[jasmine4355]

Hello,
I am currently 6 weeks pregnant. I have been a diabetic for the past 21 years and NOT in good control until about the past two years (kinda). I am 33 years old and am terrified. I want this so bad, but honestly, I've had at least one high a day (200). Believe me, I am in the best control of my life with an A1c of 6.3 but the highs concern me. I am trying so hard but what are my odds of having a baby without serious complications? Should I just expect the worst? Is there anyone out there who can relate or offer advice? Also, how long should I wait before I tell anyone?
Thank you for listening.

[Katrina Stovold]

I was worried to extremely at 6 weeks only coz doctors stress the importance of having such tight control! Every now and then I had a high and a hypo! It freaked me out totally that I would sob and sob for a good 10 mins. Doc says babies are pretty resilient little things, an occassional high or low will not affect bub! so dont worry, your hba1c is excellent! more importnant to keep sugars stable and not up high then down low as baby must work harder! Its best to wait until the 3 month mark as that is when the risk of misscarriage drops! I am waiting to tell everyone after my 12 week scan .......there is heaps of info on here that will convince you that you will be so fine!! xx

[Belle'sMama]

I have a beautiful healty 2.5 yr old right now and my sugars were high in the beginning, like they are right now (just found out that I am 4 wks along!). I worried myself sick the entire time I was pregnant with her and she was perfect. Luckily, the only good thing about being a diabetic is the great care you get! From my 1st u/s at 6wks, I had one weekly until the heartbeat could be heard on the outside of my belly from a dopplar. Be prepared for tons of dr appts, I also went to my endo weekly if things were questionable, every two weeks if things were stable. But with my pregnancy, I started having severe morning sickness, which was ALL day, into the night sickness, and I started to have tons and tons of lows due to that. Also, try to go by what your ob/gyn tells you. My endo's nurse told me once that "ketones are poison to your baby" because I had them since I had been vomitting so often (was even hospitalized at 14 wks) and when I told my ob that, she got angry and said that anyone who says that is unprofessional and doesn't know what they are talking about. Sure, ketones are bad for everyone, but it was something that I just couldn't help and she told me that she has pregnant patients all the time who have ketones from getting sick so much and they are just fine. I know there is no way to stop the worrying. This time around I am as scared as ever, even having had a perfectly healthy baby already doesn't seem to ease my fears! Especially since I seem to have forgotton how insulin resistant I was when I first found out I was pg. Right now I'm only 4wks and I've changed my pump settings already tons of times and still running a little on the high side. I will tell you something that really helped ease my fears, and some people don't think it's a good idea for one reason or another but my ob didn't have a problem with it. I rented a dopplar monitor from BellyBeats Fetal Doppler Baby Heart Monitors and used it to hear the hb whenever I became super anxious, even though I was already getting such great care!

[belyro]

Wow - you sound just like me about a year ago!

I just had my first baby this past May. I've been diabetic for almost 28 years, and wasn't in good control until about 4-5 years ago. I'm 31 years old and was terrified. I had quite a few highs early in my pregnancy, but managed to get them under control and got in the best control of my life (A1C in the 6s) during the pregnancy, even though I did continue to have occasional highs.

I had some challenges during the pregnany - especially near the end (e.g. pre-eclampsia, and a retinal hemorrhage (I had pre-existing retinopathy)), and my baby was born by c-section 4 weeks early and needed to stay in the hospital a bit until her lungs were more fully developed, but she is now perfectly healthy and absolutely beautiful!!

If you want to know more about my experience, you can read my blog at Life as a Pregnant Diabetic. Feel free to PM me, too, if you have any specific questions.

Good luck! It sounds like you're on the right track.

[Brookie]

Hi Jasmine,

I am in the exact same boat as you and it is comforting for me to hear that there are others who are and or were there too! I am 31 years old and have been a type 1 diabetic for almost 25 years. I am 10 weeks pregnant. I get soooo freaked out so easily! I wasn't in good control for years, but just started to be a couple of years ago. The first weeks of pregnancy (5-6) I became really insulin resistant. I had to adjust all of my pump settings up...and then over the past few weeks my insulin requirements have drastically dropped. This I have read is because the baby is using more gulcose and energy. I have had highs and lows and I am doing my best to control them. It gets really frustrating sometimes, but what I've really been trying to do is to not beat myself up over it. I know that I am doing the best that i can and that I won't always be perfect. I get freaked out as my pregnancy symptoms have come and gone as well! I am also trying to stay away from foods that I know will really mess me up (for me it's pasta)...but sometimes I try over again and nope! Can't do it!
I saw the baby dancing inside me last week and it's still unbelieveable! I have another US next week where they look for DS. I really just hope to get through the first trimester ok and really focus on just taking one day at a time. I fax my numbers and detailed food log to my doctor every week and we make adjustments as necessary.

I completely understand your worries and I'm almost right where you are. Feel free to email me anytime