Managing Diabetes During Pregnancy

Are you over the moon with the happy news of your pregnancy?

Have you heard about blood sugar complications that may arise during the pregnancy period?

Well, gestational diabetes is one of the common health conditions that may occur during pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes develops in a pregnant woman when her body cannot deal with all the extra demand to produce more insulin. This ultimately leads to high sugar levels.

If you have gestational diabetes, you can manage it with healthy food habits, diabetes diet plan, and regular exercise.

Managing gestational diabetes in consultation with your obstetrician-gynecologist in Dubai (OB/GYN) and regular blood check-ups can keep the condition under control.

Your baby can be healthy without any diabetic symptoms. Most women are free of this conditional diabetes after the birth of their babies.

Gestational Diabetes Risk Factors

You can develop gestational diabetes due to the following reasons:

• Being overweight before pregnancy
• If you are Asian, Hispanic, Native American or African-American
• Your blood sugar levels are on the borderline
• Your parents or one of the parents has diabetes
• You had gestational diabetes during the previous pregnancy
• You suffer from high blood pressure or other chronic medical complications
• You have given birth previously to a large baby (more than 9 pounds)
• You are older than 25 years of age 

Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes

• Feeling increasingly thirsty
• Need to urinate at frequent intervals
• Feeling hungry even after a heavy meal
• Feeling tired all the time
• Getting blurred vision

Managing Gestational Diabetes

• Healthy and nutritious diet plan
• Monitoring blood sugar levels
• Doing physical activities
• Taking insulin injections if recommended by the doctor

After the baby is born, you can request for an oral glucose tolerance test. This is a diagnostic test that determines whether blood glucose levels are stable and normalized.

To avoid the risk of developing a chronic type 2 diabetes, you need to take blood tests once in two years.

Gestational Diabetes Negative Affect on the Baby

An unborn baby can be affected if the condition is not monitored and controlled.

Gestational diabetes complications such as miscarriage, premature delivery, respiratory distress syndrome, high birth weight, and stillbirth can develop if you neglect your health during pregnancy.

Concentrate on Diet & Physical Exercise to Control Gestational Diabetes

• Healthy and low-sugar diet †Preparing a detailed diabetic meal plan under the guidance of a nutritionist may be advisable.

Avoiding high sugar snack items like candies, cookies, cakes and ice creams can be traded for natural foods such as fruits, dry fruits, veggies, and whole grains.

• Exercise and physical activity †It is best to start exercising before you plan your pregnancy and keep up the routine all throughout pregnancy.

You can do brisk walking or simple 30-minute exercises daily. Doctors also advise pregnant women to try cycling and swimming to remain fit.

• Intake of iron and calcium †Apart from oral multivitamin supplements, you can also take calcium-rich foodstuff.

You can consume red meat and fish in little quantities to absorb iron components found in these foods.

• Drinking lots of water †Pregnant women should drink lots of water and juices (sugar-free). You can try having juices such as fresh lemon soda and freshly squeezed oranges or sweet lime fruit juices.

You can limit excess intake of caffeinated and alcoholic drinks.

Above all, you should get appropriate prenatal care and make it a point to visit your gynecologist regularly.

The doctor can monitor your condition and also offer valuable guidance regarding your food and lifestyle changes. He/she may also introduce you to the best nutritionists in Dubai for managing gestational diabetes symptoms.