Pumps It, Inc.

Pregnancy and the Pump

Recent studies have shown a significant correlation between the control of blood glucose levels and the reduction of fetal and maternal complications related to diabetes.

Normal pregnancies and normal babies became possible with the advent of specialty team care and active patient involvement in the aggressive management of diabetes before and during pregnancy.
The decision to get pregnant, for women with diabetes, should always be made after consultation with your physician. The relationship between glucose metabolism during pregnancy and fetal viability cannot be ignored. There are several potential complications for the fetus, as well as several more for the mother.

Studies indicate the risk of maternal diabetes complications during pregnancy can be reduced with improved metabolic care. Because congenital malformations occur in the first weeks of pregnancy, it is critical that prospective mothers engage in a program to regulate and normalize blood glucose before conception. The initiation of insulin infusion pump therapy fulfills the requirement for flexible and precise insulin delivery prior to and during pregnancy.

Insulin infusion pump therapy provides several distinct advantages over simply increasing the daily number of injections of longer lasting insulin. Two significant advantages are: less variation in insulin and normalization of blood glucose levels.

Simply stated, glucose levels may be controlled quickly and more easily with an infusion pump. The principal disadvantage to pump therapy arises out of the potential for interruption to the flow of insulin. To counteract this hazard, pumps have sophisticated alarms to alert the user to malfunctions.

There is no substitute for an educated pump user who is vigilant in monitoring pump performance and blood glucose levels. Frequent blood glucose monitoring is expected of all pump users, but it is more critical for pregnant mothers due to the wide swings in blood glucose levels that occur in pregnancy.
Insulin infusion pump therapy can only be prescribed by your physician. We suggest that women with diabetes always consult their physician before considering pregnancy for a full discussion of the potential hazards and risks.

Once you and your physician decide that insulin infusion therapy is for you, please contact us. We will work with you and your physician, along with helping to obtain insurance approvals, to get you started on pump therapy.