Function

• Diabetes is a medical condition in which your pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to convert the sugars and carbohydrates in food into energy. This causes a buildup of blood sugar that can stress many organs in the body and make a pregnancy more dangerous and difficult.
  
  

Types

• You may have Type I (insulin dependent) diabetes, Type II diabetes or gestational diabetes, which shows up when you are pregnant. All three types of diabetes are helped by a healthy diet and exercise, though you may also need to have a shot of insulin.
  
  

Recommendations

• Watch your diet carefully if you are pregnant and diabetic. Avoid sugary processed foods and eat several times a day to reduce spikes in blood sugar. Make sure you have a ready source of carbohydrates on hand to avoid crashes from not eating.
  
  

Considerations

• Talk to your doctor about your diabetes. She will recommend a diet that is specific to you based on your weight, your food preferences, the baby's growth and whether you had diabetes before the pregnancy. According to the March of Dimes, around 20 percent of your daily calories should come from proteins, with 30 to 40 percent coming from unsaturated fats and 40 to 50 percent coming from complex carbohydrates.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• Ideally you will have your diabetes well managed before you become pregnant. Take folic acid supplements before pregnancy and while you are pregnant to decrease the risk of birth defects.