Diabetes During Pregnancy - Know The Best Ways To Control It!

Pregnancy brings with it a set of challenges, and for a diabetic woman, these only increase further. Earlier, the risks of dealing with pregnancy and diabetes as a combination were too high. However, over the last few decades, things have changed. The age at which women are choosing to have a baby has gone up. On the other hand, the age of onset of diabetes has come down drastically.
These days, there are many diabetic women who go through pregnancy smoothly without major complications. Of course, there is extra care and precaution required, but it is not something that cannot be planned and managed well between the doctor and the mother-to-be.

The following are some rough guidelines for a pregnant diabetic woman.
Potential complications

1. It increases the risk of polycystic ovaries, thereby making it difficult to conceive.
2. Fluctuating sugar levels can be a reason for not being able to conceive, as the body does not see itself as healthy.
3. It increased the chances of miscarriage.
4. There are higher chances of birth defects in the developing baby due to very high sugar levels in the first trimester.

Preparation
If you are planning for a pregnancy, meet with your doctor to review your sugar levels. Chalk out a plan with your doctor, taking into account your diet and nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, and medications.

1. Diet: Ensure you cautiously decide what and how to eat ahead of your pregnancy. Moving away from refined carbohydrates and processed foods towards wholesome food items like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables will make a difference.
2. Exercise: Build an exercise routine to suit your body and keep yourself active. It is very important to stay active so that diabetes is under control.
3. Lifestyle: Quit smoking and reduce alcohol use. This helps in managing stress also, which can help keep diabetes under check.
4. Medications: Check with your doctor on the medicines you are taking and if dose adjustments are required to get sugar levels under control, plan them out.

During pregnancy, constant monitoring and vigilance is required to ensure diabetes is under control.

1. Let your gynecologist know about your condition (stable/fluctuating), and if you are doubtful about them being able to handle your condition, do not hesitate to change.
2. Many consider switching to oral medications as the risk of transmission to the baby is less and the control over sugar levels is better.
3. Constant monitoring for daily blood sugars is essential.
4. A regular, healthy lifestyle in terms of eating and sleeping should help keep the sugars under check.
5. Constant monitoring of the baby is essential to ensure its normal growth with no developmental defects. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Gynaecologist.