Conditions We Treat

We treat all types of diabetes in pregnancy. If you have prediabetes, and it doesn’t advance, you can usually see an obstetrician rather than coming to our program.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. As a result, the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone that brings glucose from the bloodstream into the body’s cells to be used as energy. Without insulin, the body cannot use glucose as energy. Type 1 diabetes often starts in childhood.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas cannot make enough insulin to meet the body’s demand or when insulin resistance occurs. Insulin resistance means that the cells in the body cannot respond to or use insulin, even when there are high levels of insulin present in the bloodstream.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes simply means that you develop diabetes during pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones affect how your body uses insulin. In some women, this can lead to insulin resistance, when your body can’t use insulin. If you have prediabetes, are overweight, have a family history of diabetes, or have high blood pressure, you are at a greater risk for gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes usually starts around 20 to 24 weeks’ gestation and often goes away after delivery—especially if you breastfeed.