Which change best describes the insulin needs of a client with type 1 diabetes who has just delivered an infant vaginally without complications?

• A. Decrease
• B. Increase
• C. Remain the same as before pregnancy
• D. Remain the same as during pregnancy

Answer: (A)

After delivery, the placenta is no longer producing hormones that cause insulin resistance. The drop in those hormones increases the mother’s insulin sensitivity, so her needs for injected insulin decrease. In a type 1 diabetic who has just given birth without complications, insulin requirements typically fall and return toward the pre-pregnancy level within days to a couple of weeks. This is why close glucose monitoring and a downward adjustment of insulin doses are important postpartum to prevent hypoglycemia, with further titration as the clinical situation evolves, including factors like breastfeeding.