Pursuing pregnancy as a woman with type 1 diabetes may not have considered many women safe decades ago. Today, more and more women around the world with diabetes are experiencing pregnancy and becoming mothers.
Thanks to advances in technology, support and medicine, it is a very reasonable and achievable effort.
That being said, it’s not easy. And you should be prepared as much as possible for the challenges that come with pregnancy.
In this article, we will explain the most important things that every woman with type 1 diabetes needs to know about pregnancy.
Your blood sugar level in front You’re pregnant very important
You know how important blood glucose control is PregnantBlood glucose levels for the six months leading up to pregnancy are also important.
“First of all, hyperglycemic levels can affect your ability to actually get pregnant,” explains Jennifer Smith, co-author of the pregnancy with type 1 diabetes.
A1C levels can be above 7.0%, which can lower your fertility rate and increase the risk of early miscarriage, especially in the first month you are waiting to find out if you are actually pregnant.
The second reason is that these six months before conception can significantly increase the risk of birth defects in babies. How does your blood sugar level affect your Body function describes Smith, including egg health, ovulation, and the entire germ system.
In other words: your body is for several months before To get pregnant, your eggs will also become healthy.
Aiming for A1c below 7.0% – close to 6.0% as possible – reduces these risks and creates the optimal environment for the fetus.
Work with the right doctor
A high-risk OB-GYN Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) doctor will provide you with the most support, even if you are already very above diabetes management.
“High-Risk” Obgyn may sound like a scary way to start a pregnancy, especially if you’re not struggling to manage your diabetes before pregnancy, but there’s actually a lot to offer.
One of the greatest benefits of seeing MFM ob-gyn during pregnancy is that you have detailed knowledge of all the increased risks your body faces as a diabetic woman, even if you are incredibly healthy.
For example, very healthy women with type 1 diabetes may experience pre-lamp syndrome. Despite close blood glucose control, your body is still chronically ill. These doctors specialize in monitoring these details. (And there are so many more!)
Secondly, what do they know? wonderful What does diabetes management look like?
Personally, I did it do not have I went to the high-risk OB-Gyn office for my first pregnancy and I was always trying to teach my OB team what real life looks like with type 1 diabetes. I remember shamingly scaling my post-lactic sugar level of 165 mg/dl when my A1C was actually 5.1%!
They didn’t understand the big picture. They didn’t realize that some hyperglycemia was inevitable, so I was doing everything I could.
Meanwhile, the high-risk office knew much better what life really was like with type 1 diabetes so I didn’t struggle with my blood sugar level. They knew that 165 mg/dL blood sugar levels were not worth agitating, and simply proved that I needed a little more insulin with that type of diet next time.
If you are taking insulin
If you take insulin, it needs to be adjusted Frequently All the time while pregnant.
Different hormones fluctuate dramatically throughout the pregnancy. Hormones also have a major impact on your insulin needs.
for example, Some Women with type 1 diabetes who still have a degree of beta cell function actually start production Some Again of their own insulin. Generally, all women are more sensitive to insulin during the early stages of pregnancy. This begins between the 6-10-week mark and becomes more pronounced until about 16 weeks of pregnancy as other hormone levels rise and become increasingly insulin resistant.
This sudden ability to produce insulin is the result of the actual regression of the immune system to protect the fetus, and as a result, the pancreas can be produced successfully. Some Insulin.
Many women may see a dramatic decline in their insulin needs, while others may see only a slight decrease.
You need to adjust your insulin needs between the 16-week pregnancy mark and the time of birth (probably likely to increase) Every week Explain the increase in hormone levels.
OB-Gyn Team, CDE, or Pregnancy CoachIt is important to ensure that you and your baby are doing the insulin adjustments they need.
You don’t need to achieve “perfect” blood sugar to get pregnant and birth a healthy and happy baby
That should be well understood Perfect blood sugar management It’s simply impossible during pregnancy. If you’re struggling to properly produce and use insulin properly, you just have to do your best every day of pregnancy.
One day, it may look almost perfect on a blood glucose graph. Other days, it definitely isn’t.
Thanks to insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors, and new types of insulin and medication, diabetic women can achieve very tight blood glucose levels in most of their pregnancy.
However, the only way to know that it is increase Your insulin dose is to notice that your blood sugar levels are beginning to rise higher.
Additionally, as pregnancy progresses, you will find that you need to take insulin earlier before eating, to prevent post-meal spikes in your blood sugar. The only way to learn is to start dosing earlier. Observing these higher postmeal levels is.
At the end of the day, you will do your best possible. Some days will be very good, some will be incredibly frustrating. The best thing you can do for your growing baby is to keep picking up and trying!
Doctors always remind you that your baby may be “fat” at birth
This is truly a shame. Because as above: women with diabetes you can’t Realistically achieve non-diabetic blood glucose levels. Doing so means maintaining 5.0 A1c during pregnancy.
Despite this understanding, your doctor may find you need to constantly remind yourself that your baby is at risk of being “fat” than a normal baby during past pregnancy and birth.
Extra chubs are a result of high blood sugar levels. When a baby receives that extra glucose in the bloodstream, it produces excess insulin to take advantage of it, resulting in storing more body fat while in the uterus.
