Unplanned pregnancy and type 1 diabetes

[LivT1D]

Hi,

I’ve just found out today that I’m pregnant. I’m 5 weeks according to the flo app which is counting the first day of my last period.

I’ve called the diabetes clinic to let them know and I’m expecting a call back tomorrow.

I haven’t been taking folic acid, my blood sugars are an average of 7.5%/58mmol. I’m petrified. We are pleased about the baby but I’m worried about what’s ahead and what the implications of not planning this pregnancy might have. Is it likely everything will be ok once I am seen and is there a way to improve my chances of a healthy pregnancy at such an early stage?

Hope someone can help!

Thanks in advance.

 

[Antje77]

First, how exciting, congratulations on your pregnancy!
While 58 is a bit higher than they like, it's by no means out of control.

I'll have my fingers crossed you'll have a boringly uneventful pregnancy.

No advice from me as I don't have experience with pregnancies, but let me tag @EllieM for you, who is a long time T1 and has had children long before modern day devices like CGMs.

 

[LivT1D]

First, how exciting, congratulations on your pregnancy!
While 58 is a bit higher than they like, it's by no means out of control.

I'll have my fingers crossed you'll have a boringly uneventful pregnancy.

No advice from me as I don't have experience with pregnancies, but let me tag @EllieM for you, who is a long time T1 and has had children long before modern day devices like CGMs.

Thank you so much for reaching out to me and tagging, fingers crossed!

 

[EllieM]

Hi @LivT1D, congratulations on your pregnancy and welcome to the forums.

My children are 27 and 30 so I'm a bit out of date with modern T1 pregnancies, but I agree with @Antje77 (thanks for the tag) that those levels are by no means out of control.

In my view it's a numbers game here. Some pregnancies (even in non diabetics) just aren't meant to be, and high blood sugars just push the odds a little bit more in that direction. If your baby isn't viable (lots of people, diabetic or not, have the pregnancy terminate before 12 weeks) then there isn't much you can do about it, but if it is then keeping your levels as normal as possible will reduce the chances of anything going wrong in later pregnancy.

The facts that you're only 26 and your levels are pretty good are all in your favour, hopefully your clinic will get you on folic acid and help tweak your levels further asap.

Both my T1 pregnancies were fine (though I had some awful hypos and really wish that cgms had been available then.) My T1 mother had an outrageously high hba1c when she first got pregnant (way too soon after a diagnosis via DKA) and as a consequence her first pregnancy ended in a stillbirth, but my brother and I were both born after a pregnancy without the benefit of glucometers, so even in those days T1s did have successful pregnancies without non diabetic hba1cs

Good luck, this forum is often a bit quiet but hopefully some younger T1 mums will post soon.

 

[LivT1D]

Hi @LivT1D, congratulations on your pregnancy and welcome to the forums.

My children are 27 and 30 so I'm a bit out of date with modern T1 pregnancies, but I agree with @Antje77 (thanks for the tag) that those levels are by no means out of control.

In my view it's a numbers game here. Some pregnancies (even in non diabetics) just aren't meant to be, and high blood sugars just push the odds a little bit more in that direction. If your baby isn't viable (lots of people, diabetic or not, have the pregnancy terminate before 12 weeks) then there isn't much you can do about it, but if it is then keeping your levels as normal as possible will reduce the chances of anything going wrong in later pregnancy.

The facts that you're only 26 and your levels are pretty good are all in your favour, hopefully your clinic will get you on folic acid and help tweak your levels further asap.

Both my T1 pregnancies were fine (though I had some awful hypos and really wish that cgms had been available then.) My T1 mother had an outrageously high hba1c when she first got pregnant (way too soon after a diagnosis via DKA) and as a consequence her first pregnancy ended in a stillbirth, but my brother and I were both born after a pregnancy without the benefit of glucometers, so even in those days T1s did have successful pregnancies without non diabetic hba1cs

Good luck, this forum is often a bit quiet but hopefully some younger T1 mums will post soon.

Hi Ellie, thanks for getting back to me so quickly I really appreciate it. What you have said has put me at ease slightly so fingers crossed after my conversations with the nurses I’ll have more of an idea of what is to come. Fingers crossed

Thanks so much for responding, take care.

 

[sue512]

Congratulations, diabetic teams around pregnancy in my area are excellent and provide very close monitoring of diabetic control during pregnancy with very clear plans around insulin pumps etc for delivery. They will help and guide you throughout and will see you often. I’m currently in wales but can’t see that the rest of the uk would be very different, good luck!