After Pregnancy Complicated by Diabetes: Postpartum Care and Education

The postpartum period in women with pregestational or gestational diabetes allows the physician and mother to switch from intensive medical and obstetric management into a proactive and preventive mode, and to jointly develop a reproductive health plan. The woman's individual needs regarding contraception and breastfeeding, an appropriate diet to achieve healthy weight goals, the medical management of diabetes, daily exercise, and future pregnancy planning must be considered. Essential is the active participation of the woman, who, through education, gains an understanding of the far-reaching effects her active participation will have on her subsequent health, her newborn child's health, and possibly that of her future children.