Pregnant With Type 2 Diabetes? Follow These Simple Precautions!

Diabetes is a commonly prevailing health complication among many people across the globe. Thanks to the introduction of a sedentary lifestyle with unhealthy food options, people are now finding simpler ways to ruin their lifestyle.

1 in 9 women or a total population of more than 15 million women suffers from diabetes in America. These figures are continuously increasing and women are getting diagnosed with diabetes at quite an early age. The most common causes of diabetes among women are:

• Genetic transmission
• Environmental issues
• Health complications
• Pregnancy

 

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas is damaged to an extent where the body starts becoming numb to insulin. When your body is not reacting to insulin or is not producing enough to regulate blood sugar, your blood becomes thick with glucose. This can result in a lot of health complications like vision deterioration, organ damage, nerve damage, etc.

 

Pregnancy among Women with Type 2 Diabetes

Women with type 2 diabetes going through pregnancy are able to deliver and maintain a healthy child thanks to the wonders of modern technology. With the right medical treatment and proper self-care, you will be able to have a successful pregnancy and bear a healthy child.

If you want to get pregnant with your health condition, your body needs to come at a normal blood sugar level 6 months prior to conception. Doctors recommend that you maintain your blood sugar throughout the pregnancy. Although it is normal for women to develop gestational diabetes, those suffering from type 2 diabetes need to take extra care of their body and mind to easily deliver the child.

 

Effect of Diabetes on Fetus throughout Pregnancy

If you have type 2 diabetes, the blood sugar in your body is more than normal. You need to make sure that your blood sugar is managed and you are getting a proper diabetic neuropathy treatment to keep everything under control.

A fetus growing inside a body of a diabetic mother can actually get a lot of sugar which can result in a lot of health complications like:

• Huge baby
• Increased insulin

Pregnant moms who are diagnosed with diabetes will have to go through regular visits with their doctor. In fact, if you can afford it, consider hiring some help like a midwife or a full-time assistant to help you go through the entire tenure.

 

Steps to Control Diabetes before Conception and During Pregnancy

Before conceiving a child, it is important to control your sugar and get in shape for your personal safety. Here are a few steps to control diabetes and the damage it can cause while pregnancy:

Start by Changing Your Diet

• Your diet should be a healthy blend of unprocessed carbs, lean protein, and unsaturated fats for energy. Reduce the intake of sugary items like processed fast food and junk food items – not to mention eating fewer amounts of extra sugary fruits like grapes and mangoes.
• Carbohydrate consumption can actually increase your sugar levels. You need to talk to your doctor about the number of carbs as well as the type of carbs you should be eating. Since bread, fruits, legumes, and nuts all comprise carbohydrates; your doctor will be able to suggest the desired quantity. Even if you are not pregnant, simply going through treatment for peripheral neuropathy requires you to take care of your carb consumption and seek medical treatment.
• Make sure that you are adding healthier snack items instead of the regular cravings for junk food. Even mothers with a normal pregnancy are suggested to opt for smart snack items as it reduces their chances of developing gestational diabetes and even type 2 diabetes in the future.
• Instead of skipping meals, plan your meals in such a way that your blood sugar remains regulated. Although skipping meals is not an issue for people with normal sugar but, diabetic moms should always have their meals as per the schedule. Doctors recommend that eating 6 healthy meals with prescribed supplements will easily help you get through the day with normal sugar. Even mothers with normal pregnancies can opt for this method.

Get Necessary Weight

• Since you are diabetic, it is quite likely that you are over your normal weight. Women who are either overweight or obese have more chances of developing diabetes. In fact, 80% of obese women are diabetic. If you are considering conceiving a child, make sure that you at least reach your target weight first.
• Diabetic mothers are known to deliver babies with a larger size – even if the mother has been able to maintain a normal weight. These children can also develop health complications genetically transferred by their mother. For the sake of your baby’s health, you need to make sure that the scale stands within the normal weight range and ideal BMI throughout those 9 months.

Regular Exercise

• Moderate exercises are always recommended to pregnant mothers as they keep your body flexible and allow you to stay on track with sugar levels. For diabetic moms, you can consider enrolling for an exercise plan that suits your present health conditions.
• Inform your doctor about the diet and medicines you are taking. Your doctor will also guide you about the exercises along with their intensity that can be performed.
• Moderate cardiovascular exercises, light weight lifting, and brisk walking can be quite beneficial.
• Make sure that you are taking necessary precautions like having a protein-based snack before the workout. For diabetics injecting insulin, doctors recommend avoiding injecting it in the body part that you will be working out. Instead of reducing your insulin while working out, make sure that you are injecting the recommended dosage.

Rest Enough

• While getting diabetic neuropathy treatment, getting adequate amounts of rest is extremely important. While you can continue low-impact exercises like yoga, completely avoid running, lifting weights, and training after the third trimester.

Take Regular Medicine

• Unless your body responds to changes in diet and exercise, you will be put on insulin to keep the glucose in the body at a normal level.
• Oral medications prescribed for an effective treatment for peripheral neuropathy can be switched to injections for easy consumption and digestion if there are possibilities of complications at later stages.
• Instead of self-medicating yourself, you need to be extremely careful about what medications you take. Completely avoid the use of OTC drugs as well.
• Make sure that you are taking enough sugar tests throughout the day and maintaining a track. The recommended method of checking your blood sugar is with a simple machine. A blood sugar level between 60 to 99mg/dL is considered normal in a fasting condition. After an hour or two of eating the recommended sugar level should be between 100 to 139 mg/dL.

 

Conclusion

Diabetes is a common problem among people of America. There are a lot of complications that women suffering from type 2 diabetes can endure while going through pregnancy. If you are a diabetic with the hopes of conceiving, the above-mentioned tips can come extremely handy in helping you get through the 9 months with no major complication. Just make sure that your weight is on point and you are getting a healthy diet with enough activity and plenty of rest. Always stay on top of your appointments and never miss a single session with your doctors.