
September 18, 2003
Family Planning
Question from Marysville, California, USA:
I am 30 years old, have type 2 diabetes, and I am nine weeks pregnant. My pre-pregnancy A1c was 5.8%, and this last one (at eight weeks) was 5.5%. Is this low enough? What exactly is the desired range for A1c during pregnancy?
Answer:
Your hemoglobin A1c is certainly within the normal range (less than 6.0%) which is what you want. It tells me that over the last several weeks you have maintained good control of your blood glucose. It also places the fetus at lower risk for abnormalities associated with diabetes. It is still important to check your blood sugar frequently during the day throughout your pregnancy since your insulin requirements will probably go up as the pregnancy progresses.
OWJ