As soon as you’re pregnant, you should be referred to an obstetrician who specializes in pregnancy and diabetes where you’ll receive extra care. You will have more frequent prenatal visits, additional scans, and extra blood tests to monitor your blood sugars. You may need diabetes medication and/or insulin injections each day; the dose usually changes throughout pregnancy and needs to be monitored. The better your blood sugar control, the less likely you or your baby is to experience problems during pregnancy. Since diabetic women have an increased risk of late pregnancy problems such as preeclampsia and premature labor, you may be advised to have an induction of labor a week or so before your due date . Once in labor, your blood sugar levels will be closely monitored, and you will probably be given an insulin IV. After the birth, your baby’s blood sugar levels will be closely monitored too for around 24 hours. If you’re planning to breast-feed, which is recommended, your insulin dose may need to be changed after the birth.
