Women's perceptions of being pregnant and having pregestational diabetes

Objective: to explore the experiences of White British and South East Asian women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and the perceived impact of diabetes on their reproductive health. Design: a hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to explore the perceptions of women with diabetes from two different cultural backgrounds with varied reproductive health experiences. Focus groups and one-to-one interviews were used to elicit women's experiences. An interpretive analytical approach was conducted by two researchers. Setting: obstetric and diabetes clinics in three hospital sites in the North West of England. Participants: a purposive sample of 22 women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes of different parity and ethnicity. Findings: the main themes were relinquishing personal control, pregnancy overshadowed by diabetes and haphazard preconception care. Key conclusions: strategies should be developed to ensure that whilst safety is maintained, the pregnancy focus is not lost. Women should be supported to optimise their experience as well as clinical outcomes. The convergence of professional roles needs consideration; individual members of multidisciplinary diabetes teams should provide a unique and complementary contribution to care. Preconception care needs to be accessible and responsive to women; this should include recognition of socio-cultural differences.