The goal: Careful blood sugar management

Keeping your blood sugar in your target range before and during pregnancy is the best thing you can do for you and your baby. Good blood sugar management during pregnancy can:

• Reduce the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. Good blood sugar management reduces the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. People with uncontrolled diabetes have a higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.
• Reduce the risk of premature birth. The better your blood sugar management, the less likely you are to go into preterm labor.
• Reduce the risk of birth defects. Good blood sugar control before and during early pregnancy greatly reduces your baby's risk of birth defects, particularly those affecting the brain, spine and heart.
• Reduce the risk of excess fetal growth. Having persistently high blood sugar levels lets extra glucose cross the placenta, which may cause your baby to be significantly larger than average (fetal macrosomia). A large baby makes vaginal delivery difficult, increases the risk of a cesarean delivery and puts the baby at risk of injury during birth.
• Prevent complications for mom. Keeping your blood sugar in range reduces your risk of urinary tract infections and yeast infections. It can also help avoid diabetes complications such as kidney disease.

• Prevent complications for baby. Sometimes babies of mothers who have diabetes develop low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) shortly after birth because their own insulin production is too high. Good blood sugar control can help promote healthy blood sugar levels for your baby, as well as healthy levels of calcium and magnesium in the blood.

  Good blood sugar management also helps prevent breathing problems and a yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes (jaundice) in your baby after birth.