Gestational Diabetes Treatment And Management

Treatment for gestational diabetes is much the same as Type 2. The aim is to control blood glucose levels so this will mean home testing and keeping a careful eye on your BG's. How to do this will be explained by your doctor.

Your doctor, along with a dietician, may start you of on a diet, which contains enough nutrients for you and the baby but a controlled amount of carbohydrates, aimed at reducing blood glucose levels. It will limit sugary foods like cakes and soft fizzy drinks, unless they are sugar free.

Along with that diet comes exercise. This means gentle regular exercise - you are not trying to win the Olympics here! Again these exercises need to be tailored to the special needs of a pregnant woman and your doctor or midwife will be able to advise you. Walking for 30 minutes a day is a very good way to start.

If, despite these lifestyle changes, your blood sugar levels are still high, the next step is insulin injections. If you get to this point just relax and be aware that it is not harmful to your baby. In fact insulin does not cross the placenta.

What it will do is get your BG's down to the level of a normal pregnant woman quickly and that is what is important. Insulin will not hurt your baby but constant high blood glucose may well.

Again, your health care professionals will prescribe the correct doses and teach you how to administer them. Having to give yourself injections may seem like the last straw but is surely a small price to pay for your and your future child's wellbeing?

They will also explain to you that insulin can produce low blood sugar, (hypoglycaemia). The symptoms usually include shaking, sweating, feeling weak and a feeling of hunger.

If you experience these then eating a snack will solve the problem. It is a sensible thing to carry glucose in the form of sweets with you if you are away from home. A couple of these will usually bring you GB's back into line and the symptoms will disappear.

Do not overdo it, you do not want to send those BG's skyrocketing. A friend tells me the thing that worked best for her was a glass of skimmed milk. Fruit juice also works and of course liquids get down there and are absorbed faster than solids.

Following the treatment plan will result in a happy, healthy pregnancy and baby.


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