Every mother has concerns about complications during pregnancy, and diabetes and pregnancy health are closely related. Whether you were diagnosed with the condition prior to conception or during pregnancy at your glucose screening, good blood sugar control is key to your and your baby’s health.
Dr. Christopher Paoloni of River City Ob/Gyn in Richmond Va. offers tips about staying healthy while managing diabetes during pregnancy.
How Diabetes Affects Pregnancy
Pregnant women with uncontrolled blood sugar and their infants can suffer many complications before and after childbirth. Some of the most notorious risks are preeclampsia, excessive birth weight, and kidney disease. There is also a risk of spontaneous abortion, heart defects, and jaundice. As if this wasn’t enough, as the infant matures, he or she is at heightened risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity. This is why it is so important to stay healthy during pregnancy.
How to Stay Healthy During a Pregnancy with Diabetes
Monitoring and maintaining blood sugar is the best way for a pregnant woman and her fetus to stay healthy during a pregnancy with diabetes. This means regularly monitoring blood glucose. If using insulin, it may mean eating enough carbohydrates to match insulin injections. It definitely involves meeting with a dietitian who can help the pregnant woman with healthy dietary choices. Of course, remaining active is also important for a healthy pregnancy unless your health provider advises against it.
Top Tips for a Healthy Birth Outcome with Diabetes
There is no big secret to improving your chances of a healthy birth outcome with diabetes, but there are some tips that will help any pregnant woman on her journey to motherhood.
- Make sure to go to your prenatal appointments and follow your provider’s recommendations.
- Meet with a dietitian to evaluate your eating choices.
- Monitor your glucose regularly.
- Keep active.
- Get a healthy amount of sleep.
Diabetes and Pregnancy Health
Diabetes and pregnancy health are an increasing concern with a growing obesity pandemic, but that doesn’t mean it has to result in poor pregnancy outcomes. Follow the advice of Dr. Paoloni, and you’ll avoid many of the complications that can be associated with pregnancy and diabetes.
Schedule your appointment with River City Ob/Gyn for outstanding prenatal care in Richmond Va. We are so happy to have you become part of our family.
