Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes


 2017-02-09

Over 130 million women give birth each year and for women with type 1 diabetes, while the risks and challenges are of course magnified, the reality is that you can absolutely successfully navigate the before and after phases of pregnancy. At Beyond Type 1, you’ll find resources for each stage of your pregnancy and whatever risks you may face along the way.

Having a community of women with type 1 diabetes who understands the ups and downs of pregnancy is invaluable. Join the Pregnancy + Type 1 group for pregnant women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) on the Beyond Type 1 app for additional support.

Clinical Information


BEFORE & DURING PREGNANCY

Pregnancy Overview — Before and After


Type 1 pregnancy. The resources are not robust and in many cases you will have to be your own advocate — you will have to fight to maintain control of BGLs.MORE

Type 1 Pregnancy Risks and How to Minimize Them


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CGM Proves a Vital Tool in Healthy Pregnancy


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Books on Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes


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Checking Your Blood Sugar During Pregnancy with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes


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Benefits of Using a Dexcom G7 CGM During Pregnancy


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DELIVERY & POSTPARTUM

Birth Control & Type 1 Diabetes


The subject of birth control with relation to type 1 diabetes has always been a tricky subject, with inconsistent results. Hormones have been known to have an impact on blood glucose levels, but hormo...MORE

What to Expect During a Hospital Stay with Type 1 Diabetes


Preparing for a hospital stay can be overwhelming for anyone. Preparing for a hospital stay and having type 1 brings up so many more questions such as blood sugar control and insulin levels. MORE

Breastfeeding with Type 1 Diabetes


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Labor, Delivery + Postpartum with Type 1 Diabetes


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GESTATIONAL DIABETES

A (Gestational Diabetes) Wake Up Call


During my 27th week of pregnancy, I had an (unwanted) revelation: Being fit doesn’t mean being healthy.MORE

What is Gestational Diabetes?


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Stories


Read personal accounts from women with type 1 diabetes who have successfully managed their disease in order to have healthy pregnancies. There are many who have gone before you!

Pregnancy, Twins and Type 1 Diabetes


Two years ago, after leaving the clinic for my pre-conception visit I decided I did not want to ever get pregnant. Not because I did not want a baby; I wanted one more than anything. MORE

How Acupuncture Changed My Life


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IVF and Type 1 – A New Journey Begins


When I was first diagnosed with Type 1 in 2011, at the age of 25, the first question I had was, "But, can I still get pregnant?"MORE

Learning to Live with Fear, Type 1 Diabetes & Fertility Treatments


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Pregnancy and Repeat Diagnosis


I never expected my kids to get T1D. Ever. And if they were to get it, I thought it would be closer to their teens, like when I was diagnosed.MORE

A Mother’s Sweet Journey: Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes


I remember the phone call quite clearly. It was a Friday afternoon, and I was counting down the hours until our baby shower that weekend.MORE

Breastfeeding Twins as a Mom with Type 1 Diabetes


My superhero cape might not be visible to my kids, but my husband and I will never forget what we accomplished over the course of each day and in the dark hours of night, between bits of sleep and blo...MORE

Dr. Nat Strand Talks Second Pregnancy


I know now that I can do it. My first child didn’t have low blood sugars after birth and there weren’t any issues in the end. I've been much more confident and relaxed the second time around.MORE

Introduce Type 1 Diabetes to Your Baby


Building your relationship with type 1 during your pregnancy will go a long way in surviving the ups and downs of motherhood. Pregnancy and becoming a mom has been the most magnificent journey I have ...MORE

It Was Out of Our Control—A Pregnancy Story


Somehow, in some weird way, I could relate to a parent of a newly diagnosed child with diabetes. The diseases are vastly different, with discussion of survival rate piled on top of complications, but ...MORE

Surviving Hypos in Labor


I felt the public health system had let me down when Miss five (daughter Olive) arrived into the world. It all seemed to go horribly wrong. MORE

Type 1 Diabetes and Pregnancy—Uncharted Territory


I realized that stellar as they were, the specialized medical fields spoke completely different languages. As a CDE, I returned to work in obstetrics, now exclusively with women who have diabetes. I w...MORE

Finding the Calm Beyond


A new mom’s journey with autoimmune diseases forces her to find new levels of calm, resiliency and strength.MORE

The Endo that Can Make You or Break You


“Be thankful that at least you got to experience motherhood for one time in your life,” those were his first words.MORE

A Complicated Process: T1D and My Emergency C-Section


Hannah Brown shares the story of her pregnancy and birth of her child via c-section and the ways in which her diabetes played a role.MORE

Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes During a Pandemic


My pandemic pregnancy was a surprise, but finding an online community of fellow T1D pregnant women was my key.MORE
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Bethany’s Story: My Eye Started Bleeding the Day My First Child Was Born


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Diabetes & Pregnancy: 5 Things I’ll Do Differently During My 2nd Pregnancy


I’m sharing my tips for staying calm and keeping your blood sugars stable when you have T1D and a baby on the way, or in my case—baby #2!MORE
Dexcom G7 use in gestational diabetes

Dexcom Explains the Benefits of G7 for People With Gestational Diabetes


Jacob Leach, Dexcom COO, shares how the use of Dexcom G7 in people with gestational diabetes can improve patient outcomes.MORE

Video Guides


The Type 1 Diabetes Think Tank Network has created a Type 1 Diabetes & Pregnancy Web Series to address questions from women with type 1 looking to get pregnant and have a healthy delivery. Consulting experts in the field, Host Deanna Palazzo, walks us through each trimester as well as care after birth.

  1. Introduction.
  2. Pre-pregnancy: Host Deanna Palazzo interviews endocrinologist Dr. Julia Lowe and nurse/diabetes educator Fiona Thompson-Hutchison on topics relating to pre-pregnancy. These questions include whether it is common for women with type 1 to have babies, the chance of the baby developing type 1, and why it’s so important to work toward getting an HbA1c under 7%.
  3. First trimester: Host Deanna Palazzo interviews nurse/diabetes educator Barbara Cleave and endocrinologist Dr. Denice Feig to get their thoughts on the first trimester. Topics covered include what are pregnancy symptoms vs. diabetes symptoms, how shifting blood glucose levels affect the fetus, and managing the variable insulin ratios that are needed.
  4. Second trimester: Deanna Palazzo interviews endocrinologist Dr. Julia Lowe and obstetrician Dr. Howard Berger to learn more about the second trimester. Topics being discussed include weight gain, the impact (or lack thereof!) of a “brief episode of cake”, gestational diabetes tests and more!
  5. Third trimester: Deanna interviews endocrinologist Dr. Julia Lowe and obstetrician Dr. Howard Berger to learn more about the third trimester and delivery. Topics being discussed include the changes to blood glucose levels during labour, the potential for NICU visits, just what ‘shoulder dystocia’ can mean and more!
  6. Post birth: Deanna interviews nurse and diabetes educator Fiona Thompson-Hutchison and endocrinologist Dr. Denice Feig about what happens after the baby is born. Topics being discussed include blood glucose and breast milk, personal safety and what to be aware of in this final stage of pregnancy.

Want more parenting resources? Head here.

WRITTEN BY BT1 Editorial Team, POSTED 02/09/17, UPDATED 12/20/22

This piece was authored collaboratively by the Beyond Type 1 Editorial Team.