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Namita I am a diabetic 34 yrs old, and would like to know if it is safe to have a baby , recently my husband was also diagnosed with diabetes . What are the probablilities of having a normal baby . My HbAic is 8 but am working hard to control it . I am on Insulin presently

First let me say I am glad you are working hard to control your blood glucose. HbA1C of 8 is still too high. Under 6 would be better and is achievable. I am guessing there are still too many high glycemic carbohydrates in your diet. The usual calprits are white bread, white rice, sugar, fruit juices, honey, proccessed foods and highly proccessed flours. These abundant in pre-packaged foods. Try the Diabetic Diet analysis offered from this site to learn what I think is the proper nutrient mix for diabetics.

You did not say whether you are a Type 1 or type 2 diabetic. My understanding is  the hereditary risk factors are different. Diabetes is considered hereditary. With both you and your husband being diabetic there is a strong probability you will pass this hereditary pre-disposition for diabetes on to your baby. This becomes a personal choice. If you chose to become pregnant I feel you have an added responsibility to teach your child to eat right to avoid diabetic complications later in life.

Pregnancy is considered risky for the 1.85 million U.S. women of childbearing age who have diabetes. But women with preexisting diabetes are almost as likely as women without the disorder to have a healthy baby as long as their blood sugar levels remain normal before and throughout pregnancy.

Women with poorly controlled diabetes in the early weeks of pregnancy are two to four times more likely than women without diabetes to have a baby with a serious birth defect, such as a heart defect or a neural tube defect. They also have an increased risk of miscarriage and stillbirth as well as increased risk of having a very large baby (10 pounds or more), which makes vaginal delivery more difficult and puts the baby at risk for injuries during birth.

If you have diabetes and you want to have a baby, you should see your doctor before you plan to conceive and establish good blood sugar control. If you have good blood sugar control around the time of conception, your risk of having a baby with a birth defect is nearly the same as that of women without diabetes.
If you take oral medications to control your diabetes, you'll need to use insulin instead, both before and during pregnancy, as these oral medications may cause birth defects. You should take a multivitamin. Your doctor also may increase your daily dosage of folic acid above the recommended 400 micrograms that all women planning pregnancy should take to help reduce the risk of birth defects.

You'll need frequent prenatal visits to adjust your diet and insulin as pregnancy progresses, and you'll need to check your blood sugar levels at home several times a day.

There are dietary strategies on our site that can help you maintain good glucose control. One additionmal dietary consideration is omega 3 EPA/DHA. Numerous studies have concluded that mothers with good levels of omega 3 EPA/DHA have stronger,healthier, smarter babies.

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Toma Grubb

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