Taking Care of Your Diabetes When You're Planning a Pregnancy

Planning ahead is very important if you want to have a baby. High blood glucose can be harmful to both a mother and her unborn baby. Even before you become pregnant, your blood glucose should be close to the normal range. Keeping blood glucose near normal before and during pregnancy helps protect both mother and baby.

Your insulin needs may change when you're pregnant. Your doctor may want you to take more insulin and check your blood glucose more often. If you take diabetes pills, you'll take insulin instead when you're pregnant.

If you plan to have a baby, do the following:

• Work with your health care team to get your blood glucose as close to the normal range as possible.
  
  
• See a doctor who has experience in taking care of pregnant women with diabetes.
  
  
• Have your eyes and kidneys checked. Pregnancy can make eye and kidney problems worse.
  
  
• Don't smoke, drink alcohol, or use harmful drugs.
  
  
• Follow the meal plan you get from your dietitian or diabetes educator to make sure you and your unborn baby have a healthy diet.

If you're already pregnant, see your doctor right away. It's not too late to bring your blood glucose close to normal so that you'll stay healthy during the rest of your pregnancy.

Maria, a 25-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes, wanted children. Her doctor told Maria and her husband that before she got pregnant, her blood glucose should be close to normal and her kidneys, eyes, and blood pressure should be checked. Maria began to watch her diabetes very carefully. She checked her blood glucose four times a day, ate healthy meals, began to walk a lot, and checked her blood and urine often to make sure that her body was healthy enough to carry a baby. Once Maria became pregnant, she spent a lot of time taking care of her diabetes. Her hard work paid off. After 9 months, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

source: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/specialtimes.htm