To bear a child in this world is no doubt one
of the most wonderful things that can happen to a woman. But for some women,
it is not as simple as carrying a
child in your womb and delivering them after nine months. Such is the
dilemma of women with diabetes. For the longest time, diabetes and pregnancy
are two things that didn't really mix well together. It was used to be
discouraged by health workers and doctors due to the complications that may
arise from the combination of the two. Thankfully, after years of research
and advances in medicine, diabetic women are now given the same chance as
any other woman to experience the joys of being a mother.
Women with diabetes now have better chances of
having a successful pregnancy. However, there are a few important things
that they have to consider before, during, and after pregnancy in order to
ensure the health of both the mother and the baby. If you are planning to
become pregnant, one of the most important things that you must do is to
monitor your blood glucose level tightly 3 months before the planned
pregnancy and aim for an almost normal level. This is very important so that
your body would be prepared for the pregnancy, but most of all, because high
blood glucose levels during the first trimester of your pregnancy could
cause birth defects in your baby or even miscarriage. It is highly
recommended that you consult your doctor way before your planned pregnancy
so that he can give you the proper guidelines and program to follow for a
successful and safe pregnancy.
Since monitoring your blood glucose level and
maintaining it to an acceptable level is of utmost importance, you must put
a lot of effort into this. One of the things that you have to do is to
develop a special diet that will help you maintain a healthy sugar level.
This is usually done with the help of your doctor. Another is to continually
self-monitor your sugar level and this should be done 6-8 times a day.
Lastly, in order to control your sugar level, use insulin injections instead
of oral medications as the effects of oral medications on the baby are still
unknown.
Once you've become pregnant, it becomes more
critical as the baby is now growing inside you. Therefore, the things that
you've been doing before the pregnancy must still continually be practiced
and strictly followed. Ideal gain weight during the pregnancy varies and
must be consulted with your doctor, but for a person with a normal weight to
start with, 25-35 pounds of gain weight is considered to be ideal.
There are also times that a non-diabetic
pregnant woman develops diabetes midway through the pregnancy. This is
called gestational diabetes and it happens to 3-5% of pregnant women. Since
it occurs midway during pregnancy, birth defects are not as much of a
problem as formation of organs occurs during the first 3 months of
pregnancy. Still, it could be very dangerous as it could result to the death
of the baby. Thus, the precautions done by the women who are diabetic even
before the pregnancy must also be strictly implemented in this case
specially when it comes to controlling the blood sugar level.
Another complication that may occur during a
diabetic pregnancy is having a very large baby. During pregnancy, there's a
lot of interaction happening between the mother and the child. As the mother
nourishes the baby, a very high glucose level in the blood received by the
baby could cause the baby to become very large. This is due to the inability
of the natural insulin in the baby's body to convert the excess glucose into
energy and it becomes converted into fats instead. Thus, you have a very fat
baby. This could lead to a more complicated delivery, often needing a
cesarean section. After the baby has been delivered, he/she still has to be
monitored closely for changes in the blood sugar level.
Women who develop gestational diabetes often
lose it after the delivery. However, there are some who retain it and
develop type 2 diabetes. Women who developed gestational diabetes must be
tested every year for type 2 diabetes as a precautionary measure. Extra
large babies also tend to develop obesity and type 2 diabetes later on in
their lives. Although this could not be prevented altogether, living a
healthy lifestyle and taking precautionary measures can help lower its
chances of happening.
In the end, although it's much more complicated
than a normal pregnancy, pregnancy in diabetics now has a good chance of
success. All you need is to be informed of all the necessary care that must
be taken, and be sure to involve your doctor throughout the whole process to
guide you and ensure that everything is in place and that both you and your
baby will be in good health.
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