How Does Diabetes Affect My Pregnancy?
In diabetes, your body fails to regulate your blood sugar due to the lack of insulin. Moreover, during pregnancy, diabetes is one of the top medical complications. If you have diabetes, you can take some steps in order to have a healthy pregnancy. Let’s know about diabetes and pregnancy.
Causes and symptoms of diabetes
Diabetes is of two types. For Type 1 diabetes, you have to use insulin on a daily basis. Symptoms of this disease include weight loss, increased urination, thirst, blurred vision and so on.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include fatigue, constant hunger, increased urination and thirst, slow healing of kidney and bladder infections.
Tips For Treatment of the preexisting diabetes during pregnancy
- Make a care plan in order to regulate your blood glucose levels. Make sure you stay in touch with your medical professional.
- For a healthy diet, you should talk to your doctor or dietitian. This can help you control your blood sugar before and after you have conceived.
- Let your doctor know your current medications and the health condition you have.
- Also, you should make appointments with a good perinatologist. These professionals help women who have high-risk pregnancies.
- Lastly, make sure you stay active physically.
Hypoglycemia And Hyperglycemia
Most women who have preexisting diabetes also suffer from hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Usually, hypoglycemia happens when your blood sugar level is dangerously low.
Usually, hypoglycemia can be treated if you eat or drink foods that are rich in orange juice, for instance. Actually, hyperglycemia happens when you don’t get the required amount of insulin or your body fails to make use of the insulin properly.
Risks of diabetes For the Unborn Baby
The baby has some health risks when you, the mother, have diabetes. Below is a description of the health risks that the baby is prone to.
Jaundice: It’s the skin discoloration of the eyes and skin. At times, it happens when the mother with diabetes is pregnant.
Hypoglycemia: Because of the elevated insulin levels, hypoglycemia can happen. Another term for this condition is low blood sugar. If you keep your blood sugar levels under control, you can reduce your baby’s chance of hypoglycemia.
Macrosomia: In this condition, your baby’s growth is too much because of the excess insulin that crosses the placenta.
Other Considerations
- During pregnancy and delivery, make sure you manage your blood glucose levels. For this, make sure that you partner with a good health-care team.
- Make sure you have completed your postpartum care. This is to ensure that you maintain a healthy weight with daily exercise.
- You should do your research and focus on the primary items for the nutrition of your baby after birth. According to some studies, breastfeeding can help you prevent your baby from getting diabetes.
In short, thousands of women control their blood sugar levels during pregnancy. What you need to do is do the same. You should adopt a good diet plan, do exercise and keep in touch with your health care professional.