Target Blood Glucose Levels Before Pregnancy
When youre planning to become pregnant, your daily blood glucose targets may be different than your previous targets. Ask your health care team which targets are right for you.
You can keep track of your blood glucose levels using My Daily Blood Glucose Record. You can also use an electronic blood glucose tracking system on your computer or mobile device. Record the results every time you check your blood glucose. Your blood glucose records can help you and your health care team decide whether your diabetes care plan is working. You also can make notes about your insulin and ketones. Take your tracker with you when you visit your health care team.
What Effect Do Ketones Have On The Developing Baby
Low levels of ketones detected in the blood or urine have not been shown to have an effect on the developing baby. However, if you detect ketones, it is important to act quickly to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis . DKA can occur when you are unwell, forget to take your insulin or dont take enough insulin. The risk of DKA increases during pregnancy and can be very dangerous for both mother and baby. For more information about high blood glucose levels and DKA talk to your doctor or diabetes educator. Read more about ketoacidosis.
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These Artificial Sweeteners Are Safe In Pregnancy
- Aspartame Equal, NutraSweet, NatraTaste
Great Expectations Pregnancy Classes
Get ready for the baby! Choose from a variety of classes that prepare moms and partners for pregnancy, birth, baby care, breastfeeding and parenting.
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Get support for all your breastfeeding needs. Troubleshoot with a lactation consultant, find equipment and supplies, join a support group and more.
Women’s Health Resource Center
Access free health resources here, from classes and webinars to support groups and medical referrals, plus pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding services.
What Does An Induction Involve
Depending on how your pregnancy is progressing, you may need to have an induction, which means helping your body to start labour. This may be recommended for women with diabetes a little before full term, at around 3839 weeks gestation. An induction can be performed in several ways and sometimes a combination of two or more methods will be used. Read more about the different types of induction.
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How Does Type 1 Diabetes Affect Female Fertility
Menarche & menstrual cycle disturbances: Type 1 diabetes is associated with longer cycle length , longer menstruation , heavy menstruation, and menstrual problems at a younger age . Juvenile diabetes causes delayed menarche.
Anovulation: Anovulation is the absence of ovulation when it would be normally expected . Anovulation can result from a variety of factors such as chronic mental illness, hormone imbalances, pituitary or ovarian failure or diabetes. Low BMI, diabetic women will have irregular periods, which causes starving of cells . This may cause disruption in the hypothalamic pulsatile secretion of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone , with a resultant decrease in the secretion of gonadotropins. This results in a lower level of luteinizing hormone and prolactin which plays an active role in reproduction.
Anti-sperm antibodies: The antibodies produced in diabetes can attack the sperms and her eggs.
Effect Of Metformin On Fetus
Metformin can cross the placenta and enter the bloodstream of the fetus. Thus, it can cause a variety of effects on the fetus health. However, it cannot cause prematurity or congenital disorders.
In contrast, it reduces fat around the organs of a developing fetus. Thus, they become less prone to insulin resistance as they grow up. Yet, these babies are also at risk of hypoglycemia .
Moreover, a male fetus can be infertile due to sperm deficiency. Also, they can cause testicular cancer during his puberty.
Thus, your doctor recommends you stop Metformin as they detect the fetal heartbeat.
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Oh Sugar How Diabetes And Prediabetes Affect Fertility
If youve been trying to get pregnant with no luck, it may be time to have a simple blood test to determine if your glucose levels are high. Over time, persistent high glucose levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart. It can also lead to infertility. Heres what you need to know and what you can do if you are prediabetic or diabetic and hoping to grow your family.
First, the facts about blood sugar levels.Diabetes is a very common medical condition today. According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 29 million people in the U.S. living with diabetes. Another 8.1 million people in the country have diabetes, but do not know it.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease. If you have Type 2 diabetes, your body does not use insulin properly. This is called insulin resistance. At first, your pancreas makes extra insulin to make up for it. But, over time, it isnt able to keep up and cant make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose at normal levels.
Prediabetes is a condition that affects another 79 million Americans. With prediabetes, your glucose levels are higher than they should bebut not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes is a wake-up call for diabetes. However, its not too late to take actions to lower your risk for diabetes.
Pregnancy If You Have Diabetes
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If you have diabetes and plan to have a baby, you should try to get your blood glucose levels close to your target range before you get pregnant.
