Although pregnancy is no longer generally discouraged among women with diabetes as it once was, women with diabetes who are planning to become pregnant should be aware of the risks to mother and fetus.

Risks to the expectant mother can include preeclampsia (a condition involving high blood pressure and proteinuria), polyhydramnios (excess amniotic fluid during pregnancy), edema (swelling) and urinary tract infections. Additionally, complications such as diabetic retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy may become aggravated.

Risks to the fetus can include miscarriage, birth defects and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Any woman with diabetes who is considering having a baby should first have a physical examination and preconception counseling.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that women with diabetes control their glucose (blood sugar) levels for three to six months before trying to conceive. This is because glucose irregularities can alter the mother's metabolism and as well as the intrauterine environment where the baby grows, resulting in complications such as birth defects.

Women with diabetes will also have to monitor their glucose levels more carefully and frequently during pregnancy because insulin and other hormone levels fluctuate during this time.

Another diabetic pregnancy issue is gestational diabetes, which occurs when nondiabetic women develop diabetes during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes ends when the pregnancy does but increases the mother's risk of developing type 2 diabetes later. Women can reduce their risk of gestational diabetes through exercise and a sensible diet.