How Diabetes Affects Pregnancy Pregnancy is a time of big
changes for any woman. These changes affect your blood sugar
levels. Sometimes, a woman who is pregnant develops diabetes
during the course of her pregnancy. This is called “gestational
diabetes.” Gestational diabetes begins during pregnancy, and
usually goes away after the baby is born. About 3 percent of
pregnant women develop this condition. The blood sugar becomes
too high, and if you don’t bring it under control, problems for
both you and your baby can result. The same is true for women
who already had diabetes before they were pregnant. If you have
type 1 diabetes, your need for insulin will probably increase
when you’re pregnant. If you have type 2 and have been
controlling it by diet, you may be able to continue in this way.
But if you’ve been taking pills to control your blood sugar,
you’ll have to switch to insulin injections when you’re pregnant
because the pills can cause birth defects. You healthcare team
will be able to help you with this