3 Tips To Prevent Diabetes During Pregnancy

Diabetes during pregnancy results from changes in glucose metabolism during this period. It is a form of diabetes that only occurs during pregnancy, which prevents insulin from working properly. This creates an imbalance in the regulation of blood sugar levels.

This condition is not very common. However, between 1% and 4% of these women suffer from this. It is mainly associated with women’s genes and therefore mainly affects a particular group.

Women with a predisposition to this condition, or who have family members who have had it, should therefore undergo annual checkups. This is especially important when they are pregnant.

This condition can be detected by O’Sullivan’s test. This consists of the analysis of the blood. This checks whether the insulin levels are sufficient.

What Are Symptoms Of Diabetes During Pregnancy?

This condition is not characterized by any particular symptoms.  Therefore, pregnant women between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy do a glucose tolerance test.

Women who suffer from diabetes during pregnancy often have healthy babies.  This depends on how well blood sugar levels are controlled. Otherwise, the baby may be obese or overfed at birth.

Women suffering from pre-existing chronic diabetes should increase their regulation during pregnancy. We therefore do not call these cases gestational diabetes. It is only active during pregnancy.

When a woman develops diabetes during pregnancy, everything will return to normal after delivery.

Risk factors of diabetes during pregnancy

When blood sugar levels are controlled, there is generally no increased risk for pregnancy. However, a strict diet and regular checkups are necessary.

The baby may also develop hypoglycemia, which  means too low blood sugar. Therefore, it is recommended to start breastfeeding as soon as possible so that the baby is born.

It is also known that babies whose mothers had gestational diabetes are more likely to have diseases in the future.

Some factors increase the chances of developing diabetes during pregnancy. These are the most common:

• obesity
• Already having diabetes
• Family members with diabetes
• Sugar in the urine
• High bloodpressure
• be 35 years or older

It is therefore important that you have a healthy lifestyle before you get pregnant.  The risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy is reduced if you take good care of your body beforehand.

Maintain a good weight and exercise regularly. These are decisive factors for the health of any woman wishing to conceive.

How can you prevent gestational diabetes

To prevent diabetes during pregnancy, we recommend the following:

• Move. Having a daily routine of moderate exercise can help the mother manage her weight. This also improves her energy and it reduces back pain. For example, go for a walk. Swimming or doing yoga for 30 minutes is also recommended. 

• Go to the doctor.  Having checkups during pregnancy is very important. This will calm all your fears. Your doctor will  test and monitor your blood sugar levels.
• Also follow a healthy diet.  Maintaining a balanced diet is very important for both mother and child. Feeding depends on the weight, height and level of activity of the mother. The diet should consist of a variety of foods and adapted to each pregnancy.

A balanced diet is therefore  the best way to prevent this condition.