Questions for Type 1 Mummies!

[Froobes]

Hello all, my partner and I have decided to try for a baby, just wanted to know some experiences of Type 1 Mother's that I can or cannot look forward to! I had a very early miscarriage a few weeks ago, I'm trying to put it down to bad luck rather than Diabetes but had wondered if anyone else had had a similar problem?

Also, a few more questions:

What was your Hba1c at the time of conception and throughout pregnancy?
Did you have any complications?
Was your baby fit and healthy at the time of birth?
Have they inherited Type 1 Diabetes?

Any replies would be greatly appreciated!

 

[cleo82]

Hi Froobes, no advice I'm afraid (I'm in same boat) but thought I'd give your post a bump as I'm interested in replies

 

[Anthony88]

Your child will love you wether you give them diabetes or not.
-Kids being kids; they just wont always show it.
The general medical advice would follow common sence. Your sugars will change a lot during pregnancy, in the same sence that some women get maternal diabetes while pregnant. But you really will need to get your sugars controlled, else it can lead to higher risks for mother and baby.
Good luck to any and all!

 

[becki]

Hi,

I can answer part of your question I had gestational diabetes and now am type 1 (2 years after giving birth the diabetes came back).

Try and have good hba1c before you conceive you will be monitored like a hawk throughout and will be told to keep levels between 4-7 throughout, highly likely that you won't be allowed to go full term (many non diabetics who's babies were late envy this part!).

I was given 3 numbers of different people that i could contact 24 hours if my levels went higher than they should.
From what I have been told and researched, type 2 is inherited not type 1 so baby most probably won't but they will check 2 readings when baby is born and a few hours after birth at least.

Hope this helps x

becki

 

[LittleSue]

From what I have been told and researched, type 2 is inherited not type 1 so baby most probably won't but they will check 2 readings when baby is born and a few hours after birth at least.becki

Not quite. For someone to get type 1 they need a combination of the genes for type 1 (either inherited, or a mutation at the time of conception) and something to trigger type 1 - its not been proven what this is. So just because a child inherits the genes from their parents doesn't mean they'll definitely get it, and of course there's no guarantee they'd inherit the genes from you in the first place.

I don't have children myself, but my type 1 friend has 4 children ages 7 to 18 and none are diabetic, (so far anyway).

Good control (starting before conception) and good communication with your health care team are essential both for you and your baby.

Good luck

 

[RussG]

Also from what I have read, the chance of a child becoming T1 is greater if the father is diabetic, than if the mother is. The risk with a diabetic father is something like 8% according to some, so not a huge risk (although I'm watching my son's water intake and output like a hawk!)

 

[katyfrost]

Hi,

I can't answer half your questions because I am yet to give birth but i am a type 1 diabetic, age 30, who is 27 weeks pregnant today so i can fill you in with my experience so far. My HBA1C at conception was 6.9,and i was seeing a consultant at the hospital regarding conceiving and what I should be aware of, what they expected my hba1c to be and started taking 5mg of folic acid. Since t pregnancy, I have had my HBA1C taken a few times, one at 6.3, then 5.4 and a further 5.4. The targets they like you to reach are 3.5-5.8 before meals and 7.8 an hour after-sometimes especially now I am approaching my third trimester this is difficult to reach, but in the first trimester and some of second my insulin requirements dropped dramatically and it is only recent weeks when resistance has started to kick in. I am not going to lie its really hard going and every high i get i worry and sometimes end up over correcting and insulin stacking if the highs are being stubborn, but it'll all hopefully be worth it! I now have scans at 28, 32 and 36 weeks to monitor growth and appointments at the hospital every 2 weeks to monitor levels. I am on an insulin pump which i am so glad about as it does make life a lot easier than pens. I have had diabetes since 2004 so only 6 years and as yet no complications, though they do test your eyes in all trimesters to ensure that the increased blood flow during pregnancy has not had any effect. Hope that helps.
Katy

 

[jessie]

Hi Froobes!

I miscarried too, last year at 7 weeks. As you, I think it was just one of those things but it has made me want to be as prepared as possible this time (I'm now 12 weeks pregnant) which is easier said than done as you never know what's round the corner with diabetes! As Katy said, get a prescription for 5mg folic acid, I've been told to carry on taking this until I give birth, and be prepared for changes in blood sugar. There will be good days and bad days as I'm finding out, but try not to punish yourself too much if you go too high or too low. Your diet may change as you don't know what foods are going to start making you feel queasy so it's hard to have a 'food plan'. I can't help much more right now as it's early days for me, but keep coming back to this forum as there's always someone with the answers you need.

I wish you all the best,

Jessie. x

 

[sugar2]

Well, I have been T1 since I was 4 years old, and have 2 kids, so can answer your post twice. For me each pregnancy and indeed each child is very different.

MC. I don't know. It happens so frequesntly, and is always so heart breaking. I think if you control is not good it is more likely, but it is unlikely to have been the cause.Also, a few more questions:

What was your Hba1c at the time of conception and throughout pregnancy?

