hi all,
I am just trying to learn about what it takes to have a healthy pregnancy with t1. What are some of the common recommendations for A1c and BG ranges during the pre-conception period? I imagine that there are many opinions and I’m just curious what they are… What is realistic to expect?
Cheers,
Anne
my endo recommends an A1c under 6.
For BS, I have to be less than 100 fasting, less than 155 1 hour after meals.
Kate
Hey, I’ve just been told in the UK that BGs should be between 3.5 which is US 63-and 5.5 which is US 99 non fasting and up to 7.8 which is 140 one-two hours after eating…VERY hard work or impossible for me! Dee x
also! When pregnant (according to my endo), a low is considered 59 or under.
My endo wanted as close to 6 as possible prior to becoming pregnant. I’m in my third trimester and have a 5.4. The beginning of your pregnancy it’s EASY… i swear that’s how I knew I was pregnant. My blood sugars were to good to be true.
In regards to my BS… fasting goal is 95 or less… 1 hour after meals 140 or less… hope this helps!
Hey Anne, Iv got a 9 week healthy baby boy, and my endo told me between 4mmol-5.5mmol when you wake up and the rest of the day, under 7mmol. always checking 2 hours after eating, i tested more often to be safe.
Through out the whole pregnany my hba1c was between 5.3 and 6. My endo was extremley happy with my efforts.
I will admit though its not easy. make sure you record everything! lol thats the only advce i could give.
good luck
xox
Hi Anne,
My endo recommended I shoot for an a1c of 6 before trying to concieve…I was at 6.2 when we started trying. My a1c since getting pregnant has stayed between 5.4 and 5.6 (the baby really does give you extra motivation to stay on track, I swear!).
Also, she had me get used to the pregnancy blood sugar ranges…BGs of 60-90 being what I was to shoot for. This was hard at first since I often felt low but was in range…however I soon got used to it and the hypo feeling went away. My doctor also targets a BG of 120 or under 2 hours after eating.
Basically anything that I was planning on doing during pregnancy, they had me practice during the pre-conception period!
Good Luck!!!
My doctor’s were pleased with my overall control prior to getting pregnant - my A1C’s were always in the low to mid 6’s so as long as I stayed that way, I was fine to try. Once I got pregnant, though, I immediately saw an increase in my blood sugars. It took lots of adjustments to keep my A1C’s under 6.5 - I was always hungry!!! My goal was to be 70-90 pre-meals and under 160 post meals most of the pregnancy. My daughter was born 8 weeks ago and is a very healthy and happy approx. 10 lb. girl! (check up is this coming week) She was born at 7 lbs 12 ounces.
Wow! I can’t imagine getting my A1c under 6! I’ve been thinking about trying to get pregnant within the next year and joined this group to get an idea of what I’d be getting into. My last A1C was 6.7, which is one of my lowest ever. I wear a sensor, the pump, and check up to 10x per day. I’ve been to several doctors and every single one says I’m “brittle.” Do you think an A1C in the 6 to 7 range would do? Also, is it easier to lower your levels when pregnant? I’ve heard some people say that their blood sugar gets better when pregnant, but I’m not sure if that’s true.
When preparing for becoming pregnant with my son (who is now 4 1/2), my targets were this:
A1c below 6
fasting bg below 90
post meal blood sugars (1 1/2 hour from first bite of meal) below 120
I had to maintain this for three months and supplementing with folic acid which is very important in early pregnancy. I believe I took a prescription prenatal vitamine for that, but I’m sure you use an over the counter one.
When I was pregnant, blood sugars were considered low below 60 because the blood sugars in pregnant women without diabetes are lower (or so my endo said to me, I go to the Naomi Diabetes Center).
My son was born at 38 weeks, was 7lbs and 3/4 oz. and his blood sugar was just fine when born. It’s a dicipline, but the motivation is much more driving than you realize now and so worth in the end.
Best wishes in your journey.
