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Work with your doctor to get the checkups you need before you conceive

Your diabetes-related health problems can affect your pregnancy. And pregnancy can make some diabetes health problems worse. Your doctor can talk with you about how pregnancy might affect any previous or ongoing problems you have. If you address these problems enough in advance, you may decide to work with your doctor to arrange for treatments, such as laser treatment for eye problems, before you get pregnant. Before you get pregnant, talk with your doctor about:

• whether your vaccinations — shots to help prevent diseases — are up to date
• having a Pap test to check for changes in the cells of your cervix, the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina
• being checked for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV

Have a complete checkup before you get pregnant or at the start of your pregnancy. Your doctor should check for:

• high blood pressure, also called hypertension
• eye disease, also called diabetic retinopathy
• heart and blood vessel disease, also called cardiovascular disease
• nerve damage, also called diabetic neuropathy
• kidney disease, also called diabetic nephropathy
• thyroid disease

Also, let your doctor know about:

• prior pregnancies
• health problems that run in your or your partner's family
• family or social situations that could hurt your and your baby's safety, such as domestic violence or lack of support
• other health problems you have, such as an eating disorder or depression

You'll also get regular checkups throughout your pregnancy. During these visits, your health care team will check your blood pressure and A1C levels and monitor the protein in your urine.

Published February 12, 2015.

Source: National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. September 10, 2014.