Subject : Type 1 Diabetics - TTC, Pregnancy & Birth

[CHW]

Hi,
We are getting to the stage where we want to start a family (ie getting on a bit!) and would like to hear from anyone out there who is a Type 1 (ie the insulin controlled type, not the tablet or diet controlled type that is linked with obesity) diabetic and is either having, trying to have, or has had a baby.
All the NHS leaflets in the world don't help as much as hearing from people who've got it themselves!
Any help or info is gratefully recieved!
Thank you!
x

Wishing you all the best, it can be done, as the eldest of 4 to a mother who is type1.

xx

Fabulous - thank you. My diabetic nurse isn't too good and can also make it sound very doom and gloom (or at least like 9 months spent worrying!) so nice to know it's not SO risky / unlikely / scary!

I'm type 1 and have had 2 healthy babies

I don't have any advice, but just wanted to point out that Type II is not cause by only obesity. I have Type II and control with diet but I am not obese.

Good luck getting pregnant.

two of my friends are type I. one has had a healthy DD (induced at 38wks) and the other is currently pregnant with twins!!! i think the key is to get your Hba1c at it's best and discuss insulin change with diabetic nurse specialist whne you decide to start so that your bms are under control prior to conception.

My mum did it (or I wouldn't be here). I was born by cs at 38w. It was a very long time ago and the possibility of monitoring pregnancies have improved vastly since then. But she had a lot of monitoring for the time (and would recommend the same to other diabetics) - take whatever you can get and hassle for more.

Good luck, btw.

(Looking ahead, she had a lot of problems with her blood sugar while bf and had to give up at 6w (for her sake, not mine!).)

My obstetrician said to keep my A1c under 6.5 if poss. Found i went low a lot in the first trimester, insulin requirements pretty much tripled in the 3rd!!

My 2 were a bit on the big side (despite growth scans predicting otherwise!) - DS was 10lb and DD was 6lb 14 despite being a month early!

Also DD especially had low blood sugar for the first 24 hours or so and had to go to SCBU but DS didn't have to go.

By the way neither of my pregnancies were planned so can't comment on that side of things.

Afterwards BF'ing made me go low a lot but managed to do it eventually.

Good luck!

This might not be relevent as it was years ago but my Mum had 3 of us and she's type one. She said her pregnancies were fine except she was induced at 37 weeks because babies of diabetic mothers tend to be bigger.

I can remember her being pregnant with my sister and her control was all over the place, my brother i were forever feeding her suggary milk, getting the neighbours and calling ambulances, we were 7 and 5.

Here to help. Am a diabetic on a pump.
There are quite a few of us, type 1's on MN.
Currently 36 weeks. Ds1 was born nearly 5 yrs ago. Ask away.

Cheers for the link Hana.

I'm a type 1 diabetic and 6 wks preg. I already have a son of 20 mths. I swapped from injections of Lantus and Novorapid to a pump in July this year. My first preg was OK- Hba1c of less than 6 the whole time, but for 1st trimester had loads of really horrific hypos- ie. passing out in the street and night convulsions- from before I even knew I was preg. Apparently this is quite common. So far, with pump, no nasty hypos. With last preg, put on 5 stone- now I have the pump, hoping to gain less this time. I reckon that if you're not already using a pump, you should ask about getting one.

I am a type1 diabetic and 9 weeks pg; I must say that m pg was carefully planned, as my A1C level was not too impressive so I had to improve it; I was referred to a diabetic nurse who has pre-pregnancy clinic; she helped me a lot; started off with A1C around 7 and now it is 6.1 and has been 6.5 for two years; 6 months I was put on a pump as my sugar levels were fluctuating, although A1C wasn to too bad; it is a fantastic device and helps me to control my diabetes better; I can't imagine not having it so highly recommend it; I would be also interested in hearing from other type 1 diabetic mothers and pg ladies to share their experiences etc
good luck and all the best