Although diabetes treatments and management protocols have come a long way in recent years, this is still a disease that requires ongoing management and care throughout every stage of life. And that includes during pregnancy! You can have a healthy pregnancy as a woman with diabetes, but you will want to follow the pregnancy care tips below.
Meet with a dietitian.
You are probably used to managing your diabetes with your diet, but you're not used to doing so while battling pregnancy cravings and making sure your baby's nutritional needs are met. This is a lot to juggle! Consider meeting with a dietitian early in your pregnancy. They can tell you which metrics to focus on while monitoring your diet, give you meal and food recommendations, and answer your questions about which cravings are okay to give in to.
Test your blood sugar more often.
Pregnancy has a huge impact on your hormone levels. Your blood sugar levels may respond differently to meals and to insulin than they did before pregnancy. For this reason, many women find it helpful to test their blood sugar a bit more often when they are pregnant. If you normally test twice a day, consider testing a third time in the middle of the day, and maybe again later in the evening. Your doctor can tell you specifically what numbers you should be looking for. They may recommend a different insulin dose, depending on the readings you are getting.
Check with your doctor about any oral medications you are taking.
If you are taking any oral medications for your diabetes, such as metformin, bring this to the attention of your doctor. Some women need to keep taking these meds during pregnancy, and others need to discontinue them. Follow your doctor's lead on this decision. The same goes for any herbal supplements you may be taking for your diabetes. Not all herbs are safe to keep taking throughout pregnancy.
Keep some carbs on hand at all times.
When you are pregnant, sometimes your body responds to insulin more strongly than normal. You may take the amount you calculated that you needed, but then your blood sugar may fall too low. This is always dangerous, but it's even worse when you're pregnant. Always have some carbs on hand to take if you feel your blood sugar levels drop too low. Sugar packets and gummy bears work well. Don't rely on hand candy; it takes too long to dissolve.
With the tips above, you can manage your diabetes and your pregnancy in unison. If you have any remaining questions, bring them to the attention of your OBGYN.
Share15 December 2020
