Many women in pregnancy develop diabetes which only lasts until their baby is born. This is called gestational diabetes and can be picked up easily during routine ante-natal check-ups, and safely managed.
However, many women have successful pregnancies even if they have diabetes mellitus, the kind of diabetes that is a life-long condition which needs daily management and special attention in pregnancy.
Monitoring diabetes mellitus during pregnancy
If you have diabetes you are likely to be in regular contact with your GP and once your pregnancy is confirmed, your GP will be able to explain to you how the following months are likely to monitored. The medication with which your condition is treated is also likely to be addressed at the earliest opportunity. Insulin injections are not a danger to your baby.
Making sure you keep your blood sugar levels in check in the earliest weeks of pregnancy can be important for the health of the fetus and the most healthy outcome for your baby.
As a diabetic, your blood sugar regulation would alter and your insulin needs would change but this would not neccessarily worsen your condition.
Your consultant at the hospital would either monitor this or refer you to regular appointments with a related specialist.
You will probably require more regular scans to check that your baby is not growing too large. If there is a concern that your baby is too large, your consultant may suggest bringing the birth forward by two or three weeks.
How diabetes might affect your pregnancy
Those women with diabetes are more likely to experience a premature labour.
All pregnant women have regular tests for sugar in their urine and blood tests to keep an eye on pre-eclampsia but again this condition is more likely for diabetics.
A baby of a diabetic mother can either grow overly large or have restricted growth, but vigilant monitoring on the part of your health care team and your own part in keeping strictly to a self-care regime that keeps your diet and blood sugar levels in check, can drastically reduce any risk.
