The Challenges Of Pregnancy When You Have Diabetes

Diabetes is hard to live with under the best of circumstances, but it can raise more serious concerns when you wish to get pregnant. While your concerns are understandable, the presence of pre-existing diabetes during pregnancy does not mean that pregnancy complications are unavoidable. With adequate medical care and counselling you can go on to have a completely healthy pregnancy and safe delivery. Of course, this requires awareness about the risk of pregnancy complications associated with diabetes.

Risks To Mother With Diabetes During Pregnancy

When pregnant with diabetes, there is a greater risk of the development or deterioration of diabetes complications, such as diabetic eye disease or kidney problems. The risk of urinary tract infections and other infections is also considerably higher. 

Pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes also face a higher risk of developing a pregnancy complication called preeclampsia, in which blood pressure levels are elevated. This can seriously threaten both maternal and foetal wellbeing. 

Another concern for pregnant women with diabetes is an increased risk of developing a hypertensive complication called preeclampsia. This is a serious medical condition that causes high blood pressure and swelling.

Risks To Baby From Pre-existing Maternal Diabetes

Women with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes face a higher risk of pregnancy loss, including miscarriage or stillbirth. There is also an increased risk of pregnancy complications, such as premature birth or the development of birth defects. 

Additionally, high blood sugar levels during pregnancy can cause the baby to be overweight at birth, posing a risk of injuries and also increasing the likelihood of a C-section. In some cases, it can also result in growth-restrictions and difficulties in transitioning to breathing.

Your baby could also face a higher lifetime risk of developing obesity, diabetes, or heart disease during childhood or adulthood. 

Ensuring A Safe Pregnancy With Diabetes

Pre-existing diabetes in a mother doesn’t guarantee any of these complications, as most complications are associated with poorly managed diabetes. Ideally, effective blood sugar control should begin at least three to six months prior to conception, so this should be considered when you’re planning to get pregnant. This is important as research shows that the risk of complications is higher if conception occurs when blood sugar levels are elevated. 

A large part of preparing for pregnancy with diabetes involves working closely with your doctors, including various specialists such as endocrinologists, perinatologists, and dietitians. Some of your diabetes medications may need to be stopped or modified to ensure safety. Meal planning and exercise routines will also become more important in your diabetes management strategy. 

When consulting your doctor, make it a point to also discuss the need for nutritional supplements, such as multivitamins and folic acid. It will also help to join support groups where you can communicate with and learn from the experiences of other mothers who have dealt with pre-existing diabetes during pregnancy. 

No matter how effectively you manage diabetes, your pregnancy will be categorized as ‘high-risk’, but this shouldn’t scare you. It simply means that doctors will be more involved in monitoring your pregnancy and may request additional prenatal tests to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Additional ultrasounds and non-stress tests will also be used to keep track of your baby’s health and wellbeing. 

References:

1. https://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/diabetes-types.html
2. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/diabetes-pregnancy