Having diabetes when you are not pregnant is enough to contend with, never mind when you find out that a little bundle of energy is due in 9 months time. It can be a difficult time to be pregnant and have to control your diabetes but it is vital all around that you take extra good care of yourself.
The Risks
There are a few risks associated with having diabetes and being pregnant. Firstly, if you are having trouble controlling your blood sugar levels, there is a risk of the child being born with deformities. Unfortunately, there is also the risk of the child being stillborn when you have diabetes and are pregnant.
For you as a mother, there is also the chance that you could develop preeclampsia, suffer from high blood pressure and retinopathy. It all sounds terrifying and gloomy but as long as you are aware of the risks and are ready to look after yourself properly, then you can help to make those risks diminish.
What You Should Do
If you have diabetes and you are planning to get pregnant, it is best to get into a good routine of controlling your blood glucose levels so that you are ready for when you do become pregnant. If you intend to get pregnant soon and have started trying, it is best to see your doctor to make sure that you have all of the information you need to start you off on the right track when you do find out that you have conceived successfully.
It is likely that you will be seen by a diabetes specialist when you fall pregnant too, so there is plenty of support to help you through.
Most women who have diabetes will tend to check their blood glucose levels quite often. It is almost certain that you will have to check them on an increasingly regular basis once you become pregnant. This is due to the fact that the demands from your baby will increase over time not to mention the fact that it is possible that your body will build up a resistance to the insulin you are taking.
Most doctors will ask you to check your levels after meals and at least four times a day. It is almost certain that this will increase as your pregnancy progresses.
You may be wondering what will happen if you have type 2 diabetes. It is likely that you are taking oral medication for your condition and it is advised that you should switch to insulin before you actually get pregnant. This is where talking to your doctor before conceiving is of vital importance.
It is very rare that a woman will be left until 40 weeks or over when she is pregnant and has diabetes. This helps to reduce the risk of stillbirth. And you can rest assured that both you and baby will be thoroughly checked over after labor and birth to ensure that you are both well and that baby has not been affected by the diabetes too.
