I know that bloodsugars have to be *ideal* before contemplating pregnancy. Does anyone have any advice on an a1c number that should be attained?
My a1c about 4 months ago was 6.5. I just got it done again and it went a ways up to 7.4. In my defense, the last 3-4 months contained a wedding, a honeymoon, holidays, and various circumstances at work that made my job considerably more stressful. Still, I know that I have been lax and I have to get back on track. Anyway, I had an endo appointment today. He knew that I had recently gotten married and asked if I planned on pregnancy. I told him not in the near future (which is true) and his response was "good". I didn't ask him to elaborate on that, but that one word answer made me fearful that I will never be in tight enough control for pregnancy.
I have always been nervous contemplating pregnancy as a type 1 diabetic, afraid of what may happen if I'm not in tight enough control... any advice? Thanks.
For many endos, you need to be under six. My endo wanted me under 6.5. I was at 6.5 before like you, but right before we wanted to start trying it went up to 6.8 and my endo told me that we can start trying. During pregnancy my A1c was between 6-6.5. So it sounds like you will easily be asked to have good enough control when you are ready. My endo would not have been ok with me starting trying at 7.4 either. But wedding etc is a fine excuse - congrats by the way!
Hi there, I've stuck to a 6.3 throughout pregnancy )31 weeks now) and everyone's happy with that here... they commented to me that if I went to a <6.0 they'd be worried that I was hypoing too frequently. Different strokes for different folks, but that's what the story is in my neck of the woods. Good luck!
I believe my a1c was 5.9 but I wasn't planning to be pregnant at the time. I think ideally a good range to be would be at or around 6. If you become pregnant and weren't planning it and your a1c is on the high side, there is always help to try to get it in good range. There's even maternal fetal specialists that can help. The medical field sometimes tends to scare diabetics and make them feel like there's no way they can have a heathly pregnancy which of course isn't true in most cases. I think you will be able to get to a good a1c just fine.
Every Endo is different, but mine, and my obgyn said to be under 7 in order to start trying and then to just keep improving it. I was 6. 7 when I got pregnant, and then it varied but was mostly under 6.5 but no lower than 6 and I had a very healthy baby!
My endo at the Joslin Diabetes Center wanted me under 7, as close to 6 as possible. I usually hover between 5.8-6.1 but had to "prove it" by staying in that range for about 6 months before she gave me the green light (I had been previously seeing another endo before switching to her).
Kate (mom to Mia, 3, and baby boy on the way in June)
When I decided to get pregnant, I was very concerned with all little details and my A1C level. My endo said that having A1C around 6.5 is fine. I was able to maintain mine around 6-5.8 for more than a year before conceiving. I was 5.3 when I was about 2 month pregnant. What really helps me maintain my BS and A1C is swimming every other day, and I can eat something with more carbs in it like sour dough bread an hour before I start my excercise :)
Thanks everyone! These replies do make me feel a bit about this. My a1c has usually been in the 6.5-7.5 range, which I always thought was ok because it's been about 22 years now and no complications or any problems (knock on wood!). Having an a1c of 5 sounds to me like I would not be able to do anything but think about my diabetes. I am so happy to hear that a lot of you have had a1cs of 6 or a little higher and still managed to have happy healthy babies.
I have to agree with everyone- every endo is different. When I conceived (planned) I was 5.8. My pregnancy a1c's ranged from 4.9-5.8, mostly hanging out in the 5.3 range. Historically my a1c's for the year or so prior to that had been 6.1-7.1, and I recall getting the "green light" around 6.5. BTW throughout my entire pregnancy my endo believed my a1c's were actually too low and he spent a good deal of time trying to convince me to raise it slightly... I'm a bit of a noncompliant patient. But I have a perfect baby boy now! :D
I had an endo appt today actually, and pregnancy is a BIG topic on my mind right now. In Sept, my A1C was 7.3; today, 6.9, and I was given the blessing to start trying if I wanted, or wait and see if A1C drops a bit more. "Under 7, between 6 and 6.5 if you can do it" was the guideline I was given for when I could start trying.
It's sad that your endo didn't elaborate; he could have just meant "good" as in "good, you and your husband ought to enjoy your time together a bit before adding a baby to your family."
Contemplating diabetes + pregnancy has been making me very anxious for a while now too. But I just finished reading Cheryl Alkon's book, "Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-Existing Diabetes" and it really eased my mind a lot. I would recommend getting a copy of the book, and also checking out her blog, thesweetnesswithin.blogspot.com.
I couldn't answer this when it was asked because I was about to take a new A1C but when I got pregnant, my A1C was a whopping 9.7 - yikes!! When I found out I was pregnant, I soon decided to get on an insulin pump because I struggled so much during my last pregnancy with many many shots trying to keep my bg under control. I just got my first A1c result since having the pump and it's down to a 5.4 in nearly 3 months which makes me very happy. I had it down to a 5.1 in my last pregnancy so I'm hoping the next one will be even better. I am now 20 weeks. I worried a lot in the first weeks about birth defects. I am considered "advanced maternal age" at 38. My husband has a son with down's and I have a son with a severe congenital heart defect so with all of these risks I had the nuchal fold translucency done at 12 weeks that showed no abnormality and my lab numbers looked very good. I also had the quad screen and subsequent scan that showed the same. I will have a fetal echo done next week but we've already seen all 4 chambers of the heart and my perinatologist insisted I stop worrying and said it was an order.
At dx in June 2011 I was at 11.3%. I told my doctor I wanted to have a "normal" A1c and when I did I wanted to proceed with seeing a reproductive endocrinologist (been battling "unexplained infertility" for 8 years)... He said, ok. I told him 6 months! ha! He laughed and said, ok we'll see where you are in six months. In December I was at 6.0% so he gave me the name of his friend, the reproductive endo! ha ha!! Yeehaw. So... I just have to make an appointment now!! GOOD LUCK!!!
When I got pregnant, my a1c was 7.9. (my Endo wanted it in the 5's...its a wonder she didn't fire me as a patient) I would just say that,you should def.follow your docs recommendations..but if it happens,unplanned, don't freak out. My a1c's were in the mid to upper 6's for much of the pregnancy.(would I have like an a1c in the 5's, yes, but I would have had severe hypos(I have a history of them) and surviving the pregnancy was important as well.) You do the best you can do.(after I I found out I was pregnant,I think it was easier to drop the a1c,due in part to morning sickness.Again,this is just my experience.) Best of luck to you.(my son was born w/out any birth defects,totally perfect)
I am in a preconception program right now through the sweet success program at California Pacific Medical Foundation. They have a great program to help you get on track to get your A1C down and get ready for pregnancy. The goal they set for me is under 6.5, once I reach that I can start trying. I have been doing the program now for 3 months and my A1C has come down from 8.9 to 7.8, so I still have a ways to go. I really like the program though cause it keeps me accountable, I have to talk with a nurse weekly and go in for appts every 2 weeks. It is similar to what they make you do when you are preggers, so it is good training. If your doc/hospital has a sweet success pregnancy program, I highly recommend looking into it- even in the preconception phase cause they will really help you out and get you to the best possible place before conception. Good luck to you!
