Hi all, I have been on the pump now for a little over a yr. I really had and still have to get myself in shape b-4 thinking of having a baby one day. Besides getting the A1c down to a 6 I am being told, what else do I need to work on to get into perfect pre-pregnancy shape? Has anyone passed this stage I am in? Any tips? I am so determined right now to get the sugars down so my A1c lowers. Thanks.
I hear you!! I just got married in August-- and we are anxious but not quite ready for our first pregnancy (not only because of my blood sugars, but also because of them).
I mentioned the idea to my doctor and she told me (nicely) to come back to her with the idea when my A1c is under 6. I have yet to have one under 7 (which is mostly lack of commitment on my part)… so I am ready to get serious!! I will get an A1c in two weeks-- if this one isn’t below 7, then some serious changes will have to take place.
SO I am with Jessica-- ALL recommendations are welcome!
It is so nice knowing that someone is in the same boat. I can say that my A1c dropped a big amount once I got onto the pump and a future pregnancy is why I am on it. I am still way too high and can’t remember when I was close to 7. I need to get serious and made it a point to begin a diet and exercise routine. Thanks for the reply. Keep me updated!
Good luck. I saw my biggest drop in A1Cs with CGMS, since my parents paid out of pocket I am now using a pump instead, since its covered to get lower, since marriage. I am using my diabetes as an excuse to not have babies, since I do not want children and that is hard to explain to people. Unfortunately my sister offers surogacy, so I will need a new excuse.
Just wanted to wish u all the best of luck!
I already have 2 wonderful kids, ages 14 & 12
and have been type 1 for 31 years now 
The hard work is so worth it!!
Good luck–I had a healthy baby boy nearly ten months ago after 29 years of type 1. It took me awhile to get pregnant, so I was keeping my blood sugars tight for a long time beforehand. I tested my sugar very frequently (before meals, one and two hours after, all throughout exercise, pre-bed, middle of the night at least once a night) and corrected accordingly. I also ate the same breakfast and lunch most days, which took out a lot of guesswork for carb counting. Once I got into a groove, I found, I just went with it.
I blogged about it at my site, Managing the Sweetness Within (www.thesweetnesswithin.blogspot.com) and during the pregnancy and pre-pregnancy, was an active blogger. You can do it—and the reward is worth it.
I had 2 healthy boys who are now 14 and 15 years old.I just made sure I had my sugars under controll and I was to test 2 hours after eating.I did it all on MDIs.The hard work was well worth it!
I’m absolutely thinking about pregnancy!!
Honestly, I can’t wait!
My hubby and I have been married for almost 2 years now and in my opinion it’s T-I-M-E.
As far as my readiness D-wise – my last A1C was 7.1 and that’s about the average for me. Not higher than 7.2 but not lower than 6.8, much to my aggravation.
And a while ago the Endo told me, without me saying anything about my loudly ticking baby clock, that as far as he was concerned we could get started. Yes, my husband almost passed out in the office.
Now, just bc my D-life is ready doesn’t mean we are…We’re both still in college, stuck in an apartment and I’ve also got another autoimmune disease, Adult Onset Stills Disease, that isn’t quite ready yet. I’m still on steroids and a few other meds that I can’t get pregnancy while on and I’ve got a bunch of weight, thanks to the steroids, that I want to get rid of first so that I can be as healthy as possible during a pregnancy.
So I’m watching what I eat and starting to work into the schedule an exercise routine so hopefully we’ll start trying in a little over a year from now….Needless to say, I’m counting the months!!
Sidenote…I’m pretty dissapointed with the lack of information available about T1’s and pregnancy. I’ve searched for books a few times and always end up dissapointed.
Hi,
YESS!!! I am planning for March. So far my doctor told me to bring my A1c down…which is so hard at times. I am always getting lows and I had a scare not to long ago. I have been married for almost three years now and I think it’s about time. Other than that my endo told me to start taking Folic acid. You should start taking this three months before you conceive and continue on during pregnancy and breastfeeding. I am also trying to exercise, eat well, and most importantly STAY HAPPY. How are you trying to bring your A1c down? How do you like the pump? I am still new to this insulin thing and I hate injecting myself four times a day. Sometimes I forget or I get too lazy 
but of course I need be healthy before I can even think of having a baby.
