Gestational diabetes: Giving yourself insulin injections

The thought of injecting insulin into yourself may make you feel anxious. However, with good training from your diabetes educator, doing it can be surprisingly comfortable.

Your health care provider and diabetes educator will show you where insulin can be injected. The most common site for pregnant women is the abdomen. The needle poses no threat to your baby, which is well protected in your uterus far away from the needle.

Using an insulin pen

Ask your health care provider or diabetes educator if an insulin pen will work for you.

• Disposable insulin pens are available and easy to use. Most allow you to "dial" your insulin dosage rather than draw up insulin from a bottle into a syringe.
• If you work outside your home, you may find insulin pens easier to use and more convenient.

How to measure and inject a single type of insulin

1. Wash your hands.
2. Roll the bottle of cloudy insulin between your hands and turn it upside down to mix.
3. Remove the cover from the needle.
4. Draw air into the syringe equal to your prescribed dose of ___ units.
5. Put the needle into the top of the insulin bottle and shoot air in.
6. Turn the bottle and the syringe upside down.
7. Pull down and push up on the plunger two or three times — slowly — to get rid of air bubbles.
8. Look carefully to make sure that all air bubbles are gone.
9. Draw out your prescribed amount of insulin: _______ units ____________________________ types.
10. Pull the needle out of the bottle.
11. Clean the skin at the injection site, if needed.
12. Gently pinch skin and inject the insulin. Your diabetes educator or health care provider will advise you where to inject your insulin (usually the abdomen).

How to measure and inject two types of insulin

1. Wash your hands.
2. Roll the cloudy bottle of insulin between your hands and turn it upside down to mix.
3. Remove the cover from the needle.
4. Draw air into the syringe equal to your prescribed dose ________ (number of units) of cloudy __________________________________ (name) insulin.
5. Put the needle into the top of the cloudy bottle and shoot air in. Remove the needle. Do not draw out the insulin yet. Set the bottle aside.
6. Draw air into the syringe equal to your prescribed dose of ________ (number of units ) of clear ___________________________________ (name) insulin.
7. Put the needle into the top of the clear bottle and shoot air in. Do not remove the needle.
8. Turn the clear bottle and syringe upside down.
9. Pull down and push up on the plunger two to three times — slowly — to get rid of air bubbles. Look to make sure all bubbles are gone.
10. Draw out your prescribed amount of clear insulin ________ (number of units).
11. Pull the needle out of the clear bottle.
12. Put the needle into the cloudy bottle. Do not push the plunger in.
13. Draw out the total insulin units prescribed. Clear dose _______ + cloudy dose _______ = total dose (_______). Make sure the amount of insulin in your syringe does not exceed the total units prescribed.
14. Pull the needle out of the bottle. Clean the injection site if needed.
15. Gently pinch your skin and inject the insulin. Your diabetes educator or doctor will advise you where to inject your insulin (usually the abdomen).

Tip for Mom

Do not use insulin that is lumpy, sticks to the bottle or looks discolored. Return it to your pharmacy for a new bottle.

Related Links

Time-action of different insulins

Disposal of sharps

Storing insulin

Taking insulin during pregnancy

Allina Community Pharmacies

Allina Pregnancy Care

First published: 11/27/2006
Last updated: 11/27/2006

Reviewed by: Allina Patient Education experts