There are other ways to go about having child. Adoption, surrogacy, even fostering.
Good luck with whatever you may decide.
Joslin Diabetes Center… If you have one near you. Go there.
I was in the same boat for a long time so I understand your concerns.
I am a Type 1, almost 40, and have had the big D since I was 5. I was afraid of having a baby for the same resons you names, but my endocrinologist reassured me that with THE RIGHT MEDICAL CARE I could deliver a healthy baby (maybe not to term) and I could be healthy too.
My Hba1c’s were good like yours. I’ve had a bit of eye trouble, but not bad. I am a lot older than you… and everything has come out just fine with my pregnancy and child.
I must say however that I am a “one and done” mama. Having a VERY active boy on my hands, work and household duties is a lot to manage. Do not underestimate the time it takes away from your own diabetes care after the kids are here. Three is a lot to handle so I would consider your own health post child bearing as well as in pregancy and delivery. I didn’t calculate that part very well and the blood sugars got away from me.
I want to make a comment about your man wanting 3 kids or else… that is a lot to ask from any woman let alone a Type I diabetic… (off soap box now)
If you are in the Pacific Northwest area I highly recommend the University of Washington High Risk Pregnancy center. They were fantastic with us. Swedish Hospital (which has a Joslin Center) is also very good. Whatever you do, go to an OBGYN who specializes in Type I diabetic pregnancies and deliveries. We are different and need to be very carefully monitored and the disease in pregancy well understood.
Wishing you all the success! You can have a healthy baby and be healthy too! We are proof!
I’m 24 and have had type 1 since I was 9. My daughter is going to be two in April. My main advice to you is to test a lot a lot a lot. I would get up a couple times at night even. My goal is always to be under 150, otherwise I give myself insulin. You probably know that high blood sugar makes big babies. If your unborn child is getting too much glucose they can grow too quickly and their lungs can be slower to develop. My daughter weighed 9.9 She’s very healthy, but I really could have eaten better. If you eat a lot of raw foods- fruits and veggies and just continue to walk or do whatever you do for aerobic activity you’ll have less swelling near the end, and probably feel a lot better, too. I had a really hard time finding an OB that understood diabetes beyond a textbook. They just don’t really get what we live with every day. I ended up with a cesarean. I don’t want anymore kids. I feel like my body is still recovering all this time later. You might want to rethink three kids, but more power to you if you’re able to rock and roll that.
I wish you good things.
Hi, I have had Type I diabetes since childhood (I’m now 38) and always wanted a big family. I had my 1st son at 26 weighing 6.6, my 2nd came along 2 years later (7.4), then the twins (3.15 and 3.14), then my daughter (8lbs) and my last daughter has just turned 2 (she weighed 6.11). So yes, I’ve had six kids in total, all my pregnancies were great, and all my children were born healthy (even the twins who were delivered 2 months prem due to a totally unrelated medical problem).
The clue to good pregnancies for diabetics is the same as for anyone else – eat sensibly and look after yourself. My ObGyn insisted I checked my blood sugars when I woke up, before bed and after every meal. Keeping such a close eye on my sugars meant I could make the necessary corrections. As long as you keep good control you can breeze through pregnancy. Diabetic care is so much more advanced even since I was diagnosed and really there is no reason why pregnancy should be a problem as long as you take care of yourself.
Hope that helps and good luck with all your plans xxx
lol well its ot 3 kids or else…he just came from a big family and would like to have three kids but me personally im good with one i grew up an only child so whatever i end up getting in the long run im happy with. i live in miami so i have jackson memorials diabetes research ceneter here and my ob/gyn that ive been going to for the past 3 years is AWESOME!!! he always answers my questions and he deals with alot of high risk pregnancies so i think im going to stick with him. My fiancee understands my condition and he knows i have to be at the right level of health before we even consider starting and yes hes behind me 100% ,honeslty if i could have 2 kids i would be completely satisfied thanks for taking the time to help me out and lay to rest some of my fears