Diabetes and Pregnancy - Tips on giving Birth to a Healthy Baby

Pregnancy is a time of great happiness and joy for a woman but it gets a little difficult if the mother-to-be faces health problems like diabetes. However, it is very easy to have a trouble free pregnancy if proper care and medical advice is followed and normal glucose level is maintained.

Women who consider pregnancy while suffering from diabetes are recommended to maintain an excellent blood glucose level before they conceive. The reason being that hyperglycemia can increase the risk of a miscarriage or worse; it can cause birth defects in the baby.

Women who maintain their blood glucose level are less likely to suffer from incident of malformation than women who do not maintain their glucose levels.

Steps to Achieve Smooth Pregnancy During Diabetes

• Take a balanced diet
• Glucose level should be monitored
• Regular intake of insulin injections
• Continuing physical activity

Maintaining Normal Glucose Level

The most important thing to do is to maintain your blood glucose level, especially during the first 3 moths of pregnancy. This is a very important period as the spurt growth of baby takes place in these months and carelessness can cause malformation.
The glucose level should be checked before and after meals. It should not exceed more than 70 – 100 mg/dl while after 2 hours of meal it should remain under 140 mg/dl during the whole pregnancy.

Diet Plan during Pregnancy

• Calorie requirement will increase by 300 calories per day as to provide proper nourishment to the baby.
• 30 grams of proteins should be taken, around 1 serving of meat and fish.
• Make sure to get enough amount of carbohydrates such as whole grains and bread.
• Snacks that include proteins and carbohydrates should be taken.
• Meals should be taken 3 to 4 times a days.

Precautions While Taking Insulin

• Eat small snacks in between meals.
• Beware of risk of hypoglycemia and take high sugar snack.
• Take a light snack after exercise.
• Do not inject insulin in the part of body that will be exercised.
• Even if your blood glucose level is normal, do not leave exercise.

Weight Gain

If you gain too much weight, the extra fat requires the body to produce more insulin to keep it normal. The ideal weight gain during pregnancy is 20 to 24 pounds. Calorie input and output is very necessary for the growth of the baby. Consult your doctor in this regard.

Tips on Giving Birth to a Healthy Baby

It is possible to have a normal pregnancy during diabetes and give birth to a health baby. However, for this you will need to take some precautions and follow these tips:

• Go through a regular exercise program during pregnancy that will help in labor.
• Take a healthy diet to control your glucose level, it will make you less dependent on medicines and help you stay healthy, ensuring the baby’s health.
• Do not start any strenuous exercise program during pregnancy.
• Make a change in your diet plan or insulin only after consulting your doctor.

It can be said that with proper medication and right kind of diet, a full term normal pregnancy can be carried out even while suffering from diabetes. By maintaining a strict check on blood glucose level and by following the above mentioned tips; women can no doubt give birth to healthy babies.