[sweetnlow]

Hello All,
I am brand new to this forum and thought I would introduce myself. I am 27 years old and have had diabetes for 15+ years. I am currently using the novopen and taking Lantus. I have struggled with my diabetes for many years and am hoping to find some encouragement and support amongst others who understand the lifestyle. I am an Army wife and my husband and I are hoping to start a family in the next couple of years. I am especially interested in anyone who has been able to balance their diabetes during pregnancy. I welcome any advice any one has to give and I look forward to getting to know all of you!

[duck]

I love the screen name, that is fantastic! Welcome to the forums, we're a decent bunch, a little ragged around the edges at times, but the advice here is typically sound and there is some good experience here.

Where has the Army taken you? I am an Army brat, did my time in South Korea and West (back in the day) Germany...

[HeatherP]

Welcome Sweetnlow! I'm T1 for going on 14 years, currently on MDI. You'll find this is a great place for info, support and making friends. There are several ladies here who have had successful pregnancies and I'm sure they'll be happy to help in any way they can. I hope you'll enjoy your time with us!

HeatherP

[zookeeper671]

Welcome, Sweetnlow! Love the nickname. lol My bf is retired military (after 23 years in). So glad you found us.

T1 since Oct. '03, here (I'm 33).

[buzzborne]

Hi and welcome to the forums, glad that you decided to join us!

My dad was in the army... stayed mostly in the UK though just moving every 2 years... was born in Northern Ireland and then had have two years out in Cyprus (pity cant remember much.. except getting huge teeth marks on my arm from the boy next door....

Also MDI on Novorapid and Lantus.

As HeatherP mentioned a few ladies here have had successful pregnancies and will probably more than welcome to answer questions!

Nice to ''meet'' you... and love the name!!

[am1977]

Welcome

Glad you found us and decided to join us here!

I'm a Type 1 too, dx'ed 3 years ago, boy it almost feels like yesterday! Although I'm doing my best to control my disease, it is a struggle sometimes (like you mentioned). I'm sure others here have experienced that at times too. It's not easy dealiing with this 24/7 and I think many don't realize just how difficult it is. However, saying all that I truly believe that dealing with this disease has made me a stronger person overall and I am determined to keep trying and keep doing my best to stay healthy.

I wish you a lot of luck with ttc. I don't have children so, unfortunately, can't help much with that, but I'm sure some others here can. I'm sure you will be hearing from others soon.

Welcome again...and please do drop by anytime

[nantomsuethom]

Welcome to the forums sweetnlow!

[ksa01]

Welcome to the forums.

I'm type 1, too. Diagnosed 4 years ago and use an insulin pump.

My husband and I are finally trying to start a family. For the past year, I've been working with my drs to gain tight control in preparation for being pregnant with diabetes. My endo wanted my A1c to be 6 or less consistently for almost a year. To achieve this, I had to focus on getting my post-meal bs below 140 within 2 hours of eating (this gets tighter once pregnant). My bs before meals wasn't an issue (range is 70-90). It took quite a while to find a balance of insulin to carbs combined with basal rate so that I didn't go low by the 3-4 hour mark. I test 8-10 times a day to achieve this A1c goal.

He also made sure my thyroid level was under control and I had no problems with my kidneys or heart. He said once I get pregnant, they watch the thyroid level very closely because it will change dramatically and high levels affect the neural development of the fetus. He also told me to expect a dramatic increase in the amount of insulin I need daily as well as amount of food.

In addition to talking with my endo, I have had a consultation with a ob-gyn that deals only with high risk pregnancies so I had a better idea of what to expect. This meeting was great. Basically, I was told that it is most important to keep good control prior to conception and through the first trimester (of course they want good control throughout the pregnancy when possible). Running high poses the greatest risk while being low won't harm the fetus, but is still risky because I'm still low. High numbers increase risk for cardiac and neurologic defects in the fetus. I'll see doctors more than the average pregnant women, but should have a normal pregnancy.

Of course there is still some increased risks because I'm diabetic, but the doctors watch very closely for these and I feel confident that the risks aren't too high. The one the cautioned me about is that we are more likely to have large babies and therefore will often have c-sections to avoid harming the baby during delivery. This doctor also said that they put all babies of diabetic moms into the neo-natal ICU for the first 24 hours after delivery so they can closely monitor the baby's bs. Apparantly, our babies have a tendency to experience hypoglycemia after delivery. Again, I don't think too serious because they expect it, but this was a bit startling when he told me this.

Another bit of information that I was glad to hear was that the odds of having a baby with type 1 was small (less than 2%, I think but not sure) and the risk decreases as the age of the mother increases (aroung 26yrs. seems to be the point where it decreases).

