PREGNANCY:A1c 9 for years.Now 7.7.Effects on pregnancy?

[david1555]

Hi everyone...this is my first post...please help me out..
My wife has T1 and we are planning on having our first child.
Her A1c has always been around 9 for the past few years.
These are the results of her last 2 tests:
April 2007 - A1c 8.8
July 2007 - A1c finally lowered to 7.7
We would like to start trying having a baby now...
Could a high A1c BEFORE PREGNANCY have consequences on her pregnancy?
OR is it that the only high numbers DURING PREGNANCY influence the pregnancy?

Please help me with any kind of answer, comment or suggestion you might have for us..
Thanks everyone
David

[catgalla]

Well generally they would prefer a lower a1c before pregnancy but my first pregnancy I was higher than normal (i forget the actual number) but as long as she keeps in tight control during her pregnancy she should be fine

[david1555]

so high numbers BEFORE pregnancy DO NOT have negative effects on her body?(the parts of the body pertaining to pregnancy,that is)

[catgalla]

She should definately be checked out but I didn't have any effects. But if she's worried have her get checked out by her endo. :)

[CarrieScott]

I posted this thread a while back:

http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/type-1/19619-pregnancy-not-recommended.html

Every medical professional I have spoken to recommends tight control of BS for at least 6 months prior to pregnancy.

Hope there is some information to help you here.

[JasonJayhawk]

Could she check her blood glucose more frequently throughout the day?

I test ten times a day -- and have not had an A1c over 5.8% (6.0% diabetic reference). I attribute my frequent testing (and correcting) to the lower A1c.

One complication of high glucose is having a baby that gains weight too quickly (because the baby releases insulin in an attempt to lower its own blood glucose).

She'll want to be followed up with a perientologist if she can't get her A1c any lower before conceiving.

[xMenace]

Ya, her a1c is still high. Get it below 6.5%. 6% is even better. If you need help, get her in here. It's not that difficult to do.

[Keezheekoni]

Just like every woman should take folic acid supplements before getting pregnant, you should have good control of your bgs before getting pregnant. Maybe nothing will be effected, but you never know!

[dodo]

I too try to get pregnant and my a1c for the last nine months were 7.7, 7.6 and 7.6 so a little high.

I always wondered what were the risks for the baby, if there's any. Is there any risks for the mother's health?

Thank you!

[Stumpkins]

I am hoping to get pregnant, but both endo and obgyn have said it needs to be 6.0 for atleast 6 mo. I've been @ 6.4 for the past few years, and am having a hard time reaching that 6.0, so I wait, and try and try and try..

[KCP]

Omg all i want to know is how you get to 6 without being hypo all the time! last time i hit 6.3 i was having hypos left right and center!!!
Im now at 7.4 about to do another a1c, but for you to say its not hard :'( IM finding it very hard!!

[Emm]

I'd have to agree with others here - 6 months of lower A1cs sounds good to make sure Mum's body can cope with pregnancy. A1cs in the 5s are generally recommended before getting pregnant - you can achieve that by learning about the insulins, making sure the basal insulin is correct, testing a LOT, and not having high carb meals (so that the insulin can keep up with the food rather than chasing it down). It's so worth it - it's only 9 months (tho it does teach great habits and she may find she prefers to stick with this plan!).

Sounds like this woman could be in for a shock after having A1cs in the 9s... but she can do it, and she'll feel SO much better when she does. Not to mention avoiding the long term grizzly complications, and of course, a much happier baby & easier pregnancy :)

[Jesska]

Does anyone know the effects of Diabetes on trying to conceive? I haven't even gotten pregnant at all let alone had a miscarriage or had to worry about the effect of diabetes on the baby. First things first for me - can anyone offer advice? My A1Cs were in the 6's now it is right at 7 so, obviously needs to be lower - but will all that work actually get me to conceive? Could that be why I'm not? Adopted a beautiful baby girl - but she needs a sibling :) Help!!

[Jan B]

My only child had heart defects and lived for 5 1/2 months. I have no idea what my A1c was -- it was 24 years ago. I'll always feel it was partially, or wholly my fault, as I know my control wasn't too great before I got pregnant. (I was not trying to get pregnant.) So I would definitely do everything in my power to have excellent control before getting pregnant. Things get even harder to control while pregnant, so it makes sense to know what being in control is like beforehand.

