Anyone else TTC and diabetic

[Rachel]

Is there anyone else out there who is diabetic and trying to conceive? My husand and I have been trying to conceive for the past year and a half with no luck. I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 in OCt 2009.
We have seen a fetility specialist and could go the IVF route but I would like to get my health under control and my weight down before we dish out the large sums of money to do IVF. I also keep hoping every month that it will happen naturally. Anyway, it would be great to start a buddy group here for those TTC.

[Quest]

Hi Rachel welcome on board, I'm hoping one of the ladies will respond to you in the meantime I found a couple of links that may be of help;

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/women ... -carb.html

http://www.womens-health.co.uk/Eating-C ... ility.html

Regards
Graham

[Spiral]

Welcome aboard, Rachel.

I'm not trying to concieve, but I have been pregant. There are a few mums with small children who post here. I had gestational diabetes in my second pregancy, and diagnosed as T2 12 years later, and I gave birth to a rather large baby, at 8 1/2 pounds, a month early. My midwife said that he'd probbaly have been arounf 11 lbs if he'd stayed for the full 40 weeks

As far as getting pregnant, there are things you can do that will increase your chances of conception. Getting your diabetes under good control will minimise the risks for you and you baby when you do get pregant. Low carbing is a great way of doing both these things, as well as fueling you body with some good quailty nutrition. Starting a pregancy in good health starts waaaaaaaaaaaaay before conception and involves both you and your husband - he needs to make sure his swimmers are in good condition too.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your diet and I'm sure we can help you to get your numbers down.

Also, how well do you know your body and monthly cycle? If you know how your body works and how to tell when you are most fertile you can maxinise you chances of conception.

[Rachel]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I was newly diagnosed with type 2 in October. It was very scary and has kicked my butt into taking action about my health. The Endocrinogist that my gp refered me too is very thorough and schedules appointments every six weeks so there is no slacking off for me. My A1c in November was 6.1 and I hope that it is down to the low 5 range when I get retested in a couple of weeks. I have been doing low carb at the recommendation of my Endo although it took me awhile to ease into it. Since Oct I have lost about 70 pounds through doing low carb and working out a ton. for the past four months I have worked out for at least an hour 6 to 7 days a week. Currenty I'm on Glumetza (slow release metformin) 1500 mg, Crestor for cholesterol, Labetalol for blood pressure and 50,000 iu of vit D2 a week. I also take preg vit folic 5 and fish oil. I hope to go off some of this medication after my next doctor's appointment. I've recently read "Dr. Bernstein's diabetes solution" and found it very helpful in understanding this illness and how to manage blood glucose so as to avoid complications. He avocates a strict low carb diet. I've also read "taking charge of your fertility" and know fertility signs and have charted my cycle for many months using basal body temperature. Despite my issues I have a very regular cycle and ovulate on my own btwn day 13 and 15 of my cycle. When my husband and I saw the fertility specialist, my husband seems to be the one with fertility issues rather than me. He has low morphology. This would likely improve if he lost weight. I'm well aware of the need for the other partner in the equation to be as healthy as possible but I'm sick of trying to get him to do something, exercise and not eat junk. The more I nag him the more he will act in unhealthy ways just to spite me. His health has however improved as I'm the cook and I just make low carb things although I will sometimes make rice or potatoes for him. For the junk food I tell him he is on his own if he wants it he will have to go out and get it. Anyways it would be helpful if there are some other people on this board who are TTC and we could connect with each other.

[hanadr]

Rachel
I remember one top tennis player, of an earlier generation than me,( I don't remember which one) saying she ad found it difficult to get pregnant, who had to reduce her exercise, because she was causing very early miscarriages each time she conceived. It's worth checking.
If your husband needs to lose weight to improve his fertility, nothing works like a highly nutritious low carb diet. It works better for men than for women.
Hana