Never Giving Up: Judit’s Journey to Motherhood with Type 1 Diabetes
Judit Balbi was 15 years old and living in the Dominican Republic when she started noticing changes in her health. “I was getting so thirsty, and I had lost a lot of weight,” she remembers. “I’m 5’6” and I was 99 pounds. It was really hard for me.” Judit’s mother took her to the doctor, where she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. No one in her family had diabetes, so Judit learned how to manage her blood sugar on her own — first at home, and later in the U.S. when she moved to Boston in 2012.
Over time, Judit landed a good job at a hotel, got married, and began planning to start a family. But her hopes of becoming a mother kept slipping away. After three miscarriages and one ectopic pregnancy, she became pregnant again in 2016. At just 16 weeks, while relaxing at home, her water suddenly broke. In tears and expecting the worst, Judit was rushed to the emergency department at Boston Medical Center – Brighton. That was the moment that everything changed.
Expert Care for a High-Risk Pregnancy
The ED team had good news: Judit’s baby was still breathing. “They asked me why I was having so many miscarriages, which I really appreciated, because no one had ever asked me that before,” recalls Judit. “I told them that I didn’t know what was going on, but I wanted to have this baby so badly.” The team told her they were going to make an appointment for her the next day with Dr. Lucy Bayer-Zwirello, a high-risk pregnancy expert at BMC Brighton. “They told me that Dr. Bayer-Zwirello could help me, and if I followed what she said, I would have this baby.”
Judit saw Dr. Bayer-Zwirello the next morning and told her what she had been through over the past few years. “She hugged me and said, ‘Everything is going to be okay. We’re going to take care of you.’” For the first time, Judit felt hope. Dr. Bayer-Zwirello connected her with nurse practitioner, Susan Berry Cann, also at BMC Brighton, to make sure Judit was getting expert, coordinated care for both her diabetes and her pregnancy.
Because poorly managed diabetes can increase the risk of miscarriage and other pregnancy complications, Susan recommended that Judit get an insulin pump. This device would allow her care team to continuously monitor her blood sugar levels and ensure she was consistently getting the right amount of insulin. “Susan called me at 2 a.m. one night to tell me that my blood sugar was low and that I should eat and drink something,” remembers Judit. “I couldn’t believe it! She is not just the best doctor in the world — she’s like my family. She really cares.”
Despite her initial hesitation about the insulin pump, Judy says the device has been life-changing and recommends it to anyone with type 1 diabetes.
Judit’s Journey to Motherhood
The rest of Judit’s pregnancy wasn’t easy, but she leaned on the expertise of her care team, her faith, and the strong support of her husband, Edgar. Because her care team recommended Judit be on bed rest for 10 weeks, Edgar carried her up and down three flights of stairs any time she needed to leave their apartment.
At 26 weeks, Judit gave birth to her first child — a son named Ryan. “From having four miscarriages to my baby being born — it was a miracle,” Judit says. Ryan spent 92 days in BMC Brighton’s neonatal intensive care unit before going home perfectly healthy. He has been impressing his parents ever since. “He’s in the top 95% of his class,” beams Judit.
Judit’s next two pregnancies also came with complications, but she and her team at BMC Brighton were prepared. Throughout it all, Judit says the hard work and compassion of her care team have never wavered. “Oh my God, I’m telling you — it was the best care of my whole life.” Today, Judit is a proud mother of 9-year-old Ryan, 4-year-old James, and baby Eddit, who was born on July 9, 2025. “Here we all are — alive and safe,” she says of her family of five. “I’m so grateful for everyone who has helped us. I love being a mom!”
Take Charge of Your Health at Boston Medical Center – Brighton OBGYN Services
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