My doc says below 7. 70-90 fasting. 140 one hour post meal. 120 two hours post meals. the cgm helps with this a lot.
My doctor wants an A1c under 6.5 before trying to conceive with the plan to be under 6 during pregnancy (she said that women usually see a decrease during pregnancy). This is my doctor in Hungary – my endo when I lived in the USA also said under 6.
I actually feel that my A1cs in Hungary are higher even with the same blood sugar levels – I have been wondering about how standardized the A1c scales are.
My last A1c was 6.7 – and she said close enough because I have had two near normal fructosamine levels, which tells the average of the past 2-3 weeks.
Kim – have you checked what your average and standard deviations are? I have read that sometimes people have naturally higher A1cs. If you have good meter averages and standard deviations are good, you might consider trying before you get to 6, if your endo agrees.
My endo wants under 6 DURING pregnancy, but is ready to let patients start trying at 6.5 because in her experience these women get under 6 once pregnant.
Also, check if you had a fructosamine test. If you are one of those people with an inflated A1c, then perhaps the fructosamine will be helpful.
Early in pregnancy your bloodsugars may act very strange… mine did but in a very good way. My A1C prior to becoming pregnant/ prior to trying was much higher ( 6.7) then what occured in my first trimester. The beginning of pregnancy is really easy. You may even find yourself needing less insulin.
I’m in my third trimester and it has been a roller coster. I am on a 1/3 carb ration and am taking 4 x what I took before I became pregnant. However, even with all the ups and downs my A1C which came back yesterday 5.2 5.2! This is lower then it has ever been in my entire life… and I have been a diabetic since the age of 3.
Hi, I’m 15 weeks pregnant tomorrow and I have so many questions to ask to you guys.
I’m really concerned about my BG/A1C levels. Before I was pregnant my A1c was at 6.7, then 6.4, and then 5.3 (I was really happy with that one), but after that it came the 4,5 - what?? I was really in shock, I’ve never had an A1c that low, ever. I was in panic. My endo said that I was having too many lows, althougt I thougt I had more highs than lows… well. Last one, almost 3 weeks ago it was at 4,9.
By BG levels are not very stable, althougt my day average is in the 100-130, I have almost every day a high value and a low one. Does that happen to you guys to? I’m trying so hard to get my BGs under control but that’s definitely not a walk in the park. I’m not always using the CGM, my endo says that it’s not necessary to always use it, just a week per month, and also I’m paying here in Portugal 75€ (95US$) per sensor, so… but I’m really thinking about if it’s not worthy. I have the Minimed pump and CGM. And I’m seeing my blood sugar something like 18-20 times a day.
What do you guys think about my values? It’s my first pregnancy, so I’m really freaking out over here.
Célia
i was told that anything below a 7 is considered safe for conception, but the lower the better. i was at 6.0 at conception and my last a1c was 5.7, taken in the first trimester. i aim for 60-100 pre-meal, and 140 1 hour post-meal, which is often very tough to hit as a max.
My doctors agreed with what most say here, and I shot for that, but I found that the 140 at 1 hour post meal was usually impossible for me. I would have a 120 at 2 hours and a great fasting BG, but I was in the 160-180 range at 1 hour more often than not. Pregnancy was smooth, baby was perfectly healthy, and A1c was never over 6.0. So aim for tight control, but also be realistic. I didn’t WANT to be over 140, but I learned that, for me and my body, a little wiggle room was necessary.
Hmm…what is a fructosamine test? My last A1C was 6.7 and the time before that it was 6.4. I’m having tons of lows right now, so it may be under 6.5 again. I don’t want to get pregnant until the spring or summer…I’m afraid my A1C will go up again before then.
Heck, during your WHOLE pregnancy your numbers are all outta wack! 
Fructosamine test is a test for a 2-3 week blood sugar average. Click here for more info. I’m not sure if it is used commonly in the USA, but it is used here in Hungary in addition to the A1c. Comparing the two can show if your A1c is on it’s way down or up.