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The following article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contains valuable information about the dangers of having diabetes and being pregnant and what you can do to help prevent or control the condition and keep your baby safe. 

Control your blood sugar before and during pregnancy to help prevent birth defects and other poor outcomes, such as miscarriage or stillbirth.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot use the sugars and starches (carbohydrates) it takes in as food to make energy. The body either makes too little insulin in the pancreas or cannot use the insulin it makes to change those sugars and starches into energy. As a result, the body builds up extra sugar in the blood. Controlling diabetes means controlling blood sugar by keeping it within a certain range by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and taking medicines (pills or insulin) as ordered by the doctor.

How can uncontrolled blood sugar affect my health and the baby?

Your health

The extra sugar in the blood can damage your body’s organs, such as the heart, eyes, and kidneys, if it is allowed to build up in the body too long. It can also cause:

• Increased chance of needing C-section
• Preeclampsia
• Miscarriage or stillbirth
• Early or preterm birth

Baby’s health

• Birth defects
• Extra large baby
• Low blood sugar in infant after birth
• Increased chance of overweight obesity and diabetes in your child later in life

Are there different types of diabetes?

There are three common types of diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas makes no insulin or so little insulin that the body can’t change blood sugar into energy. Type 1 diabetes must be controlled with daily insulin shots, diet, and exercise.
• Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body either makes too little insulin or can’t use the insulin it makes to change blood sugar into energy. Often type 2 diabetes can be controlled through eating a proper diet and exercising regularly. Some people with type 2 diabetes have to take diabetes pills or insulin or both.  (continue reading…)

The following information is provided by cdc.gov:

CDC urges women to take 400 mcg of folic acid every day, starting at least one month before getting pregnant, to help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine.

About folic acid - Folic acid is a B vitamin. Our bodies use it to make new cells. Everyone needs folic acid.

Why folic acid is so important - Folic acid is very important because it can help prevent some major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine (anencephaly and spina bifida) by 50% to 70%.

How much folic acid - a woman needs 400 micrograms (mcg) every day.

When to start taking folic acid- For folic acid to help prevent some major birth defects, a woman needs to start taking it at least one month before she becomes pregnant and while she is pregnant. Every woman needs folic acid every day, whether she’s planning to get pregnant or not, for the healthy new cells the body makes daily. Think about the skin, hair, and nails. These – and other parts of the body – make new cells each day.

How a woman can get enough folic acid- There are two easy ways to be sure to get enough folic acid each day:

1. Take a vitamin that has folic acid in it every day. Most multivitamins sold in the United States have the amount of folic acid women need each day. Women can also choose to take a small pill (supplement) that has only folic acid in it each day. Multivitamins and folic acid pills can be found at most local pharmacy, grocery, or discount stores. Check the label to be sure it contains 100% of the daily value (DV) of folic acid, which is 400 micrograms (mcg).

2. Eat a bowl of breakfast cereal that has 100% of the daily value of folic acid every day. Not every cereal has this amount. Check the label on the side of the box, and look for one that has “100%” next to folic acid.

Fact Sheet  - Download and print this fact sheet.

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