The period after a woman gives birth provides a window of opportunity to impact on her short- and long-term future health. The end of a pregnancy heralds a transition both physically and mentally, and in terms of self-care. After delivery, most of the hormones that make a woman with gestational diabetes insensitive to the action of insulin are no longer present. In women with pre-existing diabetes, insulin needs drop dramatically; some women requiring insulin therapy to live may not need insulin for up to 72 hours. Adjustments in insulin doses or blood glucose-lowering medications should be based on each woman’s needs, blood glucose levels, and medical history. Leona Dang-Kilduff describes the key factors affecting women’s health after a pregnancy with diabetes and recommends multi-risk factor screening to protect future health.