Diabetes is one of the most common medical conditions that can cause complications during pregnancy. If you develop diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes), or if you had type 1 or type 2 diabetes before becoming pregnant, you will require special medical care to protect your health and the health of your baby.

At the High Risk Pregnancy Center of Arizona, we provide comprehensive peregrination (maternal fetal medicine) care as well as diabetes counseling to expectant mothers who have:

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that usually appears around the 24th week of pregnancy.

• Diabetes type 1 or type 2 that is being treated and controlled

• Pre-existing type 2 diabetes discovered during pregnancy

What should I do to prepare for pregnancy if I have diabetes?

If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and are thinking about getting pregnant, plan an appointment with your primary care physician, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and an endocrinologist to make sure you're on the right track. Bringing your blood sugar control into a good range for pregnancy, making sure your medication regimen is safe for pregnancy, addressing any complications or co-morbidities you may have (for example, hypothyroidism or high blood pressure), and working on diabetes self-care, exercise, and diet are all part of these steps.

Regardless of where you will receive your obstetrical care, our maternal-fetal medicine specialists and endocrinologists can give preconception counseling if you do not have an endocrinologist.

Once your pregnancy has been confirmed, you will be checked by our endocrinology specialists as soon as possible to ensure good blood sugar control during the crucial first weeks of pregnancy.

During your first trimester, you'll also visit with maternal-fetal medicine professionals to talk about your symptoms, assess any concerns you have, and make sure your pregnancy is progressing normally.

If I have diabetes, what kind of prenatal, birth, and postpartum care will I get? Diabetes During Pregnancy

Gestational diabetes is diabetes that develops when a woman is pregnant.

It usually happens in the second part of pregnancy, when an increase in placental hormones causes insulin resistance, which can lead to high blood glucose levels.

Gestational diabetes affects about five to eight percent of pregnant women.

Our nurse practitioner educates women diagnosed with gestational diabetes on basic diabetes care, including how to monitor their blood sugars, as part of the Pregnancy in Diabetes Program.

During their first visit, they also meet with a dietician.

If women with gestational diabetes require diabetic medication or have additional medical issues that aggravate their gestational diabetes, they will be referred to an endocrinologist.

Women are often examined every two to four weeks, depending on their blood sugar levels and whether or not they require more education, nutrition, or social work assistance.

Our team works with women prior to delivery to build a strategy for diabetes screening after delivery, diabetes prevention methods, and postpartum transition to primary care.