Your health after giving birth

Your insulin needs

• After delivery, your insulin requirements will drop dramatically
• You Doctor, Diabetes Specialist Nurse or Diabetes Specialist Midwife may put your insulin back to pre-pregnancy levels, or maybe even lower, because:
  • You are likely to be more active than before
  • You may be breast-feeding
  • You will be up and about during the night too

Your blood glucose levels

• You will not need to run your blood glucose levels quite so tightly as you did when you were pregnant, but try to keep them steady
• Life has probably become rather chaotic, but you should test regularly to avoid highs and lows
• Be aware that you may not regain your hypoglycaemic awareness for a while, so you should continue to monitor regularly

Your body has been through a lot and now your hormones are changing all over again. You may be recovering from a caesarean section. This is a time when it is quite easy to pick up an infection, so if you do feel unwell, remember to test for blood ketones.

The benefits of good control

Some women understandably concentrate on their new arrival and let other resolutions slide. Others enjoyed feeling well and healthy due to tight control during pregnancy so continue with the close monitoring.

So remember, you can continue to feel good, and benefit your long-term health, by keeping your blood glucose levels steady with the help of regular monitoring.