Then, a few years later, I wanted to get pregnant, but never could. After I had my one tube burned (they don't really tie them), I learned I was very low on thyroid, and that could have kept me from conceiving.

Cause and effect is very real; however, many unhealthy moms have healthy babies and vice versa.

[birdyland]

I don't have full medical advice, but wanted to share that my docs were adament about 6.2 being the point where complications to the baby disappear for diabetic women.

[RobiJo]

so high numbers BEFORE pregnancy DO NOT have negative effects on her body?(the parts of the body pertaining to pregnancy,that is)

David its important to know how long she has been diabetic. Does she visit a ophthalmologist (special kind of eye doc). Assuming she can get her A1c down to 6.5 or lower, she still could have issues regarding past A1c's. Pregnancy can put a lot of stress on her body even if the baby is healthy. Kidney and eye issues are the first that come to my mind. A1c's that are too high can lead to eye problems in 10 or less years of Diabetes. If she's not seen an ophthalmologist in a while she needs to get that checked out, and then again each trimester of the pregnancy.

Find the local High Risk Pregnancy group at your hospital. Set up a consultation appointment to start things rolling. They will tell you what you need to know and do before conception, then during and after pregnancy. In the meantime, work on lowering that A1c and test frequently. Oh and you can always practice conceiving! :D

[Jesska]

Jan,
I agree - definitely needs to be under control first -like it was when we were initially seriously trying. It was 6.4 then but I'm reading even in the 5's is most desirable. I believe I had my thyroid checked and that seems to be fine. Funny, when going through fertility treatments, they check you for EVERYTHING and when they can't find anything, they consider you "unexplained". None of my docs seem to know much about diabetes related to conceiving or not conceiving. My endo knows diabetes and the fertility experts know fertility - can't seem to get them to learn from one another.

Dana,
When your docs were referring to "complications" to the baby did they mention complications to conception or very early pregnancy? I'm either not conceiving at all or they are just not surviving past 2 weeks because I always get my period on time. When we had IVF 2 times, the eggs were fertilized but when they put the embryos back in, 2 weeks later - both times - I got my period.

Maybe I'll try getting into to the 5s and see if that helps. At least 6.2 or even less than 6 is a new place for me to start - a bench mark...thanks to both of you!

[mell1682]

I've been pregnant twice and both times my A1C was well beyond what someone should be (11) and I do not know how I even remained pregnant let alone had 2 very healthy children. But I do know that it is of DIRE importance for mom to have a healthy A1C level BEFORE pregnancy. This was a scary lesson for me as we waited and watched my babies develop. I didn't plan on becoming pregnant either time and due to lack of insurance and very big financial problems, my sugars were out of control, and I wound up pregnant with sky high blood sugars. The first 6-8 weeks of pregnancy are the weeks in which babies develop all their organs and everything. With diabetics, we run a higher chance of having babies with heart defects and neural tube defects, so getting a decent hemoglobin going in to a pregnancy is ideal. I beg all women to not play the Roulette game with your blood sugars and pregnancy because it is a gamble that you may or may not win. I am so very grateful to have my precious daughters because with all that could have and should have gone wrong, I am one very blessed woman.:)

[xMenace]

so high numbers BEFORE pregnancy DO NOT have negative effects on her body?(the parts of the body pertaining to pregnancy,that is)

High A1C means you are damaging your body. The risks are higher: stroke, hemhorraging, and probably many other things. I'm no doctor, so I don't know what these things are called, but I'd look for a full vascular assessment first.

[jaime7803]

hello! david 1555, yes, you need to get your wife on here asap1 exposure to the realities, fears, accomplishments on here will do her a world of good! as for the pregnancy....it is NON-NEGOTIABLE that she have and maintain a 6 for minimum of 6 months, preferably a year. this is for many reasons:
*to see if she can even reach/maintain it
*ensure the fetus has the best start(all the damage is being done before she even knows about the pregnancy)
*so that she has a holding pattern, so when hormones kick in and jack her sgr up, she'll be able to manage better
i have lost 4 baby boys. i have been type 1 for 20 yrs. although my sugars had nothing to do w/ my loss, i believe that diabetes affects yur entire being. i gave up, it's all for the best for me. i may not live more than 10 yrs. so i'm glad i do not have to worry about leaving a child behind. please do all you can to achieve that 6, 6 mos. or more before trying. even if the baby is born w/ 10 fingers/toes, you never know what is lying underneath that may take yrs to discover?