Deciding to have a baby is one of the greatest decisions of a woman's life. Today, it is much safer for a woman with insulin-dependent (type I) diabetes to become pregnant than it was years ago.
But good diabetes control--keeping your blood sugar as close to normal as possible--is important for a successful pregnancy.
Good blood-sugar control is important BEFORE you become pregnant. A woman should try to keep excellent blood-sugar control three to six months BEFORE she becomes pregnant. If blood-sugar control is poor during the first eight weeks of pregnancy, the baby may be harmed.
Good blood-sugar control is important BEFORE you become pregnant. A woman should try to keep excellent blood-sugar control three to six months BEFORE she becomes pregnant. If blood-sugar control is poor during the first eight weeks of pregnancy, the baby may be harmed.
When pregnant, how do you keep good diabetes control? Good diabetes control means proper meal planning and exercise--whether or not you are pregnant. To keep in good control when pregnant, you need a program of care with an expert health-care team. The team should include your doctor, an obstetrician (pregnancy doctor) who specializes in diabetes, a diabetes nurse, and a dietitian. You should find this expert care BEFORE you become pregnant.
You need to eat properly, of course. A dietitian can help you change your meal plan to meet the needs of pregnancy. Three meals and three snacks a day are often the rule. Meal planning during pregnancy means making sure you gain enough weight over the nine months. A weight gain of 22 to 32 pounds over the nine months is normal. Your health-care professional will tell you how much weight you will need to gain.
Do not drink alcohol when pregnant. Do not smoke or abuse drugs when pregnant. These may harm your baby.
Exercise helps diabetes control. Pregnant women may be able to exercise by walking, swimming, and doing some other kinds of aerobic exercises. Before beginning any exercise program, check with your health-care professional.
Will you need more insulin?
During your pregnancy, your body will go through changes. You will need more insulin. Most women need to make changes in their insulin dosage about every 5 to 10 days. Some women need two or three times more insulin than usual. Your health-care professional will tell you how much insulin you need. Do NOT change your insulin dosage without professional advice.
You will need to test your blood sugar more often when pregnant. Testing your blood lets you know if your blood sugar is low or high or just right. Testing will help your health-care professional adjust your insulin.
When do you need to enter the hospital?
Your health-care team will decide the best time and way of delivery. Most women can have their babies on or near their due dates.
Many babies born to women with diabetes are delivered by Caesarean (si-ZEER-ee-in) section, or C-section. This is an operation. A cut is made through the stomach area and uterus. The baby is then removed. If you have a C-section, you will need to stay in the hospital four to five days. It takes four to six weeks to fully recover.
Some women want to give birth at home. Women with diabetes should not give birth at home. They need hospital care for a successful delivery.
Will the baby develop type I diabetes?
Probably not. If one parent has type I diabetes, the baby has 1 chance in 10 of developing diabetes. If both parents have type I diabetes, the baby has about 5 chances in 10 of developing diabetes.
What may happen to the baby?
Most times, the baby is born healthy. With good diabetes control and expert care, the chances for problems are low.
Sometimes, however, the baby may be bigger and fatter than normal. This means the baby may need to be delivered by a C-section. The baby may also have difficulty breathing or have a low blood sugar. Also, the baby may have jaundice (JAWN-dis), a yellowing of the skin. Your health-care professional can treat any of these conditions.
Birth defects in the baby may happen. The chances for birth defects are low if diabetes control is good during the first eight weeks of pregnancy. Follow the advice of your health-care team. Then, you have a much better chance of giving birth to a healthy baby.
Article Source: findarticles.com
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