I just want to wish EVERYONE here the best of luck in this new venture. Keep your health in tack and watch the sugar levels. I do want to say besides my wife, being a Daddy is the most important thing in my life. She has made our lives complete but I do know that now I have to keep my levels right so that I can see her grow. Again, Good luck and know that our prayers are with you.
I just came across these sites-- with simple, but perhaps useful info:
http://www.diabeticlive.com/categories/Pregnancy/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-and-diabetes/DA00061
And the best (in my opinion):
http://www.diabeticmommy.com/article0001.html
You are all so wonderful, thanks for the stories and tips and websites. I too am upset that there is very little info on the subject. Looks like a lot of us can be in this together. Thanks again!!!
Thanks for the Folic Acid tip! Also, please get on a pump girl!! It was easy for me because my ins. covered it, but It is still worth all of the money in the world. I did it to get my A1c lowered so I could have a baby one day.Brought me from a ___get ready…A1c of a 14 to a 10 within a couple months. Now I am back to 11 and so frustrated. I have to learn to use it wiser and to get thoes bs tests in more often. If you have a lot of lows, I am sure your A1c is perfect for preg. I wish I could be there now, but I am taking it one day at a time. Keep me updated. March is a lucky month!!! I was born on the 18th. haha
Thanks Kristin, I have gone to Diabetic mommy but never tried the others. I will look into them soon. I am so thrilled to see all the posts on this topic. Good to see there are others who share a similar goal.
I just started a new group on tudiabetes on this topic. I nammed it Oh! Baby!!!
I had no idea other women did this! It is much easier to blame my complete lack of desire to raise children on my diabetes than to explain the reasons to people. However, I wonder how much harm we are doing our diabetic sisters in perpetuating the stereotype that diabetic women can’t have babies.
I think it is also important to remember that the other half of the baby-making machine can help you out with the D during pregnancy. I once read an article in a health magazine about how one mom made sure her blood sugar was tested twice every night while she was pregnant. How did she do that and get enough sleep? She had her husband do one of the tests for her and she slept right through it. If only I could remember which magazine that article was in…
Hey everyone-I just wanted to chime in. I am in the same boat-wanting to start a family and wanting my A1C lower. I am on a pump (for 7 months now) and unfortunately I haven’t seen my number go down but straight up! Could it be that I am silently stressed about the idea of being pregnant?? heheheeh
My last A1C was 7.5 and while my doctor didn’t seemed very worried, I am. I have scheduled another appt. with another doctor just to make sure I am getting the best care I can. THe last thing my CDE left me with was the comment that being a Type 1 it may be near impossible to get an A1C at or below 6!!! That’s not really the support I am looking for in a diabetes “team”. I realize that my health is my responsibility but I haven’t changed my habits since pumping and with shots my A1C was under 6.5 for 3 years. SO, I too will be looking at the sites continuing excercise, eating well and hoping that this year will be our year!
URgh!! I hate words like impossible…YOu can do it!!! and it might very well be possible that you are perhaps thinking about pregnancy and getting stressed…I went to the doctors yesterday and my A1c is 9.7 :@ I started crying because I am trying really hard, she told me i need to be at least a 7. But after a few hours i realized that it’'s not as important to have a child but it’s important to have a healthy one. I need to get on the pump as well but I am not sure if any private health insurance companies cover it in Canada. Does anyone know how much a pump costs if I bought it on my own? I know we can all do it, and sometimes venting and talking about it will help us all So let’s get our pens, or pumps and let’s get those numbers down 
Hi BPM–that’s a terrible thing for a CDE to say. I and many other type 1 women were able to have A1cs in the sixes and fives before and during pregnancy. Check out the yahoo group Positive Diabetic Pregnancies and test often and correct often and really be strict about carb counting and watching what you eat, and your numbers should go down.