Diabetes FAQ » Diabetes Q&A » I just found out I have diabetes and I am pregnant. This is our first baby and we are excited. How will diabetes affect the possibility of breastfeeding I always wanted to breastfeed but now I don’t know if it will be safe for my baby. Can I still breastfeed?

I just found out I have diabetes and I am pregnant. This is our first baby and we are excited. How will diabetes affect the possibility of breastfeeding I always wanted to breastfeed but now I don’t know if it will be safe for my baby. Can I still breastfeed?

Breastfeeding was nature’s intended way to feed infants as we all know as a soon to be mother you are concerned about your baby’s health. One thing researchers have found out is that there is a link between cow’s milk and type 1 diabetes. It is recommended not to feed babies cow’s milk especially early on to avoid the possibility of juvenile diabetes. Even children that started off breastfeed, but were changed over to cow’s milk in the first weeks of life are also at risk for developing diabetes.

Where does that leave a woman who has type 2 diabetes and wants to breastfeed?

As a mommy to be, you are concerned about if you will pass the diabetes onto your baby.

The question remains how safe will it be for your child to be exposed to higher than normal levels of glucose in his or her blood system. As a diabetic mother whether you type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes (meaning you just developed the diabetes as a result of pregnancy) you are at risk for high sugar levels in your own blood which you will pass onto the baby through breastfeeding. With type 2 diabetes you have high glucose levels which will have to be controlled with medication and if you have gestational diabetes your hormones are constantly changing because of the pregnancy and there will be periods when you blood sugar will rise and fall and it could be rather quickly. You will need to be on the proper medication and you will need to watch your diet and eat the rights foods. A proper diet is important for any breastfeeding mother, so that the infant gets the proper nutrients and it is even more important for a lactating diabetic mother.

Proper care

It is of utmost importance that you consult with your obstetrician/gynecologist, your future pediatrician, the hospital nursing staff, a diabetes educator and or a lactation specialist and as many of these professionals as you can. You need to get all the diabetes information that you can about your condition and breastfeeding. You might find that you will have mixed reviews from your doctor and therefore it is all the important to get some information from these other specialists as well before you make your decision of whether or not you will breastfeed.

Because high blood sugar levels can be transferred from the mother to the baby and cause their insulin levels to lower, babies are monitored very carefully when they are newborn. The baby will be checked for glucose levels, by a heel-stick blood glucose test.

Hospitals normally give the baby supplements to stabilize low blood glucose levels when they are born of diabetic mothers. The babies are often removed and observed for about 8 to 12 hours by the hospital team. Intravenous feedings may be required if a baby is showing signs of low insulin production. However, mothers can still breastfeed while the infant is being given intravenous fluids.

There is research to work in the favor of breastfeeding, the very first milk from the breast is called colostrums and this milk first emerges from the breast during the last stages of pregnancy and during the postpartum period. This milk is thicker and is a more golden in color. It is high in vitamins such as A, E, and K. It is also important for newborns to have the proteins from the mother’s milk, which are nature’s design to protect the baby’s immune system.

So in conclusion and to answer you question, breastfeeding is important for your baby’s health and yes as a diabetic mother you can breastfeed your child, but you will have to take special care and make sure your doctor and other lactation and diabetes specialists monitor you. In the hospital, the team of specialists will monitor your baby’s progress as well. If you comply with all the requirements, medication, supplements, diet, and life style changes before delivery and after, you should be okay.

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