You don’t have to deal with the trials & tribulations of managing diabetes during pregnancy alone. Our pregnancy retainer service starts when you conceive, and continues through delivery. Monthly educational sessions cover topics of particular interest during pregnancy, such as perinatal nutrition, exercise, weight management, delivery planning, and preparation for the post-partum experience. Self-monitoring data is reviewed weekly (more often if needed) so that appropriate adjustments can be made for keeping your blood sugar within an optimal range. As is the case with any of our retainer services, your IDS clinician is available to answer your questions, troubleshoot, and lend support on an ongoing basis.
Recommended Reading
Balancing Pregnancy With Pre-Existing Diabetes, by Cheryl Alkon, serves as an excellent “how to” guide. It covers finding the right doctor, pre-pregnancy planning, special considerations for the first, second and third trimesters, labor & delivery, and taking care of yourself along with your baby. Cheryl is an accomplished writer, researcher and editor who manages a diabetes blog, thesweetnesswithin.blogspot.com. Find out more at CherylAlkon.com.
What to Expect When You’re Expecting, by Heidi Murkoff, is considered the “bible” on pregnancy. The sections covering diabetes are not all that detailed, but it remains the most comprehensive self-help resource on pregnancy in general.
The Nursing Mother’s Companion by Kathleen Higgins is perhaps the most comprehensive book on the topic. Given the immense value of breastfeeding to both mother and infant, this is a subject you’ll certainly want to familiarize yourself with.
Wonderful Websites
www.diabeticmommy.com Diabetic Mommy features bulletin boards and resource lists for all forms of diabetes and all phases of pregnancy.
www.diabetessisters.org Dedicated completely to supporting wellness for women with diabetes, the Diabetes Sisters site features expert panelists, blogs, and extensive information on a variety of topics, including diabetes & pregnancy.
Groups.yahoo.com Yahoo Groups includes a number of particularly relevant areas, including “Positive Diabetic Pregnancies”, “Pregnant Pumpers”, and “Diabeticmoms”.
www.sidelines.org The National High-Risk Pregnancy support network links phone buddies and other resources for women confined to bed rest, including women with pregnancy complications such as diabetes.
www.birthplan.com Produced by PregnancyToday, this site guides you through the creation of your own personalized birth plan.
www.llli.org La Leche League International’s official site, offering support, encouragement and information/education on breast feeding. For detailed information on breastfeeding and diabetes, go to www.llli.org/cbi/bibdiabetes.html.
www.type1university.com Type-1 University features a series of topic-specific webinars for insulin users. One of the courses focuses on managing pregnancy with type-1 diabetes. It covers glucose management, nutrition, exercise, weight control, and many other pertinent issues.
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