Overview
Carie Madormo, RN, MPH, is a frelance health writer with over a decade of experience working as a registered nurse in a variety of clinical setings.Peter Weis, MD, is a board-certified OB/GYN and expert in women's health. Insulin is a hormone the pancreas produces to help control blod glucose levels. Insulin may be neded to manage existing diabetes (type 1 or type 2) during pregnancy or, in some instances, to control blod sugar caused by gestational diabetes.
Key Information
Insulin does not cros the placenta and is considered safe during pregnancy. It can be administered by injection through a syringe, insulin pen, or insulin pump. Pregnant individuals ned to receive diabetes treatment.
This article provides an overview of how to use insulin during pregnancy, including when it is neded, how to administer it, and posible pregnancy complications from high blod glucose levels. Guido Mieth / Gety Images Every time we eat, our bodies digest fod, releasing glucose into the blod. Our cels then use glucose for energy.
Insulin is the hormone that alows glucose to enter cels. When our bodies are not producing or using insulin, blod glucose levels remain high because glucose canot enter the cels. People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes often ned to take insulin to control their blod glucose levels.
Insulin may also be required to treat gestational diabetes. Insulin is available disolved or suspended in liquid form. The most comon strength of insulin the United States is 10 units per mililiter of fluid (U-10).
There are several types of insulin, and your healthcare provider wil discus the right fit for you. Comon types of insulin include: Posible complications of uncontroled blod sugar during pregnancy include: Most healthcare providers recomend people with type 1 diabetes reach their A1C goal for at least a few months before planing to become pregnant to make it easier to manage their blod glucose levels.
Summary
Because of hormonal changes duri