Diabetes and Pregnancy Care

If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it’s crucial to plan your pregnancy as much as possible to avoid complications during labor and delivery.

Getting proper care and treatment is also important if you develop gestational diabetes while pregnant or had preexisting diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy.

Here, we’ll walk you through the treatment and care of diabetes while pregnant and share why HRPC is uniquely qualified to help you have a healthy pregnancy and baby throughout this process.

Your Diabetes and Pregnancy Team

Our highly trained and experienced staff works closely with your primary care physician, obstetrician, endocrinologist, and other providers on your health care team to ensure you get the exact level of care you need. Depending on your unique needs, we may also refer you to an eye doctor, cardiologist, kidney doctor, or foot doctor.

Our on-site staff includes

• Nurse Practitioners who are experienced in the management and education of pregnancies with diabetes
• Maternal-fetal medicine physicians working collaboratively in care with advanced ultrasound and perinatal care

Diabetes and Pregnancy: Understanding Your Risk

The key to avoiding potential complications during a diabetic pregnancy is to keep your blood sugar stable. Keeping your blood sugar within a healthy range (e.g., under 95 mg/dL when fasting and under 120 mg/dL for up to two hours following meals) consistently throughout your pregnancy helps reduce your risk of

• Eye disease
• Kidney disease
• High blood pressure
• Pre-eclampsia
• Above-average fetal weight
• Early (preterm) birth
• Birth defects of the heart and spine
• Autism
• ADHD
• Miscarriage or stillbirth

Diabetic patients are used to monitoring and stabilizing their blood sugar daily. However, hormone levels change significantly during pregnancy, making it more difficult for the body to process blood sugar.

Our maternal fetal specialists and diabetes-certified nurse practitioners have advanced training, skill, and vast experience caring for moms with diabetes and helping them have a trouble-free pregnancy and healthy baby.

Medications in Pregnancy

To give your baby the best start, we recommend reviewing your medications with your health care team before becoming pregnant.

When your health care team understands your pre-pregnancy blood sugar levels and medications, they can better anticipate and treat your changing needs throughout pregnancy.

Diabetes and Pregnancy: How to Prepare

If you have diabetes and you’d like to become pregnant soon, there are several things you can do to help prepare your body:

• Take at least 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day.
• Visit your primary care doctor or OBGYN for a pre-conception appointment.
• Get up to date on all your vaccinations.
• Review all medications with your doctor and care team.
• Closely monitor and record your blood sugar levels.
• Follow a diabetic diet to keep your blood sugar level stable.
• Avoid alcohol, smoking, and drugs.

In addition to visiting your primary care physician or obstetrician, seeing a maternal fetal specialist is vital to get the specialized care and education you need for a safe and healthy pregnancy.

HRPC is the only maternal fetal medicine group with an American Diabetes Association (ADA) recognized educational program. Our specialists have advanced training and expertise in building individualized care plans and educating patients with preexisting and gestational diabetes.

What to Expect During Delivery and Birth

Diabetes and pregnancy require special precautions during delivery and immediately following the birth of your baby. You may be advised to have an intravenous drip of sugar and insulin during labor. Your baby will need close monitoring immediately following delivery, including blood tests, to confirm whether their blood sugar levels are within a normal range and stable.

Depending on their test results, they may need specialized care for a few days to treat their blood sugar, jaundice, and oxygenation issues.

If you plan to breastfeed, it is safe to do so as a person with diabetes. Diabetes will not affect your breast milk, and insulin is not harmful to your baby.

Gestational Diabetes and Pregnancy

Unlike type 1 and type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that starts during pregnancy. It is not preexisting. If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, following your doctor’s advice closely is vital to avoid complications for both you and your baby.

Depending on your unique needs, your primary care physician or obstetrician will probably refer you to a maternal fetal specialist for more frequent appointments and regular blood sugar monitoring throughout your pregnancy.

These specialists use their advanced skill and training to develop an individualized care plan that supports optimal outcomes for you and your baby.

Your Maternal-Fetal Specialists at High Risk Pregnancy Center

When you are pregnant (or hoping to become pregnant) and have diabetes, there is a lot to consider.

Understanding how to manage your blood sugar levels with changing hormones is essential for keeping you and your baby healthy.

The physicians and nurse practitioners at HRPC are specifically trained in diabetes management to help you manage your blood sugar levels so you and your unborn baby stay healthy.

If you’d like more information about managing your diabetes and pregnancy, call 702-382-3200 or request an appointment using our online form.