Pregnancy & Diabetes Tips

1. Pull together an expert high-risk health team that includes:

• An endocrinologist, a doctor who is specially trained to care for patients with diabetes.
• A perinatologist or maternal fetal medicine specialist -- obstetricians who are experts in high-risk pregnancies and have cared for other pregnant women with diabetes.
• A neonatologist, a doctor who specializes in care for high-risk newborn and premature babies, who knows and can treat special problems that can happen in babies of women with diabetes.
• A registered dietitian who can change your meal plan as your needs change during and after pregnancy.
• A diabetes educator who can help you manage your diabetes during pregnancy.

2. Be careful with your medicine.

• If you take diabetes medication through pill form to control your condition, know that you won’t be able to while you’re pregnant. A doctor may advise you to use insulin shots instead.

3. Check your blood glucose levels as instructed by your doctor or health care provider.

4. Stick to your dietician-approved meal plan in order to keep your sugar levels in range.

5. Exercise is a key part of diabetes treatment even while you’re pregnant.

• Talk to your doctor about any potential risks of exercising you may have while pregnant, especially if you have heart disease and/or high-blood pressure.