Staying in your target range during pregnancy, which may be different than when you arent pregnant, is also important. High blood glucose, also called blood sugar, can harm your baby during the first weeks of pregnancy, even before you know you are pregnant. If you have diabetes and are already pregnant, see your doctor as soon as possible to make a plan to manage your diabetes. Working with your health care team and following your diabetes management plan can help you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
If you develop diabetes for the first time while you are pregnant, you have gestational diabetes.
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How Hard Is It To Get Pregnant
While it would be nice if those who wanted to get pregnant did and those who didnt didnt, it doesnt always work that way.
Sometimes, the reality is that the more you want a baby of your own, the more you see negative pregnancy test results and other women with belly bumps.
Whether youre feeling jealous or grateful that it isnt you just yet, family planning can be an emotionally charged process.
If youre thinking about getting pregnant , weve got statistics, tips, and much more to help your vision become a reality.
Everyones journey through pregnancy will look slightly different. A number of factors can affect whether youre able to conceive and how easily it happens for you.
In general, your chances of conception are:
- after 6 months of trying
- 90 percent after 1 year of trying
- 95 percent at 2 years of trying
But those numbers dont tell a complete story. Many factors influence your unique chances of conception, including age, health, and any conditions you or your partner may have.
The truth is, even if it seems like everything should be lined up for success, theres always a bit of chance involved!
We know that sex can result in pregnancy, but people often spend less time thinking about all the steps that must happen from intercourse through pregnancy to birth:
Problems Of Diabetes In Pregnancy
Blood sugar that is not well controlled in a pregnant woman with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes could lead to problems for the woman and the baby:
Birth Defects
The organs of the baby form during the first two months of pregnancy, often before a woman knows that she is pregnant. Blood sugar that is not in control can affect those organs while they are being formed and cause serious birth defects in the developing baby, such as those of the brain, spine, and heart.
An Extra Large Baby
Diabetes that is not well controlled causes the babys blood sugar to be high. The baby is overfed and grows extra large. Besides causing discomfort to the woman during the last few months of pregnancy, an extra large baby can lead to problems during delivery for both the mother and the baby. The mother might need a C-Section to deliver the baby. The baby can be born with nerve damage due to pressure on the shoulder during delivery.
C- Section
A C-section is a surgery to deliver the baby through the mothers belly. A woman who has diabetes that is not well controlled has a higher chance of needing a C-section to deliver the baby. When the baby is delivered by a C-section, it takes longer for the woman to recover from childbirth.
High Blood Pressure
Early Birth
Low Blood Sugar
Miscarriage or Stillbirth
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What Can You To Do Increase Your Chances
If youd like to become pregnant, there are many things you can do to optimize your chances:
- Track your menstrual cycles and ovulation windows. For most people, the first step to becoming pregnant is having sex when youre ovulating. It makes sense to have an understanding of your menstrual cycle and ovulation windows to make sure youll fertilize an egg. This information can also be useful if youre trying to avoid becoming pregnant without using physical forms of birth control.
- Use ovulation strips. While ovulation strips cant guarantee your pregnancy, they can help to determine your peak fertility periods. If you decide to use ovulation strips, youll probably want to do this in combination with tracking your menstrual cycle, so that you dont need to use as many testing strips.
- Adjust your diet. Believe it or not, just changing your diet has been tied to increasing your chances of conceiving. While it may not be fun to consider giving up some of your favorite foods, the joy of a baby might just make it worth it.
- Maintain a healthy weight. This can be especially important if youre dealing with PCOS. A
Pregnancy With Type 2 Diabetes: Everything You Need To Know
As if pregnancy isnt challenging enough, juggling type 2 diabetes during the pursuit of motherhood comes with its own unique set of responsibilities, pressures, and stressors.
In this article, well discuss everything you need to know about pregnancy with type 2 diabetes, from preparing for pregnancy to your postpartum self-care.
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Not Trying Long Enough
The first thing to consider is how long have you been trying. It may feel like you’ve been trying foreverand maybe you have!but it’s important to know that many couples won’t conceive right away.
About 80% of couples conceive after six months of trying. Approximately 90% will be pregnant after 12 months of trying to get pregnant. This assumes you have well-timed intercourse every month.
How Can My Diabetes Affect Me During Pregnancy
Hormonal and other changes in your body during pregnancy affect your blood glucose levels, so you might need to change how you manage your diabetes. Even if youve had diabetes for years, you may need to change your meal plan, physical activity routine, and medicines. If you have been taking an oral diabetes medicine, you may need to switch to insulin. As you get closer to your due date, your management plan might change again.
