I would like nothing more than to start a family with my partner but i am terrified that our child/children will be born with or develop diabetes. I dont know how my mum coped bringing me up but she did an amazing job and the love and respect for her will never go but im scared that i wont be able to cope. Ive tried to find facts and figures about type 1 diabetic mums having children with diabetes but not much luck, i would like to know a percentage like 70% will carry this on to their children etc. I would hate myself for bringing a child into the world who is going to suffer like i have. Any advice is welcome. Thank you.
Wow, you sound exactly like my wife and I. My daughter is 10 months old and I was diagnosed when she was 5 months old. I am so scared she will be type 1 also. I think I read that if a parent is Type one the child has a 4% chance of being a Type 1. Now that we know I am type 1 I am scared to have another child. I just don’t know. If we decide to have another I am going to try when my sugars are completely normal when I get up at 80-90 (not sure if that helps or not but figure its better than trying if I am 200). I feel so bad for parents that have children that have Type1 that can’t understand why they are being pricked with needles.
I’m a type 1 diabetic with 3 children, ages 6, 9 and 12. So far, knock wood, no diabetes in any of them. They have all tested negative for the antibodies at this point. I am the only person in my family, on both sides, going back to 3rd cousins, who has diabetes. At least as far as I’ve been told, and I’ve been asking.
The last figure I read was that a mom with type 1 has a less than 5% chance of having a child with diabetes. To me, those are odds you can bank on.
I felt like thumbing my nose at diabetes after I had my kids. I won’t lie, a diabetic pregnancy is tough, but so worth it. And if one of my kids does develop diabetes, oh well. I’ll feel guilty, that’s for sure, but in the big scheme of things, I can live with it. My kids have brought me so much joy and aggravation, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Thanks for replying Rich, i know this probably sounds selfish but i just dont want to be responsable for causing a child so much pain and suffering, yet i would like to give my partner our first child. Its a horrible situation to be in, but i think like you say it is wise to only go ahead if your sugars are normal. Please forgive me, im in England and dont understand 80-90 ???
Wow Cara - you sound like a super mum! Its nice to hear you have 3 children none of whom are diabetic. Do you mind me asking - how are your children with their mums diabetes? Do they understand it?
Oh sorry, that is how our blood sugars are measured. They are stable numbers. I don’t want to be responsible either for a child having diabetes. I am 30 so I can deal with it pretty much no problem, but a child shouldn’t have to deal with it. But in the end we may just risk it and have another. One thing for sure, no flu shots. I firmly believe me getting my first ever flu shot caused my diabetes.
Ive never had a flu shot anyway, i know we should every year but i dont want any extra injections! Well im 22 and my partner is very supportive and i guess we’ve got lots of time but this issue isn’t going away. Thanks for your replys Rich - as a new member of this site they are much appreciated.
There is a genetic factor, but also a strong non-genetic factor: only 30-50% of identical twins share T1D. There is a laundry list of ‘stats’ here based on a number of factors: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/genetics-of-diabetes.
But the true probability of your children having T1D is very individual and can’t be calculated. In addition to the wildcard environmental contribution, it’s controlled by many different genes, and can occur with many different combinations of genes. It also depends on what your partner brings to the table – they could be carrying diabetes risk genes or possibly even protective genes – and that is many times an unknown factor.
So, don’t beat your head against the wall trying to figure it all out. Assume a 100% risk and ask yourself this question: what if your mom/dad was diabetic and chose not to have children? You would not have been born. Would you rather live with T1D, or never have been born at all? I am not at the stage of asking myself this question yet, but I think a child is just as blessed to come into this world whether they have D or not and see no need to take an emotionally expensive guilt trip over it. Though I can see the other side and the desire to consider alternatives such as adoption as well! Very important decision, I wish you the best of luck!
Thanks for the reply Tom, you touch on some good questions at the end there, really got me thinking now LOL.
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/genetics-of-diabetes.html
This is a good link to read about your risk factors. I can totally relate to your tug of war on whether or not to have children. Since I was thought to have gestational diabetes shortly after I became pregnant with my first child, the destiny of me having a child was already decided for me. I’ll spare you my diagnosis story. You can feel free to read about it on my blog. But I made the decision to have another child. There are times I feel guilty…that maybe it was selfish, but I also see that my daughter has someone to grow up with and a sibling to share her life with. That was important to me. I have lots of brothers and sisters…there are 9 of us. I also want to add that My father is a type 1 who was also diagnosed late in life. I am the only child to have it and have never once questioned my father for having children while knowing he was diabetic.
I haven’t had them tested. I don’t want it on their records, some insurance companies are counting it as a pre-existing condition, but more importantly I want them to have a life unhindered by my own fears.
Good luck. 
I struggle with the same thing. I’ve realized though that so many kids (and adults) are getting Diabetes now, that I’m not sure I should even be worried about it. It seems to me that there really is no rhyme or rhythm as to why certain people get it and others don’t. My sister and I are the only 2 people in our family for the past few generations that have Type I Diabetes. Really, there is no way of telling if we will pass it on to our children, so there is no sense in worrying about something you can’t control. 
I’ll admit, I do have to remind myself of all of this constantly. It’s still a scary though.
I think… not to make light of the fear of having kids who develop Diabetes, because I am scared of it myself… but we also have to understand that having kids is also a big risk, in and of itself. We make ourselves vulnerable to soooo much. It is, in many ways, a Russian roulette, having a healthy child… And not just because of things like Diabetes… We don’t know, and can’t possibly know, what all our family’s genetics are. Having a kid involves great courage, it seems to me… From the people I see dealing with all kinds of issues, myriad of health conditions, to the people who see their kids grow up and make awful decisions, and possibly die before their time… I am glad people are giving you some sensible advise about the genetics of Type 1 Diabetes and kids, and I agree with them… But know that having kids is a big risk and that we need to consider everything, and be prepared for all the joys and love from that, as well as the hurts. When we accept that that comes with the territory, no matter if we have Diabetes, than we can be courageous enough to have kids, in my humble opinion… I don’t think I have much of that courage, yet.