I went round to visit a friend of mine today – a type one diabetic friend who in September this year had her first baby.
Now, I can’t speak for anyone but myself – but as a woman of a certain age, whose friends are now starting to have children, I’ve put a bit of thought into how this might be achieved with a chronic condition like diabetes. I’ve done a bit of reading: frankly it sounds bloody hard, unpredictable, high maintenance, risky work. Not only that, but if the scaremongering on the internet is to be believed:
A recent study showed that both types of diabetes greatly increase the risk of complications during pregnancy. The study revealed that baby deaths were four times greater for women with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Also, babies born to diabetic women had twice the rate of major birth defects, like defects in the heart and nervous systems, than in the average population.
…. it’s almost a surprise that any women with diabetes even have the guts to try getting pregnant and safely carrying a baby to full term.
However – I am sure there are women all the time who, with the right control and right dedication, have healthy pregancies and give birth to equally healthy babies.
My friend is a fantastic example – I am so proud of her. After many many MANY months of hard work preparing herself and getting her blood sugars to the right level, then focussing an extreme amount of attention on her health and BG control over nine months of pregnancy, she now has a beautiful baby boy. It’s just awesome to see that despite all the conservatism in the medical information on the internet, with a lot of hard work and dedication us pancreatically challenged people can make a go of motherhood too. Three cheers to that lady!
Posted in Pregnancy
Tagged as Pregnancy
This post has 3 comments so far. Add yours here, or trackback from your own site.
3 comments have been made on this post
Kris wrote
Just wanted to thank you for this blog. As a mum of a 6 year old Type 1 daughter, it is great to hear about the trials and tribulations of Type 1s who are living their lives and seem like great people despite the difficulties they have to face. It gives me hope for her future which you don’t always get from the Paediatric Diabetes staff at Greenlane! It is especially great that the blog is a New Zealand one so I know what you’re referring to (unlike the many American ones). Even though it isn’t me who has diabetes, because of my daughter’s age I have to do most of the management & it is a hellishly hard job! So congratulations on managing your diabetes, holding down a fancy job, having a home life, AND writing a blog!
Nic wrote
Hi Kris – thanks so much for your comments, it makes doing the blog all that more worthwhile (that is the whole point of the blog, to help other New Zealanders – I too found the American sites useful to a point but still foreign). I was talking to my type one friend’s partner on the weekend when I visited and he mentioned he’d like to hear more about how partners cope with diabetes in their partner, and I think equally (if not more) importantly, we should talk about how parents fare. It must be really worrying and frustrating at times. My Mum is going to write a piece for the blog soon, so keep an eye out for it!
Thanks again.
Nic
PS – our jobs aren’t really that fancy
Lucy wrote
I agree with Kris, thank you for your blog Nic, it is so helpful and reassuring to feel less alone. I thought it might be useful to share my own pregnancy and Type 1 experience. During that time I really wished I had someone to talk to who was going through or had been through it. I did beat myself up about my control for much of my pregnancy.
It took me almost a year to get pregnant, which was not easy on the relationship or my morale. Of course you have the worries about being infertile on top of having diabetes. I started on a basic pump at the start of that year and I dont know about other people but for me any kind of change in diabetes therapy creates anxiety and fear. I hated being on a pump for months and spent much of the time swinging between highs and lows. When I finally got the hang of it I loved it and have now bought a Cozmo pump.
Pregnancy was not easy and I do envy people who can get pregnant and not have the constant challenge of keeping stable blood sugars. Having a diabetes midwife intimately involved in your life can often feel confronting and it is easy to feel you are failing. I felt immense guilt every time I had a high sugar, which I eventually found out is not the end of the world. With hard work, patience and persistance my blood sugars were under control for most of my pregnancy and I had the best control of my life. My HBA1c was at 5.7 for the second half of the pregnancy. My Dr at the hospital was brilliant and she really seemed to understand the psychological and emotional pressures. I was induced at 38 weeks. My labour was difficult but I understand that was for the most part not related to my diabetes. I had a beautiful 100% healthy boy at 8 lbs 4. He has been a very easy content baby and is thriving. With good control and the support of knowledgable family members, the diabetes team and I think a buddy who has been through the experience, a healthy pregnancy and baby is achievable. The one thing i would change about my experience is that I did not have any one like that to talk to who had been through it. I guess I want you to know that even though it was a bumpy road, it is the most excitng and rewarding experience. I am looking foward to the next one.