Natural menopause is the result of the cessation of both ovulation and associated hormone (estrogen and progesterone) production.

In most cases, gestational diabetes disappears after delivery, but women who have had it have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Providing breast milk for one baby burns, on average, about 500 calories per day.

Yes — insulin is considered safe to take when pregnant or breast-feeding, and there have been no reported cases of adverse effects in babies. Diabetes pills, however, are not recommended for women who are breast-feeding.

Yes — while having diabetes can make breast-feeding more challenging, it is not considered a medical reason not to breast-feed.

While labor leading to a vaginal delivery may lower a woman’s blood glucose level, a cesarean section can be stressful to the body and may raise the blood glucose level.

The calorie needs for pregnancy range from 2,400 to 2,800 calories per day for most physically active pregnant women.

To keep tabs on increasing insulin requirements during pregnancy and facilitate adjustments, blood glucose self-monitoring should be done seven to 10 times daily.

Tacking down rugs, cleaning up clutter, and putting nonslip mats in your shower and by your bathroom and kitchen sinks can help reduce the likelihood of falling at home.

When you have symptoms of low blood glucose (hypoglycemia), use your meter to confirm them (if available), then limit yourself to consuming 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrate to treat the low.

If you must use a limited number of test strips because of their cost, try to use them in a way that lets you see a pattern in your blood glucose readings (e.g., random pairs or burst testing).

To avoid hypoglycemia, try to have no more than 10% of your blood glucose readings before meals or at bedtime below 70 mg/dl (80 mg/dl for very young children).

Following any episode of severe hypoglycemia (one that results in seizure, loss of consciousness, or unresponsiveness), greater attention to blood glucose control and possibly a change in therapy are in order.

Carbohydrate has the most profound effect on blood glucose levels. Monitor your carbohydrate intake and use this information to calculate your insulin and/or oral medicine doses.

Alcohol may cause blood glucose to drop several hours after it is consumed, even though it may raise blood glucose at first if the drink is carbohydrate-rich. Adjust your medicine and/or carbohydrate intake based on this effect.

For most people with diabetes, a blood glucose level of 70 mg/dl or less is considered low, and treatment is recommended to prevent it from dropping even lower. If you have symptoms of hypoglycemia and do not have your blood glucose meter available, treatment is recommended.