Over 130 million women give birth every year and for girls with type 2 diabetes (T2D), while the risks and challenges are after all magnified, the truth is which you could successfully navigate the before and after phases of pregnancy—it just requires a solid game plan, an incredible team and the best tools!

So what tools can be found to enable you to reach what might feel like not possible goals? Beyond Type 2 spoke with Dexcom’s chief operating officer Jake Leach, who shared the newest research on Dexcom’s G7 continuous glucose monitor (CGM) use while pregnant. 

Pregnancy + T2D

Whether you’re within the planning phase or simply came upon you’re pregnant, managing your blood sugar levels is one of the essential goals in diabetes management while pregnant. 

The goal range for blood sugar levels while pregnant is way tighter than the usual 70-180mg/dL, making it difficult for some to regulate their management plans. Goal ranges are adjusted to reduce complications similar to preeclampsia, premature delivery and even miscarriages. 

What’s a CGM?

A CGM is a small wearable device that tracks your blood glucose levels in real-time throughout the day and night. CGMs measure the glucose (sugar) within the interstitial fluid of your body fat in comparison with your blood glucose monitor (BGM) which measures the glucose in your blood.

CGMs can enable you to make more thoughtful decisions around food, exercise and medications—like insulin. The insights you gain from using a CGM can improve your safety and enable you to reach your A1C and time-in-range goals.

Dexcom’s G7 CGM is their smallest CGM up to now. A few of its features include:

• The G7 is 60 percent smaller than the G6, with an all-in-one sensor and transmitter.
• The nice and cozy-up period has been cut down from two hours to half-hour.
• Now with a 12-hour grace period to interchange finished sensors for a more seamless transition between sessions

The Dexcom G7 is now the one commercially available CGM system with a clinical study demonstrating that real-time CGM is accurate to be used while pregnant for individuals with type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.

Using a CGM while pregnant

Dexcom recently presented results from their pregnancy study on the 59th Annual European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting in Hamburg. The study was conducted within the US and was the primary study to indicate the performance of their G7 sensor in women who’re pregnant. 

“We’ve plenty of CGM performance data that we’ve shown through the years, but that is the primary time in pregnancy. One in 10 pregnancies within the US are impacted by diabetes, particularly gestational, and so a CGM is an excellent tool to assist expecting moms manage their diabetes during after which potentially after pregnancy” Leach stated.

With a CGM, there’s potentially higher ways to assist inform each the mother and her physician about their diabetes management plan and the way it would need to vary throughout pregnancy. 

Access + affordability for pregnancy

The good news is that Dexcom G7 is approved to be used of pregnancy, so there’s numerous ways that folks can access it. Crucial thing is for physicians who’re treating expectant moms with diabetes to begin including a CGM into treatment plans while pregnant. 

Leach said “I feel that we’re going to see continued access of CGM for people who find themselves pregnant in the long run. I feel for anyone who either has diabetes pre-pregnancy or gestational diabetes while pregnant, a CGM needs to be the usual of look after managing diabetes.” 

Because everyone’s diabetes is different and each pregnancy is simply too, there’s nothing higher than having tools like a CGM to know what your glucose levels are at and the way it changes while pregnant. 

When you’re expecting or are already pregnant, talk over with your doctor about adding a Dexcom G7 to your pregnancy toolkit!

This content mentions Dexcom, an lively partner of Beyond Type 1.

News coverage by the Beyond Type 1 team is operated independently from any content partnerships. Beyond Type 1 maintains full editorial control of all content published on our platforms.