American Diabetes Month: Diabetes and Pregnancy

Diabetes can cause problems during pregnancy for women and their developing babies. Poor control of diabetes during pregnancy increases the chances of problems during pregnancy, birth defects, and serious complications for the woman. Proper health care before and during pregnancy can help prevent birth defects and other health problems.

Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot use the sugars and starches (carbohydrates) it takes in from food to make energy. The body either makes too little or no insulin and cannot use the insulin it makes to change those sugars and starches into energy. As a result, extra sugar builds up in the blood. Below are the most common types of diabetes:

Type 1: The pancreas makes no insulin or so little insulin that the body cannot use blood sugar for energy. Type 1 diabetes must be controlled with daily insulin.

Type 2: The body either makes too little insulin or cannot use the insulin it makes to use blood sugar for energy. Sometimes type 2 diabetes can be controlled through eating a proper diet and exercising regularly.

Gestational Diabetes: This is a type of diabetes that is first seen in a pregnant woman that did not have diabetes before she was pregnant. Often gestational diabetes can be controlled through eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

For most women with gestational diabetes, the diabetes goes away soon after delivery. When it does not go away, the diabetes becomes type 2 diabetes. Even if the diabetes does go away after the baby is born, half of all women who had gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes later. For additional questions or concerns about diabetes please contact us at 407-566-9700 to schedule an appointment with your provider.