Diabetes 1 and the desire to become pregnat. What you should be aware of

If you have diabetes and at the same time want to get pregnant, the key word is planning. Because you can easily have a good pregnancy and have a healthy and fast child, but it just requires… well, planning

Well-regulated blood sugar before and during pregnancy

When you or you and your partner agree that you want pregnancy, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor at the outpatient clinic 3-6 months before possible pregnancy. It is important to be well regulated, and in the last three months before pregnancy, the blood sugar should ideally be between 4-7 mmol/l and the long-term blood sugar should be below 53 mmol/l. High blood sugar levels can damage fetal development, and in weeks 3-8 the organs are laid out, so high blood sugar levels can therefore cause malformations. At the outpatient clinic, in addition to getting help with blood sugar regulation, you will also get help to avoid low blood sugar and ensure that there are stable conditions in the kidneys and eyes and that you are not taking medication that could harm the fetus. It is recommended that you consume 400 mg of folic acid daily 1-3 months before pregnancy, as it helps to reduce the risk of malformations, among other things.

Possible complications for fetus and mother

Most complications for mother and fetus are due to high blood sugar and high blood pressure

In the fetus, the most common complications are:

Deformities

Obese fetus

Premature birth

Oxygen deficiency

These complications are most often seen in the mother:

Preeclampsia. To help reduce this risk, all women with diabetes are therefore offered 150 mg heart magnyl daily from week 10 until week 36

Worsening of diabetic eye changes Insulin cases (severely low blood sugar)

Increased blood sugar

Referral to pregnancy clinic

Once you have become pregnant, your diabetes clinic or your doctor will refer you to the nearest pregnancy clinic, which will follow you for the rest of your pregnancy. In Denmark, there are pregnancy clinics for diabetics at Rigshospitalet, Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg University Hospital and Odense University Hospital. On the first visit to the clinic by pregnant women with diabetes, you will, among other things, be scanned to establish the pregnancy and have your blood pressure measured, and then you will probably have a lot of appointments for the next several months, where you will be followed closely to ensure best possible for you and your child.

Below you can see examples of a timeline for pregnant diabetics Aalborg University Hospital

During pregnancy, the long-term blood sugar target will be Hba1C of less than 53 mmol/l before pregnancy Hba1C of less than 48 mmol/l until the 20th week of pregnancy Hba1C below 38 mmol/l after 20 weeks Download the app” Pregnant with Diabetes here

See our selection of ovulation tests here:  Ægløsningstests – Gravidtid and see our pregnancy tests: Graviditetstests – Gravidtid

Sources: Aalborg University Hospital, Diabetes Association, Sundhed.dk