Do you have diabetes type 1 or type 2 and are thinking about having a baby? Then you should be concerned about the risks associated with it. But if you can control your blood sugar level and make certain healthy lifestyle choices before pregnancy, it can in a long way help you have a baby that is healthy.
How does diabetes affect fertility in women?
Complications in pregnancy: If blood glucose levels are high, it may lead to miscarriage or congenital disabilities in the fetus. It is also found that the increase in the level of blood glucose for the growing fetus can also result in big baby syndrome.
Genitourinary infections: Women who have Diabetes are prone to many infections that may damage the reproductive organs especially fallopian tubes.
Type 1 diabetes and Female fertility
Menstrual cycle disturbances: Type 1 diabetes is linked with longer menstruation, heavy menstruation, and menstrual problems at a younger age.
Absence of ovulation: Absence of ovulation or anovulation can be the outcome of a variety of factors such as hormone imbalances, ovarian failure or diabetes. Women who have diabetes will have irregular periods causing starving of cells.
Type 2 diabetes and female fertility
Women in the postmenopausal stage suffer from Type 2 diabetes, but with the rise of modern dietary and lifestyle patterns, obesity is on high and raising the incidence of Type 2 diabetes during the reproductive years. Obesity is also associated with menstrual cycles that are irregular and also linked with the polycystic ovarian syndrome. This particular metabolic disorder is characterized by an excess of male hormones, irregular menstrual cycles. Women who suffer from PCOS are known to have insulin resistance. In women, lower levels of adiponectin can lead to poor sensitivity and fat breakdown. Hence, PCOS coexists with obesity and diabetes, threatening reproductive health and fertility.
Diabetes and male infertility
Diabetes affects male fertility in a lot of ways as it reduces the ability to maintain an erection in men leading to infertility. The lack of glucose in a few areas of the brain may also cause weakness, fatigue and less sexual drive in men. Men who suffer from diabetes have increased nuclear mitochondrial and DNA damage impairing the reproductive capability in men. And for those men who have Type 2 diabetes have poor sperm concentration in semen. There is also structural damage to the sperm and its DNA is found in men who have type 2 diabetes.
What one can do
It is always best that you try for a baby when your diabetes is under control and there no other health issues. This helps in reducing diabetes related risks during pregnancy.
You also need to visit the doctor or diabetes specialist as soon as possible when you plan to have a baby. It is also advised that women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes begin a high dose of folic acid a month before pregnancy. Take your doctor’s advice first.
And in case if you become pregnant, you need to see the doctor for a review of diabetes. You can discuss with the doctor, the ways to manage your diabetes to keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range. And this should involve the following:
- Following a healthy eating plan
- Monitoring blood sugar levels at regular intervals.
- Maintaining the healthy weight range
- Reducing stress or anxiety.
You can manage your diabetes with these healthy steps. Although they might be new to you and will take time to get used to it, several studies show that people who try to improve their lifestyle are able to succeed. And if you and your partner are healthy, you can always have a better chance of getting pregnant and have a healthy baby.
Check with your doctor and try monitoring your pregnancy. You also should review the current medications to make sure that they are safe when you are trying to get pregnant.
Why Ravi Hospital?
Ravi hospital has some of the best experienced and skilled cardiologists to perform heart surgeries with latest and less invasive techniques for best treatment outcomes. Our patient-centric approach, with safety and comfort to the patients, make us one of the most reliable hospitals for Heart-Related Problems.
