Jessica’s pregnancy journey with myLoop

The topic of pregnancy came up earlier than Jessica expected. When she and her partner confirmed they were thinking about starting a family, her endocrinologist responded: "Then we must begin."

In this video interview, Jessica shares her two-year journey to pregnancy. She’s joined by Dr. Visalli, a renowned diabetologist and expert in type 1 diabetes and pregnancy. Together, they have an open, and at times emotional, conversation about what it means to plan for pregnancy while living with type 1 diabetes.

Jessica’s experience: a journey of re-discovery

Just thinking about motherhood can bring up a lot of emotions. In Jessica’s case, having a supportive team helped her manage fears around not being good enough, struggling to become a parent, or of how her diabetes might affect her baby. Jessica describes the switch from multiple daily injections (MDI) to a pump, and then to an Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) system, as “starting all over.” "I chose myLoop in anticipation of a future pregnancy." As with any big change in diabetes care, she needed time to adjust and to learn how to trust the algorithm.

The endocrinologist perspective: Dr. Visalli

Dr. Visalli highlights the importance of finding a healthcare team that offers consistent support throughout the journey. As a diabetologist, she sees it as her responsibility to start the conversation early and build a collaborative, trusting relationship with the person preparing for pregnancy.

Dr. Visalli also explains why glucose variability is at least as important as an HbA1c within the pre-pregnancy range, and how to work together to achieve optimal glycaemic management.

In the video, the two women also discuss the results of a survey about pregnancy planning that Jessica conducted with 109 women living with type 1 diabetes.

If you ever wondered how planning for pregnancy might look, watch the conversation between Jessica and Dr. Visalli.