Background and objectivePreconception care has been shown to decrease the risk of pregnancy-related complications in women with diabetes, but many women do not plan their pregnancies. Our aim was to identify the associated factors and barriers related to the involvement of these women in preconception care. Material and methodsFifty women with pregestational diabetes (28 with type 1 diabetes) and 50 non-diabetic pregnant women were consecutively enrolled at our hospital. They completed a questionnaire, and their medical histories were reviewed. ResultsAll 33 patients with diabetes who received preconception care had a similar current age (34.3±5.3 years) and age at diagnosis (20.3±11.3) to those with no preconception care (n=17) (31.8±5.3 and 19.1±10.6 years respectively; p>0.1), but were more frequently living with their partners (97% vs. 70.6%; p=0.014), employed (69.7% vs. 29.4%; p=0.047), and monitored by an endocrinologist (80.6% vs. 50%; p=0.034), had more commonly had previous miscarriages (78.6% vs. 10%; p=0.001), and were aware of the impact of diabetes on pregnancy (87.5% vs. 58.8%; p=0.029). The frequency of preconceptional folic acid intake was similar in pregnant women with and without diabetes (23.8% vs. 32%; p>0.1). ConclusionsPreconception care of diabetic patients is associated with living with a partner, being employed, being aware of the risks of pregnancy-related complications, having had previous miscarriages, and being monitored by an endocrinologist. Pregnancy planning is infrequent in both women with and without diabetes.