Welcoming Maternity Patients
Hi, I’m Stephanie. I work at Simplex Health as the Senior Clinical Director of Diabetes Prevention & Reversal. Whether you were referred to our team by your doctor or found us on your own, we’re excited to work together! Our mission is to radically improve the health of humankind. For almost 10 years, we’ve been successful in treating the root cause of many diseases: insulin resistance. Gestational diabetes is one condition marked insulin resistance usually occurring in late pregnancy. To help get you started, we’ve put together some FAQs below. Have more questions? Call us at 877-842-2425 or contact us online.
Our Top 7 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why did my doctor refer me to Simplex?
We work with over 10 healthcare systems and thousands of doctors who recognize that food truly is medicine! Simplex Health works in partnership with your OB/GYN to help deliver the education and support needed for managing your Gestational Diabetes. Because eating the right food is critical to your care plan, improving your diet can improve your condition. It’s also possible that eating the wrong foods can worsen your condition.
Note: Sometimes your referral for nutrition therapy reaches Simplex before your doctor has been able to discuss it with you. In those cases, it’s perfectly ok to confirm this referral with your doctor’s office before continuing.
What’s the urgency behind gestational diabetes?
For women diagnosed with gestational diabetes, maintaining good glycemic control during pregnancy is of utmost importance. High glucose levels (or uncontrolled diabetes) in pregnancy is linked to birth complications including higher risk of high blood pressure and preeclampsia, macrosomia (having a large baby), neonatal hypoglycemia (low blood sugar in baby), and neonatal jaundice. GDM also greatly increases the risk of maternal type 2 diabetes after pregnancy. In addition, children born to mothers with gestational diabetes may be at increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life.
Diet and lifestyle changes are first-line therapies for women diagnosed with gestational diabetes. That is why all women diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes are referred to a Dietitian Nutritionist to receive important diet education and counseling to help minimize the occurrence of complications.
What is gestational diabetes?
Check out the video below that explains gestational diabetes and its impact on your pregnancy.
How can Simplex help me?
Our interventions consider your body’s unique biochemistry, plus key factors that dictate your overall health: nutrient status, stress levels, sleep habits, and more. Our dietary strategies focus on achieving glycemic goals, while still providing adequate energy and nutrient intake to promote you and your baby’s health.
- 88% of Simplex Health’s gestational patients avoid the need for glucose-lowering medications during pregnancy
In addition to working with a specialized dietitian, you’ll have the option to work with a health coach for additional support. Our health coaches can help you work on the other important aspects of health that will make your nutrition changes more powerful, like movement habits, sleep hygiene and stress reduction.
How do I get started?
Step 1: You’ll get a call from our scheduling team to schedule your first three appointments:
- 30-minute Glucometer and Glucose Management Training: During this first training appointment, we ensure you’re set up a blood glucose meter, teach you how to use your device to monitor glucose levels, instruct you on your glucose monitoring schedule and glucose goals, provide common tips & troubleshooting for self-monitoring glucose, and get you set up with logging glucose levels in our Simplex App to initiate oversight, guidance, and additional support on your GDM journey.
- 60-minute Initial Nutrition Assessment with one of our talented dietitians, who specialize in gestational diabetes and creating personalized dietary recommendations. This first nutrition consultation is to provide you with the knowledge you need to make healthy food choices to help with managing your blood glucose levels, in addition to ensuring you are meeting your nutritional needs for pregnancy
- 30-minute Follow-up Session
- In some cases, you might be connected with a health coach before you meet with your dietitian, to help prepare and get started sooner.
- Appointments are held virtually via HIPAA-secure Zoom link
Step 2: Once you’ve scheduled your appointments, we’ll send you a series of emails, including:
- Link to download the Simplex Health app
- Intake forms and health questionnaires
- More information on what to expect
- How to confirm your insurance coverage
Are your services covered under insurance?
In most cases, yes. Insurance will generally cover medical nutrition therapy and diabetes self-management training. Once your insurance is confirmed to be in-network or out-of-network, we can determine the number of covered sessions, whether you’ll have a copay and more.
If your insurance doesn’t cover our services, we still have other options available to you!
Note: Axia Women’s Health patients who meet high-risk diagnosis criteria during pregnancy (including Gestational Diabetes) will receive 2 Complimentary visits if we do not take your insurance.
What are your self-pay pricing options if my insurance is not accepted or in-network?
Option 1: Pay-as-you-go, when you need to meet with your dietitian
Appointment Type Duration Cost Glucometer Training 30 min $50 GDM Initial Nutrition 60 min $105 GDM Follow-up Nutrition 30 min $50 Insulin Start Teaching 30 min $50
Option 2: Annual Membership (Sessions can be used both during your pregnancy and after pregnancy too!)
- 6 X 6 Package ($40/month): 6 sessions with your dietitian and 6 sessions with your health coach, to be used within 12 months
- 10 X 10 Package ($70/month): 6 sessions with your dietitian and 6 sessions with your health coach, to be used within 12 months
- Note: These are available to any patient who has been referred to Simplex Health by their doctor