I would definately recommend having a consultation with a high-risk specialist, if you can and start talking to you endo about your plans. It has put my mind more at ease- I feel like I have a lot of control over the situation. Of course, I'm one of these people who likes to know as much as possible -- know the worst case scenarios along with all the others.

[Cinnabon]

Welcome, Sweet & Low...
Tight control is key! Im a T1 for 22 years and I have an 11 year old daughter(non diabetic!) As long as you work closely with your Endo, you will do GREAT!

[Dewey]

Hi Sweetnlow, and welcome to the group! Dig your nickname, by the way! Just wanted to welcome you aboard, and feel free to ask questions, as there are some moms with Diabetes here... (I'm not one of them, but I know a couple... ).

Sincerely,
Dewey

[camjen1]

Welcome!!!!!!

Hope you enjoy the forum here. If you have any questions far as pregnancy w/diabetes please ask away. My youngest is just 19 months and my oldest is almost 8 .

[camjen1]

Originally Posted by ksa01

Welcome to the forums.

I'm type 1, too. Diagnosed 4 years ago and use an insulin pump.

My husband and I are finally trying to start a family. For the past year, I've been working with my drs to gain tight control in preparation for being pregnant with diabetes. My endo wanted my A1c to be 6 or less consistently for almost a year. To achieve this, I had to focus on getting my post-meal bs below 140 within 2 hours of eating (this gets tighter once pregnant). My bs before meals wasn't an issue (range is 70-90). It took quite a while to find a balance of insulin to carbs combined with basal rate so that I didn't go low by the 3-4 hour mark. I test 8-10 times a day to achieve this A1c goal.

He also made sure my thyroid level was under control and I had no problems with my kidneys or heart. He said once I get pregnant, they watch the thyroid level very closely because it will change dramatically and high levels affect the neural development of the fetus. He also told me to expect a dramatic increase in the amount of insulin I need daily as well as amount of food.

In addition to talking with my endo, I have had a consultation with a ob-gyn that deals only with high risk pregnancies so I had a better idea of what to expect. This meeting was great. Basically, I was told that it is most important to keep good control prior to conception and through the first trimester (of course they want good control throughout the pregnancy when possible). Running high poses the greatest risk while being low won't harm the fetus, but is still risky because I'm still low. High numbers increase risk for cardiac and neurologic defects in the fetus. I'll see doctors more than the average pregnant women, but should have a normal pregnancy.

Of course there is still some increased risks because I'm diabetic, but the doctors watch very closely for these and I feel confident that the risks aren't too high. The one the cautioned me about is that we are more likely to have large babies and therefore will often have c-sections to avoid harming the baby during delivery. This doctor also said that they put all babies of diabetic moms into the neo-natal ICU for the first 24 hours after delivery so they can closely monitor the baby's bs. Apparantly, our babies have a tendency to experience hypoglycemia after delivery. Again, I don't think too serious because they expect it, but this was a bit startling when he told me this.

Another bit of information that I was glad to hear was that the odds of having a baby with type 1 was small (less than 2%, I think but not sure) and the risk decreases as the age of the mother increases (aroung 26yrs. seems to be the point where it decreases).

I would definately recommend having a consultation with a high-risk specialist, if you can and start talking to you endo about your plans. It has put my mind more at ease- I feel like I have a lot of control over the situation. Of course, I'm one of these people who likes to know as much as possible -- know the worst case scenarios along with all the others.

You pretty much know what you are looking forward to. Please don't believe them though when they say if your sugars are in control then the chances of a big baby is very slim. My sugars were so controlled during my latest preganacy but she still was a whooping 10 lbs. 5 oz. I didn't have a c-section with my first and he was 10 lbs 14 oz. Somehow with him I passed the GTT test and wasn't considered diabetic. Hmmm how that happened is very suspicious.

[gettingby]

Welcome to the family Sweetnlow. I have been a type 1 for 20 years and on MDI(Humalog and Lantus). I also have a happy, healthy 14 yr. old daughter.
Pregnancy is a very stressful time but with the right planning and good docs, you should be ok. I know that when I was pregnant, they didn't allow me to go the entire length of time (c-section 2 weeks early). Gain good control now and you should be fine. This is not medical advice, just experience. Consult with your docs on a continual basis. Enjoy your stay with us and post often.

[Ryan]

Welcome! I've been T2 for about 2 months now. So far, everything is going well!

Except I forgot to inject this morning before leaving for work...

[Zokes]

Welcome Sweetnlow.

You will find (as I did) lots of friendly people here willing to share their life experiences in hopes others will benefit.

Good choice on your name. Back when I was dx'ed, you would have been called "Cyclamates".