Prediabetic and pregnant

[ashette]

I was initially diagnosed as prediabetic with an Hba1c of 48 in November 2015 (I know, not sure why prediabetic and not diabetic!) I then lowered it to 39 on subsequent tests by low carbing although control over the last 6 months hasn't been great and my latest test was at 42. My fasting and post meal numbers aren't always in the nondiabetic range and I'm fairly confident that my lower Hba1c is due to my not eating carbs that increase it rather than truly reversing the condition.

In the middle of this we've managed to get pregnant (hurray!) and while trying to conceive I've been taking pregnacare vitamins which have the normal dose of folic acid in them, but I know that women who are diabetic and pregnant are advised to take a much higher dose.

I saw the doctor today and asked her about it and was told that I didn't need the higher dosage. My concern is that my understanding of the higher folic acid dosage for diabetics is because if you have diabetes you have trouble absorbing nutrients but I don't understand enough about the mechanics to know if this would be the case for prediabetics as well or if the low carb diet is masking it etc. Does anyone know any more about this?

 

[NicoleC1971]

How many weeks are you? Congratulations and hope you are feeling well.Folic acid is not reported to be toxic in higher doses and Patrick Holford recommends 800 mcg versus the rni of 200 mcg so you could safely supplement some more or eat more wheat germ , spinach and peanuts! Best eaten with lots of B vitamins and avoid processed foods but you will know that anyway because you are successfully low carbing and have reduced the root cause of your pre diabetes by doing this (you are essentially non diabetic but need to watch that your bs doesn't continue to creep up). The root cause being insulin resistance. The best thing you can do for your baby is to carry on with this way of eating given that during the last trimester of your pregnancy those hormones will cause more insulin resistance and you may well be in line for gestational diabetes and the complications that this brings.

 

[SallyEzra]

Hi Ashette, congratulations on your pregnancy! I am also pregnant, with my second pregnancy & looking back over my notes from my combined diabetic/obstetric appointments at the hospital during this pregnancy, it looks like I was told to take 500mcg of folic acid until the end of week 14 of the pregnancy. Sounds like you have been doing a really good job on that Hba1c too.