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Whats The Best Age To Get Pregnant
OK, so when is the best time to get pregnant? Unfortunately, theres no straightforward answer to this question. Biologically, women are most fertile when theyre teenagers. Societally, though, thats not necessarily the ideal time to get pregnant.
Age does impact fertility, so within reason, the sooner, the better, Dr. Mooney says. As your age increases, your fertility declines, and it may not be as easy to become pregnant.
Fact: Just Because Im At High Risk For Diabetes Doesnt Mean I Will Get It
Absolutely true! However, knowing relevant and appropriate information is necessary to lower glucose levels. This can improve fertility and reduce risks to the mother and her unborn child.
Controlling glucose levels and getting them closer to a normal level is possible, especially with the help of trained professionals. Doing so will accomplish several goals – it will reduce risks and create a safer pregnancy, in turn increasing the odds of a healthy pregnancy and child.
We can all reduce our risks for diabetes by seeking medical guidance, when necessary, and by making important lifestyle modifications.
Some common recommendations for those at risk for diabetes:
- Lose 5-10% of body weight
- Participate in 30-60 minutes of physical activity each day
- Eliminate smoking and recreational drugs
- Eat regular meals
- Find tools or methods to manage your stress
- Engage in good sleep hygiene to improve your quality of sleep
Healthy dietary guidelines:
- Choose foods low in saturated fats
- Pick clean meats or fish and low-fat dairy
- Include high fiber foods by eating fresh vegetables and fresh fruits
- Choose heart-healthy fats, while limiting high-fat foods
- Avoid processed carbohydrates, low added sugars, limit sweets
- Choose complex carbohydrates/whole grains
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Preexisting Diabetes And Planning Pregnancy
If you are diabetic and want to get pregnant, you may be worried about having a more complicated pregnancy. Although you will likely face more challenges in pregnancy than if you did not have diabetes, being diabetic does not mean that your pregnancy is destined for major complications or miscarriage. That said, you do need to be proactive in your diabetes care prior to pregnancy to optimize your health and your baby’s and prevent possible complications.
Before You Get Pregnant
Use this planning checklist pdf icon to learn how you can boost your health and get ready for pregnancy. Being in good overall health before you become pregnant is important.
Manage your blood sugar. Many doctors will recommend that you reach and keep your A1C goal for a few months before becoming pregnant.
Review your medicines. Some medicines and supplements arent safe to use while pregnant. You should speak with your health care team about each medicine and supplement you take before you get pregnant. Dont stop taking prescribed medicines without talking to your doctor first.
View this guide to planning a pregnancyexternal icon with type 1 diabetes for more info.
Your insulin needs may change throughout your pregnancy. Be sure to talk to your doctor about how to manage your blood sugar.
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Fact: Women Who Prefer Multiple Daily Injections Can Have Very Healthy Pregnancies Too
An insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor are two tools that can certainly help many women achieve better blood sugar management before and during pregnancy but it can be done with multiple daily injections , too.
The trade-off of using MDI to manage your diabetes instead of an insulin pump is that youll need to take many more injections per day. If you arent willing to take an additional injection to bring a 160 mg/dL blood sugar down to 100 mg/dL, for example, then using MDI during pregnancy may not be the right choice for you. Pressing the buttons on a pump to receive those extra doses of insulin might be easier for you.
Another challenging aspect that comes with MDI is that none of todays long-acting insulins have been studied for their safety in pregnancy. There is no reason to believe any of these insulins are harmful to a baby, either, but there just isnt any data on it. Women have been using these insulins during pregnancy over the last decades with the outcome of healthy, beautiful babies!
If possible, every woman with type 1 diabetes should consider using a CGM before/during/after pregnancy to make healthy blood sugar levels more achievable. Trying to achieve this range without a CGM can mean pricking your finger to test blood sugar at least 10 to 15 times per day. A CGM will give you so much more information, support, and safety compared to constant finger pricks.
Will The Occasional High Blood Glucose Level Have Any Effect On My Baby
Your health care team will advise you on your target blood glucose levels for pregnancy. Most women find that they will occasionally have blood glucose levels outside the target range. If your HbA1c is within your recommended target range during pregnancy, occasional blood glucose levels above target have not been shown to cause harm to the baby. If you are finding that your blood glucose levels are regularly outside the target range, contact your diabetes health professionals for advice and support.
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