When women with diabetes become pregnant, their pregnancies are often considered high-risk by doctors. If you have diabetes and are pregnant, you have to carefully watch what you eat and how much you exercise to maintain your blood glucose levels. Having blood glucose levels that are too high or too low during pregnancy can be harmful to both you and your baby. Managing your diabetes and your pregnancy can be a challenge, but it’s definitely doable with the guidance of your doctor and effort on your part to keep your body as healthy as possible. Here are some tips to help you balance your pregnancy and diabetes and keep yourself and your baby safe:
Check your blood glucose levels regularly
The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse recommends that pregnant women with diabetes check their blood glucose levels when they first wake up, before meals, an hour after meals, two hours after meals, before bed, and in the middle of the night. Before meals, your blood glucose levels should be between 80 to 110 mg/dL, and your levels should be under 155 mg/dL throughout the rest of the day. In the middle of the night, your blood glucose levels should not drop below 65 mg/dL. If your blood glucose levels fall outside of the 65 to 155 mg/dL range, seek medical help to make sure you and your baby stay healthy. You’ll likely need to adjust how much insulin you take and how you eat to regulate your levels.
Talk to your doctor about your insulin intake
In general, doctors recommend that pregnant women with diabetes stop taking diabetes pills and rely solely on insulin and food to regulate their blood glucose levels. If you aren’t currently taking insulin, you’ll need to talk to your doctor about how to successfully switch over to taking it. Additionally, even if you’re already taking insulin, you should consult with your doctor about any increases or decreases you should make in your insulin intake. Being pregnant has numerous physiological effects on your body, and it changes how much insulin your body needs.
Consult with a registered dietician
Following a healthy meal plan if you have diabetes is a good idea. It’s an even better idea if you’re pregnant. Although you can develop a meal plan on your own, meeting with a registered dietician can be very helpful. A dietician will be able to help you come up with meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week that will help keep you and your baby as healthy as you can be. A dietician will also be able to inform you of which foods and drinks to stay away from while you’re pregnant. Additionally, this kind of nutritional specialist can assist you in developing an exercise regimen that will stabilize your blood glucose levels without putting you at risk for ketonuria or uterine contractions, which can occur if pregnant women with diabetes exercise too much.
Women with diabetes can have relatively low-risk pregnancies if they’re able to keep their blood glucose levels stable, practice healthy eating habits, and carefully follow any instructions given to them by their doctors. So, consider the tips above, stay in close contact with your physician, and enjoy the miracle of pregnancy!
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Our Featured Blogger is Amelia Wood. She frequently blogs about medical billing and coding education and welcomes your feedback at [email protected].