1st pregnancy 8 at concenption, 5.8 to 7 throughout
2nd pregnancy 7 at concenption, in teh 6s al teh way through

Did you have any complications?
1st time, yes, I had either pre eclamsia and swelled up like a balloon. This lead to an early C section.

Lost hypo awareness, needed paramedics 5 times in 1st pregnancy (!!!) only once in 2nd.

Was your baby fit and healthy at the time of birth?

1st baby was born at 35 weeks. She was small, due to teh pre eclaimsia, and needed help breathing, and also needed milk very fast as she was hypo...came out of SCBU after 2 days, and continues to be fine now.

2nd baby was lsighly big, born be c section at 38 weeks. he was slightly hypo, and after a couple of hours of trying to brest feed, the midwifes insisted that he had some formula milk. I was not happy, but he had some, his BG rose to over 2.6, which seemed to be the "magic number" for babies, and he was then absolutely fine.

Have they inherited Type 1 Diabetes?


No/not yet. My daughter is 4 and my son is 2. My little girl as had a more difficult childhood with minor illnesses, probably caused by the rocky pregnancy, but we are talking a bit of eczma, ear infections, nothing major...and this could be nothing to do with my pregnancy,.

Any replies would be greatly appreciated!

I would say, get your HbA1c as low as you can first..then go for it. Every diabetic pregnancy is different. They told me that T1s healed really slowly. and I would be in bed for days...and then were surprised when I was up and about 12 hours later, we are all different. I can not receommend the diabetci specialist midwifes enough. If youare thinking about it, get in touch now. It does feel funny talking to a midwife if you are not pregnant, but they can give you the help that you need. Be prepared for your diabetes to take oer your life for at least 9 months too! I used to get a bit upset, that I would have all these hospital appointments, and apart from a few scans, they never monitored the baby at all. It was so worth it though.

 

[Froobes]

Thank you all for your replies, you've been great!

 

[jopar]

It's been a tad long time since I had my children and regimes have changed a lot.. Mine are know 25,21 and 20!

None are diabetic nor have shown signs of diabetes, I was 24 when I was dignoised!

My husband is also a diabetic and his 25 year old son from his first marriage have never shown signs of becoming diabetic eitther..

There is an increased risk of diabetes a slighter higher risk of the dad is diabetic than the mother..

As to your misscarrriage about 1 in 5 females will misscarry their first pregnancy and go onto have healthy children.. This happened to me, I lost my twins at 20 weeks but this was before I was dignosed and then went onto have a healthy daughter, I wasn't diabetic at this point of time, wasn't DX until I had my son or should I say I found out I was pregnant and diabetic in the same phone call from my GP :shock:

 

[Kinobe_one]

Hi there,

I've been type 1 for 12 years. I have two boys - age 3 and 9 months, so have fairly recent experiences. I cant remember exactly my HBA1cs at conception, but i think they were high 6's, or low 7's, certainly not in the target range, which even my Diabetic nurse thinks are unrealistic. I had two horrid pregnancies but due to hyperemesis (extreme pregnancy sickness) which made the diabetes very difficult to control. I had to take 3 drugs to control the sickness for most of my pregnancy so was extra worried about complications and abnormalities.

In my first pregnancy i was induced at 38 weeks. Luckily i didnt need the syntocinon drip and had a very intense but short 4 hr labour. Our first son weighed 8lb 4.5 and his shoulders did get a bit stuck (i'm sure you've been warned about shoulder dystocia). I was put into the Mc Roberts position and managed to push him out. He was fine, although a bit blue and bruised and it was a bit frightening. As he was so bruised he had very bad jaundice and we were hospitalised agian after we had gone home.

2nd pregnancy i had polyhydraminos (too much fluid, result of the baby weeing a lot to remove excess sugar) and felt enormous and horribly heavy. Diabetes team decided a C section might be a better option, given that a 2nd baby might be heavier and our first son had got a bit stuck. I was, at that point utterly terrified of shoulder dystocia/baby getting stuck/emergency c section so was happy to go along with this. I had a planned C section at 38 weeks. Our 2nd son weighed 8lb 6oz, so not v much bigger than no 1 son, but i was happy with the decision.

Both our boys are perfectly healthy. Although both did have some low blood sugar readings after birth it always corrected itself before the medical staff started threatening formula milk which i was glad about. I feel really blessed and lucky to have had good experiences and have my two gorgeous boys. When i was researching prior to getting pregnant it was all doom and gloom. Its not easy but the medical team will be on your side. Good pregnancies and births and healthy babies CAN and DO happen to women with diabetes, with careful control and a lot of hard work.

GOOD LUCK! XXX

 

[solstickan]

Hi,

I have T1 since I was 10 and I'm now 31 and pregnant with my first baby (35 weeks)

My Hba1c at conception was 8.3 which is quite high but it's now down to 6.2, it's really hard work keeping the sugars so low all the time, I've had loads of hypos all the way through and don't feel them as well anymore but I just keep checking my sugars all the time.

