Pregnancy Diabetes: 5 Things You Need to Know About Managing Gestational Diabetes at Home
Did you know gestational diabetes is often referred to as pregnancy diabetes as it happens only during pregnancy. In fact, gestational diabetes is one of the most common medical problems childbearing women face? According to a study, 4 million women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus at any point in our country. This type of diabetes is often diagnosed between the 24th or 28th week of pregnancy, where your blood sugar remains higher than the normal levels (>180 mg/dL).
What is gestational diabetes?
As mentioned earlier, gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that happens to pregnant women where their blood sugar levels remain raised due to hormonal and physiological changes happening during pregnancy. However, it can lead to complications in both the mother and baby;
For the baby, it can lead to:
- A bigger head size
- Breathing problems
- Low blood sugar and mineral levels
- Jaundice
While for the mother, it can lead to complications like:
- Increased chances of C-section
- Preterm labour
- Miscarriage or stillbirth
- Type II diabetes later in life
But gestational diabetes is a treatable condition. If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes or know anyone who has been diagnosed with the same, remember proper management of the condition can help avert consequences. Simple lifestyle changes and diet modifications can go a long way in keeping blood sugar levels in control.
Here are a few things that you can do to keep diabetes during pregnancy in check:
1. Follow a proper diet plan:
Diet is of prime importance in gestational diabetes management. Make sure you follow a healthy eating plan, keep your caloric intake in check and watch the amount of carbohydrates you consume. In addition, follow these diet rules if you have been diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy:
-
- Have small meals planned throughout the day. Ideally, have 3 main meals and 3 snacks.
- After a diabetes diagnosis, we tend to avoid carbs from the diet. But don’t shun carbohydrates entirely from your diet. Remember, they are the prime source of energy for you and your baby. So, choose complex carbs over the simple ones – for example, replace white rice, maida, white bread, cornflakes with brown rice, millets, quinoa, whole wheat, oats, multigrain bread and buckwheat.
- Remember that your carbohydrate load should not exceed more than 45 to 50 grams in one meal (main meal), which can be a fruit, two slices of wheat bread, and a handful of nuts or berries.
- Choose foods with a low GI index; they help keep postprandial blood sugars in check and are also rich in fibre and nitrates, both help in better blood sugar control. Most leafy green vegetables and fruits have a low GI index.
- Include at least two small servings of protein each day. Lean meat, fish, eggs, low-fat dairy products, beans and legumes are good protein sources.
- Make sure to have enough calcium and iron in your diet. They don’t directly influence your blood sugar levels, but a deficiency of these along with high blood sugar can be detrimental for your baby and you.
- Don’t miss out on your prenatal vitamins and other supplements prescribed by your doctor.
- Ensure that you incorporate all the macro and micronutrients in your diet to benefit you and your baby. For example, did you know that magnesium deficiency in your diet could make your blood sugar levels rise?
- Ensure that you get all the essential nutrients like zinc, folate, vitamin b12 through your diet. These micronutrients are essential for both maternal health and baby’s development.
- Avoid having foods that are high in sugar, processed or high in fat. If possible, shun artificial sweeteners too. They can do more harm than good.
- Stay hydrated throughout the day as dehydration can also spike your blood sugar levels.
- Get in touch with a dietitian or pregnancy coach to get a detailed analysis done on your diet patterns and learn scientific ways to control gestational diabetes and enjoy a healthy pregnancy.
 2. Keep your weight in check:
There are certain risk factors for gestational diabetes and being overweight or obese is one of them. During pregnancy, weight gain is inevitable.
But if you gain too much weight, it can increase your risk of developing gestational diabetes. How much weight you should gain during pregnancy depends on your pre-pregnancy weight and BMI:
Here’s how you can calculate how much weight you should gain in 9-months:
- If your BMI ranges from 18 to 24, you should gain 11-14 kg
- If your BMI ranges from 24 to 29, you should gain 7-11 kg
- If your BMI is below 18, you should gain 12-18 kg.
Try to be in a healthy weight range. Proper diet and exercise will make it easier for you to stay within the healthy pregnancy weight range.
3. Exercise regularly:
With gestational diabetes, an expectant mother can become resistant to insulin due to hormonal changes. Insulin helps in distributing glucose to every cell of the body.
Insulin resistance can lead to an increased amount of glucose in the blood. Sometimes the pancreas might not secrete enough glucose during pregnancy and lead to the same condition. Regular exercise can help to overturn this situation.
It is known that physical activity helps to reduce insulin resistance and also prepares the body for labour.You can start exercising anytime during pregnancy, even if you have led a sedentary lifestyle before.
Start with low impact exercises like brisk walking, Yoga, or get enrolled in a labour preparation program to get started. Spend at least 30 minutes every day doing any physical activity you enjoy.
Avoid putting any pressure on your abdomen. Regular exercise can help to keep your blood sugar in control.
4. Monitor your blood glucose levels regularly:
In most cases, gestational diabetes can be controlled with a healthy diet plan and exercise; only in rare cases do doctors prescribe medication.
However, you will still have to monitor your blood sugar levels pre and post-meal. This is essential, so that you can report any fluctuations in blood sugar level to your doctor or your coach.
In addition, in gestational diabetes, keeping track of postprandial blood sugar levels is crucial. If you have never used a glucometer before, don’t worry, your doctor or the care team at the hospital will train you to use one.
5. Keep stress at bay:
There could be various reasons for stress during pregnancy. But know that while stress can have a detrimental effect on fetal development and your health, it can also make your blood sugars rise. So to keep gestational diabetes under control, take care to bring down your stress levels too. For example, try yoga, meditation, and mindfulness to calm your nerves.
To control diabetes, a personalised and scientific approach is necessary. This is where Diabefly GDM – A digital therapeutic program for diabetes management during pregnancy comes into place.
At Diabefly GDM, a team of specialists, including – a nutritionist, a certified physiotherapist and a clinical psychologist, help to achieve individual health goals with tailor-made plans according to one’s needs.
While we can talk about all the right things to do to keep blood sugars in control, having a coach or trainer helping you track your daily intake and activities between doctor’s appointments always helps.
Your nutritionist or coach can always draft a perfect gestational diabetes diet chart considering your likes and dislikes to help you make the necessary changes to ensure a smooth pregnancy and optimal fetal development.
Your nutritionist can help you rectify the diet deficiencies (intake of micronutirents) that can make a huge difference in your pregnancy.
Our digital therapeutics program also offers a detailed macro and microanalysis to counter diet deficits and ensure proper nourishment for the mother and baby.
To know more about Diabefly GDM and how it can help you smartly take control of your diabetes during pregnancy, visit our website www.fitterfly.com/diabetes-gdm or speak to one of our counsellors on 022 4897 1077