But what may make you irritate is how often this is mentioned in your ultrasound. It can feel like a constant threat – if you already pay intense attention to your diabetes management, it is not necessary.
It can also be frustrating when a baby is born and is everywhere above 8 pounds. meanwhile a lot A baby born from a non-diabetic woman weighs over 8 pounds and your health care team may tell you that your baby is “big” because of your diabetes. In fact, what do they know for certain?
Your nutritional choice is more important than diabetic women pursuing pregnancy
Let’s start by saying you’ll do that do not have You must eat it completely during pregnancy. That being said, diabetic women need to approach everything they choose to eat with far more thoughts (and plans) than non-diabetic pregnant women.
For example, if you have diabetes, you need to succumb to your ice cream cravings, count carbohydrates and timing your insulin about the fact that your ice cream contains a lot of fat. This means it will slow digestion. This means that the entire insulin is not needed before and is not needed, but instead is split into two doses.
And succumb to the cravings of luxurious and heavy things like ice cream Once a day It’s reasonable, but it’s important to ensure that your choices for the rest of the day are as healthy and clean as possible for blood glucose control.
You’ve probably heard my diabetic friend explaining the bread he ate during his pregnancy and the whole pizza bread. As a diabetic woman, when you face those cravings, you simply want to apply more self-control.
And finally, more excess If you gain weight during pregnancy, you will be more likely to be insulin tolerance You will become. In most cases, choosing healthy foods can help prevent excessive weight gain And it will make diabetes management goals simple.
Of course, it’s all perfect for that growing baby!
If you haven’t walked every day yet, pregnancy is the time to start
Certainly, some women continue to run marathons and continue to do CrossFit training throughout the month of pregnancy, but not largely woman.
Instead, consider it walk Your new best friend as a diabetic woman. For example, going for a 15- or 30-minute walk after lunch can significantly reduce post-glycemia spikes afterwards.
If you are not taking insulin, using walking as a way to manage blood sugar levels around your diet can have a major impact on your overall diabetes health during pregnancy.
If you are taking insulin and plan to walk later, you may want to cut down on the insulin dose for that meal. (Don’t forget to carry around a fast-acting glucose with you, due to hypoglycemia!)
Anyway, it’s important that you stay active to combat the increased insulin resistance that arises from pregnancy in the last two pregnancies. The last or two months of pregnancy can present physical challenges for some people (pain and discomfort), but being able to be safe and comfortable is most useful.
Your mental and emotional endurance is tested daily
Even when you’re there do not have Being pregnant and living with diabetes can take a serious blow to your self-esteem, confidence and your energy to face it again the next day.
As a diabetic woman pursuing pregnancy, you need to prepare yourself as emotionally and mentally as possible.
During pregnancy, stubborn high blood sugar can cause guilt, incredible stress, and the feeling that you’ve already failed as a mother. But there Intention It causes high blood sugar. And there are also low values.
It is important to learn how to speak yourself through those times by reminding you that you are always doing the best you can.
Reasonably address your blood glucose levels by taking a carefully calculated corrected dose of insulin or by contacting your medical team to adjust your medication. Then take a deep breath and move on.
This is not a journey you can stop when things get difficult. Bring your A-Game and talk about yourself through it.
Try still giving them an insulin pump and CGM.
You can absolutely pursue pregnancy without flashy gadgets, but you’ll need more finger sticks and significantly more injections to maintain your blood sugar levels within that ideal range.
You may not want to wear an insulin pump or CGM regularly, but during pregnancy it can be one of the tools you can use at will.
Personally, I was happy to take the number of injections needed to avoid wearing the pump, but using CGM I found it incredibly helpful during my first pregnancy. Second, I wore it during my first pregnancy period and then used everything I learned beginning Pregnancy (along with many test strips) helps maintain blood glucose targets throughout the rest of that pregnancy.
If you’re interested in starting a pump or CGM (ideally in front (You’re pregnant), talk to your healthcare team about your options today, and what this might be best for you.
Diabetic women can definitely breastfeed!
Don’t be convinced that the warnings and threats of old medical articles will have a hard time producing milk. Women with type 1 diabetes can definitely breastfeed their children!
Diabetes alone doesn’t mean your body will have trouble breastfeeding.
However, poorly managed diabetes can only pose fixed challenges by reverting blood glucose to the target range. Again, this does not mean that your blood sugar levels need to be perfect, but healthy blood sugar levels will result in healthier mothers and healthier breast milk – period!
Use this as a motivation and continue with that difficult diabetes management job once your baby is born!
That being said, breastfeeding is Lots of work. In many ways, you won’t understand this until you’re the one who makes milk. It is Mother Nature’s intention, but it is incredibly tired, painful and challenging. And when your body is replenishing your milk supply rear Feeding allows you to simply experience hypoglycemia from the energy needed to produce more milk.
After my second child was born, the best thing I did for myself was restocking my formula stock to remove my pressure to make sure I was constantly breastfeeding and pumping enough milk. Having a formula on hand gave me the freedom to leave my baby with my grandma, chasing the toddler around the house, without trying to pump three bottles of milk.
After the baby is born, you are still a woman with a very maintenance illness. We will do our best we can in breastfeeding, but don’t forget that a happy mom is what makes a happy baby!
