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Keeping your blood glucose near normal before and during pregnancy helps protect both you and your baby. Even before you become pregnant, your blood glucose should be close to the normal range.

Your health care team can work with you to get your blood glucose under control before you try to get pregnant. If you're already pregnant, see your doctor right away. It's not too late to bring your blood glucose close to normal so that you'll stay healthy during the rest of your pregnancy.

Your insulin needs may change when you're pregnant. Your doctor may want you to take more insulin and check your blood glucose more often. If you take diabetes pills, you'll take insulin instead when you're pregnant.

If you plan to have a baby,

• work with your health care team to get your blood glucose as close to the normal range as possible before you get pregnant
• see a doctor who has experience in taking care of pregnant women with diabetes
• don't smoke, drink alcohol, or use harmful drugs
• follow the meal plan you get from your dietitian or diabetes educator to make sure you and your unborn baby have a healthy diet

Be sure to have your eyes, heart and blood vessels, blood pressure, and kidneys checked. Your doctor should also check for nerve damage. Pregnancy can make some health problems worse.

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