How can I get pregnant with diabetes? How can I prevent the onset of gestational diabetes?
No matter what, pregnancy with diabetes is more challenging than a normal pregnancy.
From seeing things growing rounder and bigger to altering your food choices, it changes everything. A long-awaited blessing or a surprise from mother nature, the journey is miraculous yet challenging. With all the other changes, this tiny human brings to your body, increased sugar level is common.
Even if it’s your first pregnancy or second, sustaining a diabetic pregnancy can be quite challenging.
Let’s know more about diabetic pregnancy.
Table of Contents
What are the Odds Associated with A Diabetic Pregnancy?
Gestational Diabetes – It is the type of diabetes that women develop during pregnancy.
Before we head to the management of diabetes during pregnancy, let us know what are the risks associated with the condition.
- If you already have diabetes then it can affect your chances of getting pregnant.
- Diabetes during pregnancy can increase the chances of birth defects in children.
- Further, it increases your risk of having a miscarriage or stillbirth.
Here we are mainly concerned with the management of diabetes that develops during pregnancy aka gestational diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes
Talking in numbers, gestational diabetes has affected almost 2-10% of total pregnancies.
According to the top reviewed diabetologists in Islamabad, Dr. Tauqeer Ahmed Malik “Just like your mood swings, your fluctuating hormones are the culprit behind gestational diabetes.” This simply occurs when your childbearing body requires more insulin than normal. Further, hormonal changes in your body result in poor utilization of the produced insulin resulting in insulin resistance and ultimately you have increased blood sugar levels in your body.
Women who have the problem of gestational diabetes are more likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes later!
How to Manage Gestational Diabetes?
Don’t be afraid you can control gestational diabetes, that too with minor changes to your routine. All you need is to eat right and your number will be in check. Here are some of the tips that can help you manage gestational diabetes.
Make Right Food Choices
Should I eat this or that… Food choices in pregnancy can be quite tricky.
Though there is a lot we already know about right pregnancy nutrition but this becomes even more important in the case of gestational diabetes.
The reason is simple! Food is the primary source of energy and controls our sugar levels. No matter what type of diabetes it is, make sure that your dietary choices are staying on point. You are not exceeding your everyday calories and nutrient requirements too from healthy and nutritious foods. You can make the best meals with the help of leafy green vegetables because of their high nutrition content.
Here are some of the guidelines that can help you to make informed decisions regarding your food choices.
- Pick carbs wisely
A pasta bowl provides you with carbs and so as oatmeal. Both of these provide you with the most basic nutrient yet differ greatly when it comes to nutrition. When it comes to picking up your carbs, you have the healthiest and unhealthiest options. Here you need to be careful. Choose simple carbs over processed ones that don’t impact your blood sugar levels instantly.
You
- Pack it with Proteins
Yes you are not building muscles but making this tiny human being can change your protein requirements. You won’t only get assistance with baby development but a regulated digestive system.
- Fiber, Fiber and Fiber
You have probably heard about the role of fiber towards better heart health but fiber can do wonders in pregnancy. It can help your body to have regulated insulin levels by impacting the activity of insulin receptions.
Avoid the Foods
Just like eating certain foods, it is crucial to refrain from wrong food choices. Unhealthy carbs, processed foods with artificial flavors, nutrition deficient foods and the ones deep-fried in oil can be some of the worst pregnancy food choices. No matter what trimester you are at, try to go as sugar-free as you can to keep yourself and your little one healthy.
Manage Your Meals
Eating alone is not enough!
When you eat something is quite important. For this, you need to work on your meal frequency. To manage pregnancy with diabetes, make sure you are not skipping any of your meals. A recommended practice is to divide your nutrients uniformly throughout the day.
Whether it’s 2 or 3 large meals, the choice is all yours. No matter the number of meals or snacks you would go for. You can consult your nutritionist regarding meal planning in pregnancy. This uniform food distribution will ensure a regular supply of energy to your body ensuring proper body functioning. Further, eating at regular intervals will enable your body to digest all the nutrients well.
Prenatal Vitamins are Must
Vitamin C for better iron absorption, vitamin D for calcium absorption and the list of multivitamin benefits can go long!
These prenatal vitamins become more important when you are pregnant and suffering from gestational diabetes. You can also prevent gestational diabetes with these vitamin supplements. These vitamin supplements enable better nutrient absorption in your body. Better nutrient absorption means a regulated insulation level!
Workout Properly
Love yoga? Want to swim? Or simply love going for a brisk walk… Just do it!
There is already enough evidence to support the benefit of workout in pregnancy. Carrying the baby gives you a reason to work out well. When you move well, this is going to impact your overall metabolism. Your body will process nutrients better and you are less likely to suffer from high blood glucose levels.
However, it’s better to consult your physician regarding the choice of workout.
Keep Numbers in Check
No matter how hard you are trying and not witnessing any concerning signs, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t control it. Always keep a check on your numbers to not only know how you are doing but to control it even better.
Consult Regularly
A pregnancy with diabetes is definitely more challenging than an ordinary pregnancy.
Despite making all the efforts, it is better to have your routine checkups. Let your gynecologist decide what’s better for you and your baby. Regular checkups are surely to save you from the bigger troubles. Visit your doctor, follow the instructions properly, monitor things well and enjoy a healthy pregnancy.
You can now book an appointment with the best gynecologist in Lahore via Healthwire.pk to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
