Management of Maternal (MOMs) Diabetes Program

The Management of Maternal (MOMs) Diabetes Program at MUSC Women’s Health provides comprehensive care for moms who have diabetes, including those who develop diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes). Early, intensive management of diabetes during pregnancy can help decrease the risk of complications and birth defects.

Our MOMs Diabetes team provides the following to help keep you and your baby healthy:

• Individualized meal planning
• Blood glucose monitoring
• Medications
• Follow up and support to enable each woman to manage her blood sugars

Team-Based Management of Maternal Diabetes

At the MOMs Diabetes Program at MUSC, our mission is to streamline your care and enhance your experience as a high-risk mother with diabetes or glucose intolerance. We aim to provide you with the best possible care: most pregnant women with diabetes can have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, just like everyone else.

BUT, success depends on good planning and care, ideally before, but also during and after the pregnancy. You’ll need to see many different health care providers – obstetricians, diabetes specialists, dietitians, eye doctors, and psychologists. Often, it is difficult to find the time and energy for all these clinic visits.

We are committed to help. By bringing together a team of experts, your care is coordinated in one place at one time. This means fewer clinic visits. By using the latest technologies – like telemedicine, and remote monitoring of blood sugar – we can quickly detect and deal with problems before they become serious. The ‘MOMs Diabetes Program’ combines multiple appointments into a single visit, increasing convenience during what can be a busy and stressful time for you as an expectant mother.

Working as a team (with you, the patient, as the most important member), has two big advantages:

• Team members know and communicate with one another, improving your quality of care.
• You can see your providers together at one appointment, reducing clinic visits and saving you time and travel.

Our Team includes:

• Maternal-Fetal Medicine: MUSC Women’s Health has outstanding maternal fetal medicine (MFM) physicians who specialize in high-risk obstetric care.
• Diabetes Specialist (Endocrinologist): MUSC endocrinologists specialized in pregnancy management bring you the latest treatments and strategies for the best possible diabetes control.
• Nutrition: Registered dietitians/certified diabetes educators provide advice and guidance about healthy eating, which is key for a healthy pregnancy.
• Eye care: Screening photographs of the retina (back of eye) are obtained twice during your pregnancy and assessed by MUSC Ophthalmologists.
• Mental Health: Pregnancy and motherhood are wonderful, but often bring great stress. About half of women with diabetes experience depression or anxiety during or after pregnancy, so we screen everyone and provide help, if needed.
• Patient Navigator: Our patient navigator is a key member of our team. She will provide you with guidance about all aspects of the program and will help to ensure you are at the right place at the right time. She will also serve as a primary ‘point of contact’ should you experience any problems.