ALL IN THE FAMILY

Your health in the lead up to pregnancy is an important yet often forgotten consideration that is especially critical for people with diabetes. It is best to start planning three to six months prior to trying to conceive so that you can establish and maintain a good health routine.

As health professionals, we are seeing more people enter pregnancy with diabetes, with the rise of rates of early onset type 2 diabetes. The increase is due to a number of factors such as a higher proportion of women who come from ethnic groups being at high risk of type 2 diabetes (such as people from a South East Asian and Middle Eastern background), the increasing prevalence of women who are at a higher body weight prior to conceiving and the increase in couples choosing to start a family later in life.

Pre-conception care is important for all couples