They're pretty good at the hospital, I've had to go in every forthnight and now every week so the can monitor me and the baby, I've had a scan everytime so they can measure the babys growth to make sure it doesn't grow too fast.

I will be induced at 38 weeks so hopefully I won't need a c-section.

Good luck
Sara

 

[chloe1]

Hi Froobes,

First of all try not to stress out too much! I had an early miscarriage too - but I think this is very common with all women although it was upsetting at the time.
My daughter is 2 and a half now, and I am 36. My HBA1C was 7.2 before conception, and I was taking the high dose folic acid beforefor a few months. I was looked after very closely throughout my pregnancy - and had no complications. Looking back on it I loved being pregnant and felt amazing! Just work with your hospital team at getting your blood sugar under control and adjusting your insulin levels. As you get bigger you will need to take more and more. I didn't have any sickness, and I think I was eating the healthiest diet ever, as I didn't want to go high. But don't stress if you have the occasional high. I found it helped eating the same foods so I knew how my body would react all the time. (bit boring though!)
So just go with the flow when you are pregnant - I took 3 months sabbatical off work which I think helped as stress really does affect blood sugar.

I was induced at 38 weeks. Had the syntocin drip - and I had a really painful labour with strong fast contractions. In my birth plan I didn't want any pain relief but I ended up having an epidural - I would say if you are on syntocin - have an epidural. I waited as long as I could so that it was very difficult for me to stay still while they inserted the needle in my spine as I was writhing around so much!!! I had a 12 hour labour and ventouse and forceps. I was up and about the day after though.

I felt very let down after the birth. I wasn't helped to sit up and hold my baby. She was then taken away to the special care unit to have her blood sugars monitored. She was fine but they kept her there for a few days. She was given formula straight away even though I had said I want to breast feed. This meant when I was trying to establish breastfeeding it was very difficult - but I stuck at it and did it for 14 months. I think the midwives were really overstretched and didn't really have time, it was easier for them to give formula. I talked to my diabetes team after the birth, and they said I could have tried expressing even before the birth! I stayed in hospital for 4 days and couldn't wait to leave! I skipped a few meals when there as I was busy trying to breastfeed while the food trolley was take around. So take lots of snacks!

When you get home make sure you have loads of carbs - as breastfeeding literally sucks the sugar from your body! I was taking hardly any insulin at this time. I got through boxes of Fruit n Fibre and loads of bananas.

My daughter doesn't have diabetes - I am not going to worry. Just enjoy your pregnancy and your baby as much as you can as they grow up so quick!

Good luck

Chloe x

 

[the_anticarb]

Hiya

Strictly speaking I'm not T1 but I'm not T2 either, although functionally i'd say I'm pretty similar to T1s as I don't produce my own insulin.
I recently gave birth to a healthy little boy, 5lb 8oz induced at 38 weeks. I had a high hba1c at conception 9.6 (pregnancy unplanned) and this did cause me great anxiety during the pregnancy but luckily did not affect my little boy. I got my hba1c down quickly to 5.6-5.9 throughout. I had a lot of hypos (2-3 a day) which towards the end were quite disabling as I lost my hypo awareness and it was difficult to work, but I plodded on (with an understanding boss) until 31 weeks or so. I also found it difficult to get the blood sugars low enough after meals (my consultant wanted me to aim for 7 one hour after rather than the usual 7.8 in my view this was not a realistic target as it lead to hypoing later) and ended up needing massive amounts of insulin, around 70 u novorapid per day (I was used to around 10 -12 u in the first trimester). Also, and no one told me this, but the more novorapid you take the less lantus you need as the novorapid kind of sticks around /piles up in your system, even though according to dafne increasing one shouldn't affect the other). In the end i was pretty frustrated by it all as I was testing hourly and correcting any highs then richocheting between highs and lows all day long, every day.....

BUT it was all worth it in the end. As for the actual labour, I was induced and all set for a vaginal delivery but the cord got wrapped round the little ones neck so I ended up with an emergency c section which tbh I was happy to have as I just wanted him out at this point and did not care how. the little one was ok, if slightly underweight at birth (as I had kept an obsessively tight control on my blood sugars I always wondered if this was why, if he had gone to full term he would have been a good pound or pound and a half heavier but as i was induced at 38 weeks this did not happen). His blood sugars were borderline low at first, so they gave him formula (I was not ecstatic at this, but just wanted him well so let them go ahead) which sorted him out but did interfere with breast feeding as he did not take to the breast after that.
As for me I did not escape unscathed, unluckily my retinopathy progressed due to a) getting my hba1c down so fast and b) pregnancy hormones so I have needed a little laser and am afraid now that I cannot get pregnant again in case it makes my eyes worse. Also i put on a fair few pounds and now seem to have developed some insulin resistance which was not there before but i'm hoping will go when the weight goes.
All in all though I'm lucky my pregnancy was ok and my little one absolutely fine.
Best of luck I'm sure you will do great, forewarned is forearmed, my one regret was that i had a high hba1c at conception but I was not planing to get pregnant so it was all a bit of a suprise, however all has turned out (mainly) ok