Hi guys! I’m 12 weeks and just announced my pregnancy to friends and family. I’m getting a lot of questions about what the risks are for the baby, difficulties for me, etc. I feel like I’m floundering for a good answer, because I don’t want to bore them and give them a super long answer, but I also want to give them a good enough answer that they will understand.
What is the best way you’ve found to explain the risks for diabetes and pregnancy in a short, succinct answer that you can give to someone in a couple minutes or less (or even explain over text message).
As long as I keep my blood sugars in good control, both baby and I will be fine. But, that will require a lot of work, more than a full-time job. I will need to be monitored more often than an average pregnant woman, and at the end of the pregnancy I will be going in 2-3 times a week to monitor me and the baby to make sure we are both still doing well.
Yes to the answer above. Also, diabetic women have healthy pregnancies and babies all the time! (my mom and I both had one, although 30 years apart) Tell others you will be concentrating on caring for yourself and baby rather than focusing on what “could” go wrong.
Yes, the answer above is a good one. You could also say “It doesn’t have to be like ‘Steel Magnolias’” which is a lot of people’s pop-culture reference for diabetes + pregnancy… and a scary version at that. I would also joke around that “I didnt have to do that nasty glucose test, already know the results!” because so many moms hate that silly drink, so it was my one “perk” to a diabetic pregnancy to avoid it! Some families are familiar with gestational diabetes, so another reference point would be that its like having Gestational Diabetes except during the entire pregnancy and it never goes away…
Good luck with your pregnancy and delivery!
Congratulations!
Your partner and close family probably already know that you and your baby can have the same outcome as a nondiabetic mom as long as you keep in good control.
You can tell others the same thing. You have the same outcome as a non-diabetic mom but you just have to work a little harder. If someone persists tell them you just have to test more often and be more careful with diet.
This is an exciting time. Enjoy it. For the next 7mo you’ll have to be disciplined, but as a mom of two, it’s worth it!