Reddit mentions of Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-existing Diabetes: Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby

Hello fellow T1! When I started TTC, I read ALL THE BOOKS, especially Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-Existing Diabetes which is an excellent book, and like the bible for a lot of T1s preparing for pregnancy. They recommend an appointment a pre-conception appointment with an ob-gyn and also your endo, to discuss possible issues and things to keep in mind.

I didn't end up having a pre-conception appointment with an ob-gyn, though I did talk over pregnancy a fair bit with my endo in the years leading up to TTC. I ended up getting pregnant fairly quick with my daughter at the end of 2015, and she was born a month early (though there's no evidence that was T1 related) in August 2016. I was considered "medium-risk" as a well-controlled T1, and actually the pregnancy was pretty uneventful (except for the early birth). I had lots of ultrasounds to check growth and stuff, and meetings with the endos in the pregnancy unit a ton to check my highs and lows.

I use a pump and a CGM, and they were AMAZING tools to have while pregnant, since I could make micro adjustments at any time to fend off highs and lows before they got too bad. FYI your ratios will go insane though. The first trimester I was low all the time. Second I was almost back to pre-pregnancy "normality", and then third trimester was an insane shitshow of needing ALL THE INSULIN!

Best of luck with everything, and let me know if you want to chat more! I'm in Canada, so I don't know how relevant my experience will be to what happens in your health system, but I'll be thinking of you!

Good luck! A supportive endocrinologist is EVERYTHING. I'm type-2 and after a long journey my A1C is down to 4.6, but I couldn't have done that without the support of my wonderful doctor.

Hope it's not overstepping (I don't know anything about you more than you've said in this post) but I found the book Balancing Pregnancy with Preexisting Diabetes by Cheryl Alkon to be a very helpful reference for what to expect, but also why you don't necessarily have to freak out as much as your doctor's might suggest. It's realistic, informative, AND reassuring. It's available on the Kindle for sure, I don't know what other formats it's out in.

http://www.amazon.com/Balancing-Pregnancy-Pre-existing-Diabetes-Cheryl/dp/1932603328

Wow! Congrats, that's so exciting! The biggest thing I've heard is to get a CGM. Also keep in mind that insulin requirements change A LOT throughout the trimesters, so it can get hard to be on top of it.


You should check out myglu.org (https://myglu.org/searches/pregnancy)- we have a ton of info on pregnancy, and I myself am actually launching a big research project on pregnancy and type 1 diabetes in the next few months.

I also recommend the book "Balancing pregnancy with pre-existing diabetes" http://www.amazon.com/Balancing-Pregnancy-Pre-existing-Diabetes-Healthy/dp/1932603328

Welcome! And you got this! I love that you wrote "I have a hate relationship with it" regarding the manual car... that's how I feel about my husband's car :)

You are not alone and you can do this. Also... I'm a T1, so if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. There's also this amazing book that has been a lifesaver, I recommend it highly!! It is applicable for those who have T1 and T2. PM me if you have any questions.

I am reading this book - http://www.amazon.com/Balancing-Pregnancy-Pre-existing-Diabetes-Cheryl/dp/1932603328/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376231954&sr=8-1&keywords=balancing+pregnancy+with+pre-existing+diabetes

It is great!

Yep, I'm in a very similar situation. Currently working with my endo and just got the go-ahead to start trying, after getting my a1c where it needs to be after A LOT of work.

I was nervous about starting a family after I was diagnosed, but I found a great endo who has worked with pregnant T1s before and she's been fabulous about educating me and supporting me. OP, I recommend checking out Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-existing Diabetes if you're interested in hearing more about managing T1 with pregnancy.

Here's the book: Think Like a Pancreas: A Practical Guide to Managing Diabetes with Insulin--Completely Revised and Updated https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738215147/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_32I6wb343CAPD

I absolutely love my Dexcom. However I have insurance that pays for all durable medical equipment and I definitely wouldn't be able to afford the sensors otherwise. I do get 10-12 days out of one sensor though so it still may be worth you getting a price estimate from them!

I do have a child! Pregnancy with diabetes is far from trivial, but it is doable. You'd be amazed at the amount of motivation that appears out of nowhere once another life is involved! This is a good intro and reference to pregnancy with diabetes: Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-existing Diabetes: Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby https://www.amazon.com/dp/1932603328/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_d7I6wb4NHH7NZ . I also was hugely inspired by Kerry Sparling's blog, SixUntilMe. Look it up, she's amazing (and very real)!

First of all you are doing a great job. Write that down, stick it on the fridge, read it when you are feeling overwhelmed. You are doing a great job.

Second I recommend this book. As a type 1 it has been very helpful. One of my favorite highlighted passages: "The general risk of birth defects with well-controlled sugars is 2 percent." You can have a healthy baby and you are already doing a great job.