I just joined Juvenation - have been a supporter of Diabetes T1 and the JDRF cause for several years now.....wanted to see if there was anyone who could help me with a question. I am 32 and recently married. My husband and I are looking to start conceiving soon. My H1AC'S are within an ok range - 6.2 - and have been pretty steady at this rate.
Can anyone tell me if they have been on Lo-estrin birth control in the past and if so, as a T1 diabetic, how long did it take you after stopping it to begin conceiving? I have been off of it for at least a month and have not seen any signs of my period coming back. I am a bit nervous but the websites I looked up said that it takes a few months before you can begin to get your period again after stopping this type of birth control (I have been on it since 1999 and have not had a lot of periods since then).
I'm also very nervous about the thought of having a baby - and also thinking of the complications that are at risk associated with this disease. I lived in new jersey but my husband recently got a contract position overseas in Europe so we are temporarily living in Europe until his contract is done. I miss my endocrinologist and diabetes educator back home in the U.S. - what if I get pregnant overseas while i'm here in Europe and don't have ready access to the dr's I know and that I trust? Also, I saw a high risk OB-GYN before I left for Europe - and she was excellent - she is located in NJ. She had some suggestions after our initial consultation - like going on the insulin pump (to which i did), and being aware I am at high risk for pre-eclampsia, etc. I just feel a bit lost knowing that I may not be able to have the support of my dr's readily that I am used to if I am able to get pregnant while overseas. Any advice anyone can give would be most appreciated.
Hi Tina. Welcome to Juvenation. I don't have experience with Lo-estrin birth control, but sounds like the websites outline what you expect.
As for a potential pregnancy in Europe - depending on where you are, I think JDRF can help you get hooked up with women your age who are thinking of becoming or have already become pregnant. There are several JDRF chapters in Europe...
If you contact the closest office, they may be able to help you find other women near you, or at least direct you to a more local diabetes support organization. You can look them up yourself on www.idf.org. www.idf.org/.../EUR
I'm confident you can find a doctor who can support your pregnancy while you are living overseas. Or, you may just want to wait until you are back in the US with the doctors you already know and trust. That's a personal decision.
Good luck finding others around you who have been through pregnancy over there.
There are lots of us who've had healthy babies. As far as I know type 1 doesn't inhibit your fertility at all.
If you take any kind of ACE inhibitor for kidney protection, talk to your doctor about switching medications before trying ot conceive. They're linked to birth defects.
With a pump and vigilent blood testing or a CGM, you should have not problem having a healthy pregnancy. You have a good A1c, hopefully with few lows, and sound like you know what you're doing.
After having my son I was surprised how very possible it was to have a healthy pregnancy and child. I was 32 and had diabetes for 28 years when he was born.
A great resource is Cheryl Alkon's book "Balancing Pregnance with Pre-Existing Diabetes: Healthy Mom Healthy Child"
Thanks Jenna and Katie for the great advice and feedback - really appreciate it. I didn't think anyone would reply to my post in this forum - not sure why....I am just used to being able to reach out in person to my diabetes support group but since I am not able to go to them anymore in the U.S. (at least temporarily having moved overseas), I thought I would try an on-line forum. It is good to know there are others I can reach out to with the same condition that I have and can give some advice and intuitive ideas on what their experiences have been in the past for others to take from.
i am definitely scared of the prospect of even thinking of conceiving overseas without the help or support of the dr's that I am used to, so I don't know how this will all pan out considering I will only be here with my husband while he is under contract for the time being - it could get renewed next year in 2013 - through 2014 but that would be the maximum. I'm a little worried to wait so long to think about starting the correct steps needed to start pregnancy since I'm already high risk and the fact is, I'm not getting any younger...but I know the timing has to be right for both my husband and I - and of course, we just have to see what happens. We are not actively planning to have children right now but if something happens, we are of course, not stopping it. I am just thinking the longer I wait, the worse it will be for the window of opportunity for me - esp. since even my Dr's suggested I don't wait that long - and these were my dr's in the US. So it's a big decision to think about....