I have 2 children and have had gestational diabetes with both. I recently found out after having my second child that the gestational diabetes has turned into Type 2 Diabetes. I was wanting one more child before i call it quits. Does anyone know if it would be safe to have another child with this condition?
Absolutely, yes, you can have a safe pregnancy! I’m on my 2nd and I’ve been a type 2 diabetic since before either pregnancy. Here’s what you really need to know:
– get your blood sugars under control before conceiving. Have your blood sugar tested every 3 months with something called a hemoglobin A1C test. This is an average of your sugars over 3 months. You need that to be about 5.5 before conceiving. The reason is that when it comes to pregnancy, the first 8 weeks are the most important for having controlled blood sugars.
– tell whoever is treating your diabetes that you are planning on more children. If you don’t have an endocrinologist, this is the perfect time to get one. Even your PCP can order this test, but you will have to arm yourself with knowledge about diabetes and pregnancy if you don’t have a specialist.
- you will be considered high risk. However, it’s all about those blood sugars. If you keep them normal you are just like any non-diabetic pregnant woman statistically.
– lastly, I should warn you…pregnancy will most likely make your diabetes worse. Just as you didn’t have gestational diabetes after your first child, but did after the second. Pregnancy puts wear and tear on the endocrine system. I was a diabetic but controlled without medications before pregnancy – after, I couldn’t get off the medicine entirely even though I lost more than my baby weight. So do keep that in mind, that it will take a toll on YOUR health.
Good luck!
I think that if you decide you want another one you need to find an OB that specializes in high risk pregnancies. It can be a very difficult pregnancy but if you have a good doctor and you really and truly take care of yourself then your pregnancy can be fine. I would say to meet with the high risk doc before getting pregnant that way they can tell you what you can expect.
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24 wks pregnant.
Absolutely, yes, you can have a safe pregnancy! I’m on my 2nd and I’ve been a type 2 diabetic since before either pregnancy. Here’s what you really need to know:
– get your blood sugars under control before conceiving. Have your blood sugar tested every 3 months with something called a hemoglobin A1C test. This is an average of your sugars over 3 months. You need that to be about 5.5 before conceiving. The reason is that when it comes to pregnancy, the first 8 weeks are the most important for having controlled blood sugars.
– tell whoever is treating your diabetes that you are planning on more children. If you don’t have an endocrinologist, this is the perfect time to get one. Even your PCP can order this test, but you will have to arm yourself with knowledge about diabetes and pregnancy if you don’t have a specialist.
- you will be considered high risk. However, it’s all about those blood sugars. If you keep them normal you are just like any non-diabetic pregnant woman statistically.
– lastly, I should warn you…pregnancy will most likely make your diabetes worse. Just as you didn’t have gestational diabetes after your first child, but did after the second. Pregnancy puts wear and tear on the endocrine system. I was a diabetic but controlled without medications before pregnancy – after, I couldn’t get off the medicine entirely even though I lost more than my baby weight. So do keep that in mind, that it will take a toll on YOUR health.
Good luck!
References :