Type 1 diabetes and twin pregnancy

[ccryder19]

Hi, I've had type 1 for 15 years now. I'm about to turn 26 yrs old and am 31 weeks pregnant with twins-a boy and a girl. I happen to have 2 placentas absorbing large amounts of insulin so my insulin needs have almost quadrupled. Also, I'm anemic and the only thing I can eat that prevents me from feeling weak and faint are carbs! :( I started the pregnancy with an A1c of 4.6 and now it has risen to a 5.2. I am worried because although these are good averages I sometimes have days where my sugar hits 200. I haven't been communicating this to the doctor. Should she know that at 31 weeks I am sometimes going as high as 180-200? Does that mean I may have to be induced? Should she also know that the opthalmalogist found a few blood vessels behind my retinas? Help! I'm so scared.

Thanks :)

[xMenace]

Welcome, and those are great A1C's!

Of course you should consult with your doctors!

200 is not that high for a spike. It's a concern if it's constant but I wouldn't bat an eye if it's once every few days.

The proliferative blood vessels are to be expected with pregnancies. It's quite common for a long termer like you. You should expect some laser. There's no issues regarding the laser and the babies. An early induction is a possibility. So is a c-section.

[FloatingBreeze]

First, congratulations on your pregnancy and for maintaining such wonderful A1C's!

You are going to be just fine.

Women with diabetes have been having successful pregnancies for years.

It's very important, though, to keep your entire medical team informed of any issue that is concerning you, and especially to keep them aware of your blood sugar levels so that can help you manage your levels during your pregnancy.

Simple preventative medicine goes a long way. That means keeping a log of your blood sugar levels, sticking to the treatment plan your clinicians create for you, keeping your clinicians informed of any concerns you have, and trying your best to keep a healthy and calm mindset.

All persons with type 1 diabeties develop some form of retinopathy. With modern medical technology and regular annual checkups with an ophthalmologist, though, most serious eye complications can be prevented. You might have developed mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, which is common, and just needs to be followed on an annual basis to check for any progression.

You will be fine.

Again, I applaud your excellent management of your diabetes. I envy your excellent A1C's!

[ccryder19]

John, Robert, thank you both so much for your responses. I enjoyed a sigh of relief! I go to the doctor tomorrow morning and will be filling her in on the latest and making sure I see my eye doctor very soon.

I've never visited a forum for my diabetes...with such great support one can get here I wish I had visited years ago!

[FloatingBreeze]

You are very welcome!

Good luck tomorrow, and best wishes during this exciting, nervous, and utterly miraculous time in your life.

[carrienbo]

Hi,

Did you do anything different to get prego with twins?

Care

[ccryder19]

No, I think it was just genes and my hormones. I have one great aunt on my mother's side who happened to be a twin and had a daughter who had twins. I found this online about how to conceive twins:

1. A Family History of Twins - If fraternal twins run in a female's family, her odds of conceiving twins are much greater! The gene for hyperovulation may be passed down from generation to generation. It's a myth that twins skip a generation. Often the gene will be passed down to a male member of the family, then he will in turn pass it down to one of his daughters who will then have twins.

2. Be Big, Be Tall - A study published by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology linked the rising rate of multiple births with the rise in overweight mothers. According to the article: "Women with a pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more are significantly more likely to have dizygotic twins (fraternal twins, each formed from a separate egg and sperm) than are women with lower BMIs. The study also found a relationship between maternal height and increased odds of fraternal twins. Women in the top 25th percentile of height had a significantly increased odds ratio for fraternal-twin pregnancies, although this association was not as strong as that for BMI." ([/url])

3. Wait Until You're Older - Older mothers are more likely to conceive twins than younger mothers. 17% of mothers over the age of 45 and a whopping 1 in 9 mothers over the age of 50 give birth to twins. It's theorized that ovulation is increased as your biological clock winds down. Unfortunately, pregnancy becomes more risky for mother and babies as maternal age increases. The chances of miscarriage, gestational diabetes and chromosomal abnormalities go up significantly.

4. Multiple Multiples - If you've had a previous multiple pregnancy your odds of conceiving another multiple pregnancy are 4 times higher than a mother who has never been pregnant or who has only had singleton(s).

5. Diet - No, don't break out the rice cakes and diet soda. Studies have shown that mothers who are "well nourished" are more likely to conceive twins. The Yoruba tribe in West Africa has the highest rate of twinning in the world. A study has shown that it's actually their diet that causes this since it contains a high amount of cassava (a type of yam). The peelings of this vegetable are thought to contain a chemical that causes hyperovulation. Another study showed that mothers who consumed dairy foods were 5 times more likely to have twins.

6. Medical Assistance - The multiple birth rate has increased 62% since the early 1980's in most part due to advances in reproductive technology. Drugs (such as Clomid) that stimulate hyperovulation and procedures (such as invetro fertilization) where multiple fertilized eggs are implanted are the most common types. Please discuss any need for reproductive assistance with your doctor.

7. Big Family - Women are more likely to conceive twins with each subsequent pregnancy. What this means is the more kids you have, the more likely you are to eventually have twins.

8. Getting Pregnant While Breastfeeding - It's a myth that you can't get pregnant while breastfeeding, and some research supports the theory that you may, in fact, be more likely to conceive multiples!

9. Getting Pregnant on the Pill - Birth control pills are 99.9% effective when used correctly. However, if you are one of the .01% that the pill does not cover adequately, or if you take the pill incorrectly, you may end up with multiples. This is probably due to hormone fluctuations which may stimulate hyperovulation.

10. Where You Live - The states with the highest rate of twin births are Massachusetts and Connecticut. New Jersey and Nebraska have the highest rates of triplets and more. Warmer states such as New Mexico and Hawaii have the lowest rates of multiple births.

11. Ethnicity - Africans or women of African descent are most likely to conceive multiples, while Hispanic and Asian women are least likely.

12. Time of Year - More twins are conceived in July, and the least in January. The theory is that it's due to the effect of the length of daylight on the secretion of Follicle Stimulating Hormone.

13. Luck! - No matter how young or skinny you are, no matter where you live, no matter if your family is completely twin-less - you too may hit the jackpot and get a double blessing!"
taken from: [url=http://www.twinstuff.com/wiki/index.php/How_to_conceive_twins]How to conceive twins - Twin Wiki (http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr02-28-05-2.cfm)


Now, this list may be right but, I'm 5'3 and 120 pounds (err, before i got pregnant) and I'm 25 yrs old. I never took any drugs to try to conceive. I don't eat a lot of dairy but, I do eat pretty balanced. This is my first pregnancy, I've never taken the pill, I live in Virginia, and I am hispanic. I conceived in October. Because of the diabetes increasing my estrogen levels over time and causing me to have really unstable periods (its nothing for me to be 2-4 weeks late every month and have SUPER bad cramps) it seems perhaps this hormone imbalance I have had for so long may have helped increase my chances of dropping to eggs. At least I got something good out of it lol