Hi all! I was googling Diabetes and Pregnancy and came across this blog! So I got engaged in March, and my finace and I have been talking about having a baby in the possibly somewhat near future. I am worried about it because my blood sugars are not good. My A1c is 12.0
I know I will have to lower this before I get pregnant, but I was curious if anyone has any advice for me, or if anyone has had this same issue?
-I am 21 years old and have been diabetic since I was 8.
Hey Jordan! So my husband and I are TTC again after a miscarriage last December, and my endo wants my A1c 7 or less ( my last was 6.6). I noticed a DRAMATIC drop in my numbers after I went on a pump, do you use one/ would you consider using one? Totally worth it!! My endo was also willing to see me more frequently when TTC. He also let me have a bit of freedom in playing with my basal rates to see what would work for me. Another thing that worked for me was eating the same or very similar things everyday. It totally helped me see how other factors affect my levels! Try it for a week if you feel like! I'll be very interested in the other advice you get. I'll be using it too!! GOODLUCK! I hope the very best for you and your fiancé :)
Not to sound like your "parent" but if you are at a 12 you need to make some dramatic changes fast. Are you on the pump? It helped me go from a 9 to a 7, then for pregnancy to a 6.1. They want you in the low 6s for pregnancy (actually 6.0). One of the main things that happens to babys born to diabetics with high A1C's are their hearts don't develop correctly and they can have a whole in it. So here are some tips, if your not on the pump talk to your doctor. If you are on the pump and as a 12 you either don't have a good diabetic educator or you are not listening to what they tell you to do. I know it sucks but you HAVE to check your blood sugars a ton! I was testing about 10 times a day when I was just trying to get pregnant, then when I did get prego I was testing about 13 times a day. You will need to test before and after you eat to see how the foods affect your sugars. If your high one hour after you test try adjusting your insulin next time you eat that and then test again 2 hours after. If your still always high with that food - say bye bye to that food. I use to only test a few times a day (that is when my a1c was a 9) the more I started testing the faster my A1c went down. I know we think we can "feel" what are sugar level is, but there is no GUESSING when a baby is involved. I also bought a constant glucose meter that went with my pump. I set my range for 90-130 and it would alarm if I went out of those ranges. It could also show my endo and my educator my trends and how certain foods affected me. A young girl that works near me is also a Type 1 she is only 21 and her A1C was 11.3 when she got pregnant. 7 weeks in she had a miscarriage. It was really sad. But it doesnt need to happen if you get your A1C down. (Even the 7s ) I know ppl who had babies in their high 7s and the doctors were worried and unhappy, but they were fine. Bigger Baby - but fine. My little boy was perfect. 3 weeks early and 5.12 oz. Good luck. If you want it bad enough you can do it. It took me a year to get into the "safe zone" then once I was, I was pregnant within 3 months and kept my A1C down.
Thank you both for the comments and advice!! I was diagnosed in the 2nd grade. A year later I went on the pump and stayed on it until my senior year in high school when I switched to insulin pens (novolog and lantus.) When I started college my schedule changed so in December of 2009 my freshman year I went back on the pump. I went back to the pens in
…ok so anyway the pump didn’t work so well for me for many reasons. I switched my sites between my legs and stomach. On my legs it built up the tissue and I now have nasty looking puppy spots on the sides of my thighs. The right side of my stomach for some reason rejects the site and will not allow insulin to be delivered there. I am also allergic to the adhesive. I tried the CGM. I used it for a few days and didn’t like it. It made me too anxious because I was constantly worried it was going to rip out.
I know I need to get my A1c down. That’s why I’m doing a lot of research now and starting to check my levels a lot more often. My body is still transitioning from adolescence and all the fluctuating hormones. I’ve always been considered “uncontrolled” and “insulin dependent.” I take way more insulin than most diabetics. I know it is going to be a lot of hard work an dedication, and a huge change, but I want a baby more than anything else in this world, and I know I’m the only one who can change myself to have a healthy baby.
Thank you both, again!
Just wanted to update! I saw my endo on Wednesday and my A1C was an 11.1. Small improvement. At the appointment, she adjusted my lantus to help with afternoon highs. I spoke with her about my wanting to lower my blood sugars before pregnancy. And I decided then and there to start taking better care of myself and trying a lot harder. I have been checking my levels between 8 and 12 times a day. Today I checked it 12 times and averaged a blood sugar of 115. If everyday were like today, my A1C would be a 5.63!! My next appointment is in September. Wish me luck!!
Good job on your improved A1c. Have you talked to your doctor about trying Metformin or other drugs that may help with your insulin resistance? You might also try eating low carb.
You're smart to understand that you'll be most successful improving your blood sugars before pregnancy. When you're pregnant the hormones, morning sickness and otherissues make blood sugar control more difficult. And after the baby arrives you're sleep deprived and barely have time to use the bathroom, much less fine tune your diabetes. =)
Keep up the good work and let us know how you're doing.
Jordan, make sure you ask your endo about using Lantus while you are pregnant. I am preparing for pregnancy also, and my endo had me go on the pump which only uses Humalog, because Lantus has not been out on the market long enough to be considered an approved drug for pregnancy. I know you said you hated the pump and CGM, but they have helped me drastically. My A1c dropped from 11.2 to 5.8 in only a few months. You should consider going back on it for optimum health before trying to bring a baby into the mix - you both will benefit!! In the meantime, keep up the good work and the positive attitude!!
Congrats for the drop. The more you check the faster it will go down. Have you been watching which foods really affect you? Even if you don't have a pump (which you should really re consider) you can get a constant glucose monitor. The DEXCOM does not read to a pump but to it's own little beeper looking thing you can carry in your purse or pocket. I used a CGm / Dexcom for a long time to see my patterns. I could tell that I was going high at night for example so increased my basil, and low in the afternoon so decreased my inulin to carb ratio in the day time. Just some things to think about. Good luck. Stay posotive. It takes a while but is soooo worth it!
You might try it on your back side using the pump. That's where I've kept mine for 9 years. As for your A1C, you can only drop maybe a point and 1/2 in 3 months, to be safe. I have had diabetes for almost 12 years now. It is hard to maintain a low A1C, mine fluctuates anywhere from a 7 to 7.5. Basically, you must stay on top of everything you eat and counting carbs correctly. (Not in an impulsive way though.) I wish you luck!
