Diabetes and Fertility

Diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar when you produce too little insulin or it is ineffective. Insulin is a hormone that controls glucose (sugar) levels the body.

Diabetes may have no cure but it can be managed because prolonged high blood sugar can cause health and fertility problems.

If you have diabetes, the key is to keep your blood sugar under control because you may be up to 6 weeks pregnant before you know you are pregnant. According to the Mayo Clinic, keep strict control of your blood sugar to reduce the risk miscarriage and birth defects.

If the diabetes is not well controlled during pregnancy, the baby is exposed to high blood sugar levels. ... Infants who are born to mothers with diabetes are often larger than other babies. Larger infants make vaginal birth harder. This can increase the risk for nerve injuries and other trauma during birth.

Symptoms of Diabetes:

Men with type 1 diabetes may have more DNA damage in their sperm, possibly hampering fertility, a preliminary study shows. The study was small and doesn't prove that type 1 diabetes causes male infertility

If you have gestational diabetes, your baby may be at increased risk of: Excessive birth weight. Extra glucose in your bloodstream crosses the placenta, which triggers your baby's pancreas to make extra insulin. This can cause your baby to grow too large (macrosomia)

Women who have diabetes before they get pregnant have special health concerns. In addition to the new demands that a pregnancy will put on your body, it will also affect your blood sugar levels and diabetes medications. If you're thinking about having a baby, take steps to lessen the risks for both you and your child

Women with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) have higher than normal levels of testosterone (hyperandrogenism). PCOS can affect fertility by leading to irregular periods (oligomenorrhea) or absent periods (secondary amenorrhea). ... PCOS is particularly associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Do you know about My Last Diet? Read More

*PLEASE NOTE: The information provided on this site is intended to serve only as a supplement to your resources and is in no way to be considered medical advice, medical diagnosis or treatment. Always check with your obstetrician, physician, midwife, or other health care provider before choosing to do or not do any course of action.