A woman with diabetes can give birth vaginally by the due date as long as the pregnancy has gone well, the baby is in good health and it is not too big for a vaginal birth. In most cases, induced vaginal birth is already planned before the due date.
When a person with diabetes gives birth vaginally, it is important that the labour proceeds smoothly without delays. If the baby’s heart rate monitoring picks up any anomalies during labour, there is a lower threshold for switching to Caesarean section. For a person with diabetes, the likelihood of a Caesarean is 2–4 times higher than average.
If the mother uses insulin, blood sugar is kept at a steady 4–7 mmol/l level during labour to ensure that the baby’s blood sugar does not drop too low after labour.
Usually, it is advisable to continue using the insulin pump during delivery. Your diabetes doctor will provide instructions for blood glucose management well in advance of the delivery.