The female body goes through several changes through the course of pregnancy, mainly hormonal changes. Some pregnant women go through gestational diabetes, which occurs when the body cannot secrete sufficient insulin during pregnancy.
Managing gestational diabetes, however, will be much helpful in ensuring a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. So, read through this post to understand the consequences of gestational diabetes and how you can avoid such conditions. It speaks about a gestational diabetes diet and many more healthcare tips during pregnancy.
What Is Gestational Diabetes?
Gestational diabetes is an impermanent health condition that is probable during pregnancy. Such a condition would mean that you have higher blood sugar levels in your body than what is required during pregnancy.
2-10% of pregnant women in the United States have to deal with gestational diabetes, as revealed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. But bear in mind that if you have any conditions of gestational diabetes, it is essential to get it treated immediately.
If not, it can cause serious problems to both your and your baby’s health. Although the impact of gestational diabetes is not fully understood yet, you can start with a gestational diabetes diet to prevent it. This way, you are taking an effective step towards reducing its risks.
Keep reading till the end to find out what are the things that you can do to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes for your body.
5 Practical Tips to Help Avoid Gestational Diabetes
Here are five practical tips that are effective and can be taken by every pregnant woman to prevent the risks of gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
Good Lifestyle before Conception
It is easier to achieve a healthy weight when it is only about your body. But now that you’re supporting another life inside you, it can be challenging to control your weight. However, you have to make better choices for your lifestyle even before your conception.
Maintain a healthy weight and normal blood sugar levels throughout the journey. It’s healthy both for you and your baby.
Physical Exercises
Exercise is a good habit to maintain your fitness. If you continue your exercising habit or build one during pregnancy, it helps prevent weight gain. This also helps prevent the risks of gestational diabetes.
Exercising enables better control of blood sugar levels in the body through greater secretion of insulin in your pancreas. 30-minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercises every week can help through your pregnancy to prevent gestational diabetes.
Walking, stationary biking, swimming, and elliptical are good exercise choices during pregnancy. However, ensure to check in with your doctor before beginning your exercises.
Healthy Diet during Pregnancy
A healthy diet will help you achieve a healthy weight during pregnancy. It would help if you made a diet plan for your pregnancy that controls your daily carbs intake, such as whole grains, beans, fruits, non-starchy veggies, low-fat dairy, and legumes.
Such lean protein and foods with healthy fats can help regulate your blood sugar levels and maintain a gestational diabetes diet. Drink large amounts of water and avoid sugary beverages.
Reduce Stress Levels
Maintain your stress level to the minimum levels as much as possible. This would help in preventing gestational diabetes significantly. If you have a light and happier mood, it is a great sign for you and your baby.
You can practice breathing exercises, do yoga, and meditate regularly with the help of professionals for long-term relief from stress. Listening to music is an effective solution too.
Regular OB Appointments
It would be very helpful for you and your baby if you visited your OB appointments timely. Around 24-28 weeks, you are screened for gestational diabetes. If any such conditions occur, you will have to consult a Certified Diabetes Educator or a Registered Dietician to help you through your lifestyle changes.
Final Words
A registered dietician or a certified diabetes educator can be significantly helpful.
While these tips help you prevent gestational diabetes, some individuals may find it challenging to go through the journey of gaining a healthy lifestyle and controlling their blood sugar levels. This may call for insulin injections. But it would be even better if you could avoid such situations.
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