If you have diabeteseither bang out 1 or bang out 2pregnancy presents unique challenges.
Here are some suggestions for promoting a healthy pregnancy with diabetes and delivering a healthy baby.
People with uncontrolled diabetes have a higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.
Prevent complications for mom.Keeping your blood sugar in range reduces your risk of urinary tract infections and yeast infections.
It can also help avoid diabetes complications such as kidney disease.
Your diabetes health care team will help you establish your target blood sugar range.
Managing your blood sugar is the best way to promote a healthy pregnancy and prevent diabetes complications.
While some diabetes medications are safe to use in pregnancy, others have not been well studied.
Discuss your medications with your health care provider before stopping or continuing to take them.
The stage of your pregnancy affects your insulin needs, too.
In the beginning of your pregnancy, you’ll likely need less insulin than usual.
As a result, you might need more insulin than usual to counteract that resistance.
Preparing for an emergency.If you don’t already have glucagon on hand, ask your doctor for a prescription.
Glucagon is a hormone that can quickly raise your blood sugar level if it dips dangerously low.
Eating a healthy diet.Your diabetes diet probably includes plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
It’s also important to take prenatal vitamins containing folic acid.
Managing weight gain.Talk with your health care provider about how much weight gain is appropriate during pregnancy.
This will vary depending on your pre-pregnancy weight.
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week.
If you haven’t been active for a while, start slowly.
Check your blood sugar before and after any activity, especially if you take insulin.
You might need to eat a snack.
Or have your health care provider adjust your medication before exercising to help prevent low blood sugar.
Remember, your health care team is there to help you manage your blood sugar level and prevent complications.
If you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Your health care team will help you determine the best time and safest way to deliver your baby.
Sometimes labor is allowed to begin naturally.
In other cases, labor may need to be induced to reduce the risk of complications.
During labor, your health care team will closely monitor your blood sugar and adjust your medication dosage accordingly.
After delivery, your attention will turn to your babybut it’s still important to take care of yourself.
Continue to check your blood sugar levels often, especially if you’re breast-feeding.
Keeping yourself healthy is the best thing you’ve got the option to do for your baby.
Updated: 12/13/2019
Publication Date: 4/16/2001
