Insulin in Pregnancy Is Safe
Reviewed by CDE Mehandi Sharma · Updated
The most common fear about GDM treatment is that insulin will harm the baby. The opposite is closer to the truth.
Insulin does not cross the placental barrier. It stays in your circulation, lowers your blood glucose, and does not reach your baby directly. What does reach your baby is glucose — so leaving your blood sugar high is the thing that affects them, and treating it is the protection.
For that reason insulin is recommended as the first-line medication for GDM when food and activity are not enough.
What starting insulin actually involves is usually smaller than expected. Often it is one injection of a longer-acting insulin at night to bring down a stubborn fasting reading, or a rapid-acting dose before the specific meal that spikes you — not injections with everything.
The needles on modern pens are very fine and short. Most women are surprised by how little it hurts, and the injection goes into the fat of the abdomen or thigh, not into the muscle.
You will also need to know about low blood sugar, which becomes possible once you are on insulin and was not before.
If you are frightened of needles, say so at the appointment. It is an extremely common conversation and there are ways to make the first few easier.