Living with Diabetes

You have the good fortune to live when you do. Health care providers no longer discourage women with diabetes from becoming pregnant.

Women who manage their diabetes well during pregnancy can have a relatively normal pregnancy and give birth to a healthy baby.

We now know that the key to a healthy pregnancy for a woman with diabetes is keeping blood glucose (sugar) in the target range—both before she is pregnant and during her pregnancy. If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes before getting pregnant, maintaining blood glucose levels and A1C close to normal just before and during the first trimester (the first three months) is critical to the proper development of the child while in the mother's womb. If blood glucose levels are kept near normal from the time of conception, the risk of birth defects in your baby can be greatly reduced to no higher than that of a woman without diabetes.

Along with managing blood glucose levels before and during pregnancy, you need a diabetes treatment plan that keeps meals, exercise, and insulin in balance. This plan will change as you get further into your pregnancy. You will also need to check your blood glucose often and keep a record of your results.

With your blood glucose in the target range and good medical care, your chances of a trouble-free pregnancy and a healthy baby are almost as good as they are for a woman without diabetes.

In addition to the information below, you may be interested in our book Diabetes & Pregnancy: A Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy.