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by: Lou Baxter
Posted: Dec 15, 2022 / 09:36 PM EST
Updated: Dec 15, 2022 / 09:36 PM EST
by: Lou Baxter
Posted: Dec 15, 2022 / 09:36 PM EST
Updated: Dec 15, 2022 / 09:36 PM EST
Up until a generation or two ago, women with Type 1 diabetes were often advised to avoid getting pregnant because of the health risks – both to mom and baby. Now, medical advances have made it safe with careful planning.
For Elon Barnes, 25, little Robert is the center of her world.
“He is just a happy little energetic baby,” Elon Barnes told us.
When Barnes first learned she was pregnant, she knew she would have to work hard for his health and her own. Barnes was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 10 years ago.
“I had actually just learned about diabetes in my high school biology class,” Barnes explained.
With Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin, and patients can have blurry vision, frequent urination, and extreme thirst.
Elon Barnes described it by saying, “There’s not enough water in the world right now to quench this thirst.”
Diabetes specialist doctor and endocrinologist Rachael Oxman at Mercy Medical Center said it’s important for women to begin planning before becoming pregnant.
“The first trimester is a really tricky period in the pregnancy. That’s when babies form all of their organs, and we want the baby to have a healthy spine and healthy heart. Diabetes control directly contributes to these things,” she said.
Dr. Oxman added that patients should have an A1C, or average blood sugar level, of 6% or 6.5% or lower during the first trimester. She said that women should not be afraid to take their insulin.
“It doesn’t cross the placenta. It doesn’t get to baby,” Dr. Oxman said.
Barnes also used a continuous glucose monitor to keep a watchful eye on her blood sugar.
“I had to be a very well-behaved diabetic to say the least,” Barnes added.
Copyright 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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