# Type one horror stories



## Lauras87 (Feb 6, 2013)

Hello.

I'm type one & have been since I was 14.
I'm not pregnant so you may wonder why I'm posting in this thread.

When I was 14/15 my nurse gave me the facts about pregnancy for diabetics & the risk of any baby i carried being blind, having heart defects, limbs missing etc. it scared me so much I decided there & then I didn't want children & wanted to be sterilized (something they won't do til I'm 30)

My consultant (8 years later) told me the truth & I still wasn't interested even tho it doesn't sound as bad as how my nurse had told me.

I've been very broody of late & just wondered how easy a diabetic pregnancy is & how healthy the babies are.

I always wanted to be a mum til I had that chat with my nurse.


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## AlisonF (Feb 6, 2013)

Hi Laura

Your nurse should be shot. She's quite right that there is an increased risk of health problems for the child of a diabetic mother. However, the key point is that those risks can be significantly reduced if you maintain good diabetes control in the months before conception and throughout pregnancy. So they are risks you can really do something about. 

I'm 27 weeks pregnant at the moment, and it is challenging. I'm trying to keep my BGs between 4-6 before meals and no higher than 8 after meals - that's hard work, especially with all the pregnancy hormones making life harder. But it is perfectly possible. It only lasts for 9 months afterall and most hospitals offer great additional support to diabetic ladies who are pregnant or trying to conceive. 

So, it's not easy, or completely risk free but most things worth having in life aren't. It is doable. If you're thinking about children the important thing is to get your diabetes under control before you conceive if at all possible, so why not ask to be referred to a diabetes pre conception clinic so you can have a good chat with them about all the risks, what you'd need to do and how they'd support you? 

Good luck!


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## Lauras87 (Feb 6, 2013)

Hi Alison.

Thank you for the advice.
I have tight control but am prone to hypos.

Congratulations btw


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## rachelha (Feb 6, 2013)

Hi Laura

I completely agree with what Alison has said.  I have been T1 for 18 years and have a very healthy 2.5 year old.  He was on the large size but that did not cause him any problems at all.  I am now pregnant with my second baby so was not put off.

Type 1 pregnancies are hard work, there are lots of appointments, but you are kept a very close eye on, and the result is definitely worth it.

Rachel


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## Twitchy (Feb 6, 2013)

Hiya.  I was diagnosed as a baby so had had diabetes for 28 yrs when I had my first baby. As the others have said it was hard work & preconception control & huge dose folic acid etc were key focusses. My little boy was born by c section at 34w5d as I had severe pre eclampsia, but that can happen to non diabetics too. He was a bit skinny & jaundiced but is now a fit & feisty nearly 6 yr old. His little sister was also c section, at 35w4d as my placenta was starting to fail. She was 'macrosomic' ie a big baby because of the diabetes despitemy having v good control, but otherwise was fine & is now a very feisty healthy nearly 3 yr old.

I can only go by my experience but that has been that despite being a very 'old diabetic' both kids are fine. It was quite stressful & very hard work, & it woukd be fair to say that as a diabetic chances are there will be alot more intervention (ie chances of a home hypno water birth are probably slim to none) but a good outcome (ie live healthy mum & baby  ) is perfectly possible & definitely worth it!  Best of luck. X


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## trophywench (Feb 6, 2013)

Do you know, I could throttle that stupid doctor who clearly hadn't had a very good education on diabetes had he?

It is true that before the War, very few diabetic pregs had successful outcomes and we know why that was - poor control.  However occasionally  women did have successful ones and in approx 1947 onwards a chap at the QE in Birmingham who was working in the D clinic decided to make a study of it.

By the time he'd finished (although he never did! - he reached retirement age, and subsequently went on to nurture an Arboretum instead of diabetics LOL - Prof John Malins) there was no reason at all why a diabetic preg shouldn't be completely successful.  It was simply about control of BG in early preg.  A lot of babies were still too big and that could cause probs.  Then they discovered it was all really about fantastic control from the PRE conception stage all the way through to ensure that was optimal before even Doing the Deed.  OK it was about 1990s that bit was discovered and that was the same time we started to get Human Insulin and MDI ....... and better control.

I don't know when you were diagnosed but that doc should most certainly have known at least SOME of that, before he spoke to you in your teens.  Grrrrrr.

It was impressed on me by both the consultant and DSN from 1972 onwards that should I ever consider having a baby - to discuss it with them first - before my husband - because they could and would HELP me.


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## Catwoman76 (Feb 6, 2013)

Lauras87 said:


> Hello.
> 
> I'm type one & have been since I was 14.
> I'm not pregnant so you may wonder why I'm posting in this thread.
> ...



I agree with AlisonF, thats downright insensitive and unprofestional, diabetes isn't a horrorin the making

I had my daughter at 42, pregnancy,fairly straight forward. She was 7 weeks early and she's  my pride and joy and absolutley no major health conditons she's now 12 and I wouldn't of changed a thing X

We don't live in the 19th century, thank goodness, 

Don't let anything stop you from being a mum

Best wishes RRB


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## Lizzzie (Feb 6, 2013)

Yikes!  Poor you!  That was an unfair and untrue thing to say to a 14 year old.

I also have tight control and tend towards hypos.  The first weeks of both pregnancies have been the hardest, I knew I was pregnant both times because I ran into trouble severely hypo ing at work.  The first i was a pretty typical vomitty pregnant woman, worked full time in a demanding job and had a healthy, 8 lb baby by elective c-section (obstetric reasons, nowt to do with being diabetic) at the end of it. The second time has been harder but I'm still expecting a very happy outcome.

In fact, my Step-uncles were all born to a diabetic woman in the 50s , before reliable testing and last time I counted they were still fit and well and all have 4 limbs a-peice.

Diabetic care for pregnant women is great now: go along to your locals hospital team a few months before you're planning to start trying. They'll make sure your levels are as low as they need to be, start you on 5mg folic acid and answer any concerns.  You get extra care, attention and scans throughout.

I'd plan a third !


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## hazel666 (Feb 13, 2013)

Hi I have had type 1 since I was 7 years old and am fortunate to have three perfectly healthy children. I had my fist when I was 24 and my last at 39. All three of them ended up on special care because they were born with low blood glucose but besides that they were fine. I was induced with all them because they dont like diabetics to go past 38 weeks gestation.
I must admit I did find it much easier to control my BG when I was on an insulin pump and used a CGMS because your insulin requirement vary a lot during pregnancy.
Please dont be put off because my kiddies are the best thing that ever happened to me. All the best


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## Vix (Mar 6, 2013)

I too have heard so many horror stories like Laura... my husband and I are desperate to start a family (I am now nearly 31 and my clock ticking) and I have just changed hospital so saw my pre-conception DSN the other week for the first time and she scared the life out of me!!! I came home and cried for 2 days as I was so shocked, upset and scared about what she had said - basically my control isn't good at the moment and nobody seems to be able to work out why... my last hba1c in Nov was 9.1 and my control has been worse since then so I image the one I had today will be higher. My DSN basically told me it would be the worst thing in the world to accidentally get pregnant right now and I'd be an irresponsible mum if I even considered it  But what if I can't get my hba1c below 7??? I am trying EVERYTHING asked of me, feels like I'm sacrificing so much and stressing myself out to get my hba1c down just so we can at least have the chance to try and conceive and I don't want my diabetes to stop me having a family. 

I'm not naive and am fully aware of the risk of diabetes and pregnancy, and the hard work but it feels so unfair that we can't start a family when we choose! It's good to hear some positive stories though, and congrats to all of you who are expecting  

xx


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