having children and diabetes

[sophie]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the site and think it is great and will definately be coming on here to sahre advice and experinces.

I'd like to fnd out if anyone can relate to this issue. I went to the doctors last week and was told that if I was to fall pregnant now that the child would be born deformed because my diabetes has been unontrolled for so long! I'm only 21 and have been diabetic for 17 years and have beeen on lantus for the past two years. Its these two years that it has been so uncontrolled and supposidly ruined any chance of me having a healthy baby, according to my doctor who quite willingly prescribed this onto me in the first place! I'm just so confused. I haven't bee told why or anything. I'm understandably devastated and depressed about the whole situation.

Has anyone else been told this or can relate to any of it, so I don't feel like such a freak! Or do I just need a new doctor? x x x

 

[ally5555]

that is the most outrageous thing i have ever heard - u need a new gp

When i worked in a hospital we had loads of diabetic mums - key is having a good team. Can u change gps or centre. Truly i have a diabetic friend who has two fantastic kids one of whom has recently qualified as a doctor.

 

[Dennis]

Hi Sophie, get a new GP, preferably one with qualifications - the one you currently have certainly can't have or he wouldn't make statements like that!!!

 

[ally5555]

dennis if he said that he is useless!

 

[timo2]

hello sophie,

Are you sure your doctor said "would be born deformed" and not "could be born deformed"?
There are potential risks associated with pregnancy and poorly controlled diabetes.

here's an interesting link on the subject.
http://www.free-symptoms-of-diabetes-alert.com/pregnancyanddiabetes.html

(congenital malformations)
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2820

Your doctor maybe needs to ease up on the scaremongering and come up with some pratical
wisdom on how you can keep the risk of any problems low.

hope all goes well.

regards,
timo.

 

[Katharine]

Even if what the doctor is saying has some truth it is more true that you can get yourself in shape and have a normal baby.

It is unfortunately correct that women who have diabetes have a lot more difficulty getting pregnant, miscarriages and congentital deformities than their non diabetic sisters.

However, the risk can be normalised by having normal blood sugars before conception.

A US based type one woman diabetologist treats pregnant women in Santa Barbara and she has a photo of the last 50 diabetic women and their babies she has treated. All normal. You can have

If you go to the site http://www.presentdiabetes.com you can join up and see her lecture on the subject under general diabetes lecture hall.

The site http://www.dsolve.com has a free online course that can help you gain the knowledge you need to gain mastery over your blood sugars.

The ongoing support at this forum will be a great help too.

 

[Katharine]

Ok, you randy Stormtrooper, you've got me on semantics there.

How about ......it is also true and more important that.....

Are you an English teacher?

 

[IanD]

Ok, you randy Stormtrooper, you've got me on semantics there.

How about ......it is also true and more important that.....

Are you an English teacher?

Unlikely he's an English teacher - the standard of English coming out of schools imdicates that English teachers are not familiar with the language :evil:

 

[Nemo]

When i first fell pregnant my Hba1c was about 9. Sadly I miscarried. I started to pay far more attention to my diabetes than ever and managed to get my Hba1C right down, however, I miscarried twice more. I underwent extensive tests and my husband has blood taken too to check for any incompatabilities.

11 months after my first pregnancy, I fell pregnant for the fourth time. I had antenatal checks weekly at a joint medi-obs clinic and maintained good conrol throughout by testing what elt like 100 times a day, but to be honest, I wanted a baby more than anything and would have done whatever it took. My daughter was born very healthy and remains so at 8 years old, I also have a healthy boy of 5.

Being diabetic and pregnant is not easy, insulin requirements change almost daily and increase dramatically due to the physiological insulin resistance pregnancy causes, but it can be done with the support of the right team and some determination.

I would recommend that you spoke to a different healthcare proffesional. Are you under a diabetes specialist nurse? You should be able to access pre-conception advice/care from your nearest hospital which will be far more informed than your GP. Also, preconception you will need to get a prescription for Folic acid 5mg. The stuff you get in the shops is only 400mcg, but with diabetes there is a natural increased risk of spina bifida, hence the increased dose required.

 

[makram1]

Hello all.
I am brand new to this forum having diabetes since a long time on insulin.To start with I was on tablets but they did not work. I am a male member and according to my findings and knowledge there is no reason whatsoever that a lady with diabetes can't having children. Mothers do not pass diabetes on to their kids that's for sure.
Moreover it is not always the case that kids will have diabetes if parents got it. In my case my parents lived beyond 100 each and had no diabetes. No one in my previous generation had diabetes but I have got it but a million dollar question WHY? There may not be an answer to this question to-day. So long as a diabetic lady is fit to have children it would be a great wish come true to try to have them.
I love to share my views and opinion with anyone who is interested on diabetes topic or heart section.

 

[totsy]

hya makram
welcome to the forum,
im sure you will find it both interesting and helpful

 

[helen07917]

Hi,my name Is Helen and I'm new to the site.I just thought I'd a write a message to diabetic women who want to get pregnant.When you go to the hospital and they tell you that your sugars are coming down but your weight keeps going up, ask for a pregnancy test.Why would that be a daft question,because apparantly diabetic doctors don't have to check for pregnancy.How do I know that because I've just had a baby but unfortunatly we lost her due to the fact that nobody managed to find her,despite regular check ups at the hospital.It was made worse for the fact that she was a full term baby and nearly 10lbs.Unfortunatly we now have to go through It all again as there has to be an inquest as to why she died.We were told at the time that "It wasn't the care that she received when she was born (the doctors couldn't have done any more for her they were brilliant)It was the care she didn't receive before she was born".If you do want to become pregnant please ask questions even if you do think that they're daft,just so hopefully this doesn't happen to anybody else.

 

[pixie]

hi sophie,
i think your doctor was just saying that if you got pregnant the way your sugars are at the moment, then you would have complications - especially if you don't have full control.
i don't think he meant you couldn't have children ever, in the future (i hope this is what he meant - otherwise he sounds awful)
once you have your HBA1Cs down below 7 for 3 months then you should be good to go.

i am currently sorting out my sugars (for the last year) to be below 7 so that i can start on my way to having the family that i crave. its very difficult at the moment and sometimes it feels like you are living in a prison, measuring this, counting that...but it'll be worth it

one thing you mentioned though, that surprised me, you say that you are still on Lantus....as soon as i went to see my Pre-Conception Nurse in the Diabetic Clinic, she took me straight off Lantus and put me back on Insulatard as you can't use Lantus while pregnant...maybe you should ask to change your insulins?

on a personal note, my HBA1Cs are down to 8.0 and i've had the best fornight ever since i got my results...low 5's and 6's everytime!!

fingers crossed for you
sarah

 

[LittleSue]

Helen
My heart goes out to you. Don't really know what else to say. Except I know what waiting for an inquest is like (totally different circumstances though), hope you won't have to wait too long.
Sue

 

[LittleSue]

Hi Sophie

What your GP said is based on truth but such a negative way to approach it. If you got pregnant now complications are more likely (in you and the baby). What he should've said is you need to get your control sorted first, by seeing a specialist team with experience of T1 mothers, who can help you sort your control before conception, maybe with a pump, and help you through it instead of flatly telling you it's a no-no.

Ditch the GP and get referred to a diabetes centre with the appropriate experience. If GP is resistant you could go to a 'well woman' centre and get them to refer you.

My type 1 friend has 4 smashing healthy children, now aged 4 to 13, no miscarriages. One was big but that wasn't due to poor control, she says her control's always better and easier when pregnant than not.

Good luck.
Sue