Diabetes and Your Fertility

Diabetes and Your Fertility

Diabetes is a very common medical condition, with more and more cases being diagnosed each year. The American Diabetes Association says that there are more than two hundred thousand cases of Type II Diabetes diagnosed each and every year, and those are just the cases that get diagnosed. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here

Doctors think there is approximately 2.4 percent of the entire population that actually has diabetes but has not yet been diagnosed with it. With diabetes being so common, it is only natural to wonder how it might exactly affect your fertility.

Diabetes and fertility

If your diabetes is kept under control, through proper diet, medication, or exercise, it shouldn’t have much of an effect on your fertility. That is, of course, if you take the proper steps to keep your condition under control. If your diabetes is uncontrolled, it can have several negative effects on your fertility, as well as your pregnancy if you do happen to get pregnant.

Problems getting pregnant

Diabetes alone does not prevent a woman from getting pregnant, but it can sometimes keep a woman from sustaining a pregnancy. It is usually due to high glucose levels that the embryo fails to implant in the uterus.

This can sometimes cause a woman to suffer a miscarriage before she even knows that she is pregnant. The American Diabetes Association says that high glucose levels can increase a woman’s chance of miscarriage anywhere from thirty to sixty percent.

Increased risk of birth defects

If you do get pregnant with diabetes, it is important to know that you will be at an increased risks of having a baby with birth defects. This increased risk is caused by high blood glucose levels. During the first few weeks of pregnancy, when a baby’s vital organs are just beginning to form, high blood glucose levels can cause damage to the embryonic cells.

Increased risk of C-Section

If you get pregnant with diabetes, it is more likely that you will need to have a c-section done. C-sections are normally very safe, but they do sometimes increase a woman’s chance of infection, so it is important to keep that in mind if you have diabetes.

Increased risk of gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is much more common in women who already have diabetes. Gestational diabetes can increase the chance of risks for both mother and baby. Make sure to talk to your doctor about gestational diabetes if you get pregnant.

Risks in men

Recent research has also shown that diabetes can cause fertility issues in men as well as women. Diabetic men can have much lower semen levels than non diabetic men, and diabetes in men can also cause DNA damage. Diabetic men have a harder time getting their partner’s pregnant, and when they do, their partners will be at a higher risk of miscarriage.

What to do

The most important thing to remember when trying to conceive with diabetes is to keep in regular contact with your doctor. Your doctor can give you tips to help make sure that you get pregnant without too much trouble and that your pregnancy will be as risk free as possible. Keeping your diabetes under control can really be the key to a successful and healthy pregnancy.

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Dr. Christine Lee, MD
Dr. Christine Lee, MD | ConceiveEasy
Dr. Christine Lee earned her Ph.D. in Developmental Biology and Master of Science in Biomolecular Organization. Dr. Lee is Lab Director for ConceiveEasy and is board certified as a High Complexity Laboratory Director (HCLD).

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