Diabetes and fertility in women

Women who have diabetes are also likely to face problems when trying to conceive. First up, women with diabetes have a higher chance of having amenorrhea. Because these women don’t ovulate, this nixes their chances of getting pregnant altogether. For women who do manage to get pregnant, diabetes is said to be able to cause “alterations” throughout this woman’s pregnancy. This predisposes a fetus to growth restriction, and impairs the production and development of its organs.

A study in The British Medical Journal, for example, shows that women with diabetes have a higher risk of late fetal loss (Casson, et al., 1997). In total, the study’s diabetic participants were four to six times more likely to experience stillbirths. In my experience, diabetic mothers are also more prone to congenital malformations, macrosomia, and the like. As babies tend to be bigger, there is a greater risk of shoulder dystocia, where the babies' shoulders get stuck during delivery with consequent morbidity and mortality. On top of this, getting pregnant with diabetes also predisposes a woman to diabetes-related complications such as retinopathy (vision loss caused by damage to the blood vessels at the retina) and nephropathy (damage or disease of the kidney). Women who get pregnant while having a pre-existing diabetes condition also experience higher rates of hypertension, postpartum haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, Caesarean section and maternal mortality.

Symptoms of diabetes Symptoms of diabetes include lack of energy, blurred vision, excessive urination or urine infections, having a dry mouth, headaches, unexplained weight loss and recurrent thrush (a yeast infection of the mouth or throat). Diagnosis of diabetes In order to diagnose diabetes, your ob-gyn will order a Glycated Haemoglobin (A1C) test. This blood test measures the percentage of blood sugar that’s attached to haemoglobin in your body; the higher your blood sugar levels, the more haemoglobin you’ll have with sugar attached. The test is typically conducted twice, and if your results show an A1C level of 6.5% or above on two separate tests, this indicates that you have diabetes. If necessary, other tests such as blood sugar tests and oral glucose tolerance tests may also be administered.

Treatment of diabetes While individuals with Type 1 diabetes will have to take the extra step of injecting or pumping themselves with insulin, both categories of diabetics (Type 1 and Type 2) can control their condition by refining their diet and getting more exercise. Controlling diabetes using diet On the food front, diabetics should consume plenty of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. They should steer clear of high glycemic index foods which have more white sugar and flour in them - these tend to be starchy and processed. Diabetics will also do well to limit or eliminate fast food from their diet. Many diabetics find that it’s useful to do a blood glucose test right before eating, and another test two hours after their meal. This is also known as pre and post-prandial testing, and it helps you deduce how different foods affect your blood sugar levels. The end goal is to keep your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible, and reduce fluctuations.

As a benchmark, you should strive to have your blood sugar levels (before meals) between 80 and 130 mg/dL, with your blood sugar levels after meals lower than 180 mg/dL.