If you have diabetes, a healthy pregnancy and baby is possible when you take steps to follow a healthy eating plan, stay physically active, and manage your blood glucose (blood sugar).
To protect your baby, it’s important to get a good handle on your diabetes management before you become pregnant and very early in your pregnancy while major organs are forming, less than eight weeks after your last menstrual period. Some of these organs include your baby’s neural tube, which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the heart.
Planning ahead for each stage of pregnancy, including preconception and the first, second, and third trimesters, will help you know what to expect and create a game plan to ensure your health and the health of your baby.
Before You Are Pregnant
Because your baby starts developing so early, talking to your health care provider a few months or more before you try to become pregnant will help to make sure you have a healthy pregnancy. This will allow you take steps to bring your blood glucose (blood sugar) into your target range and reduce your A1C, if needed.
Worried that your A1C is too high? This is the time to work with your diabetes care team to change your treatment plan. Changes could include to your eating plan, physical activity, and medications you take. And no matter what your A1C is, taking prenatal vitamins with folic acid early will lower your child’s risk of birth defects.
This is also the time to make sure you have the right health care providers lined up for your care during your pregnancy. If parts of your diabetes care team don’t have a lot of expertise with diabetes and pregnancy, think about looking for ones that do.
For the best prenatal care, your care team should include:
- A doctor, trained to care for people with diabetes and has cared for pregnant women with diabetes
- An obstetrician gynecologist (OB/GYN) who handles high-risk pregnancies and has cared for other pregnant women with diabetes
- A pediatrician (children's doctor) or neonatologist (doctor for newborn babies) who knows and can treat problems that can happen in babies of women with diabetes
- A dietitian who can change your meal plan as your needs change during and after pregnancy
- A diabetes care and education specialist who can help you manage your diabetes during pregnancy
- An eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) who can be sure your eyes are in good shape for pregnancy
It’s important to remember that you are the most important member of your health care team. Keep track of any questions you have so that you have them ready at your appointments.