Pregnancy and diabetes quiz

Pre-pregnancy planning can help ensure the best outcome for mother and baby. Women with diabetes can have healthy pregnancies, but those pregnancies should be planned and their diabetes should be in good control before they get pregnant. If their diabetes isn’t well controlled, these women are at higher risk for pregnancy complications and birth defects.

The first step in pregnancy planning for women with diabetes is to see their doctor and make sure that their blood sugar control is good. This has been shown to reduce the risk of birth defects. Next, they need to talk to their doctor about their medications. Some medications may be harmful to the developing baby, and may need to be changed.

Pregnancy is a stressor on the body. If women already have diabetes complications, those issues often get worse during pregnancy. Before getting pregnant, women with diabetes should be assessed for diabetes complications such as eye disease or kidney disease.

An endocrinologist or internist can help women manage their diabetes throughout pregnancy. Even in women with controlled diabetes, pregnancy often leads to a need for insulin. Pregnant women with diabetes may need to learn how to use insulin and how to check their blood sugars. They also need to be monitored regularly.

Ideally, women with diabetes should also see an obstetrician who has expertise in treating pregnant women who have other medical conditions, such as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. If they’re monitored closely and have a good care team to help them, they should have a healthy pregnancy. There is a higher rate of premature delivery and need for C-sections in women with diabetes, but a lot of women can still go on to have a natural delivery.

Like all women planning a pregnancy, women with diabetes should start taking folic acid before they try to conceive.