5 Tips on How to Decrease Risk of Gestational Diabetes
Just because your blood sugar has always been normal, doesn’t mean you can’t develop gestational diabetes. In fact, gestational diabetes often occurs in women who don’t normally have diabetes. About 10% of all American pregnancies are affected by gestational diabetes. Managing the disease is key to ensuring a healthy pregnancy for both mom and baby.
But the easiest way to deal with gestational diabetes is to avoid developing it. While there are several factors that can cause the disorder (we’ll explore them later in the article), we want to take a look at steps on how to decrease risk of gestational diabetes.
5 Tips on How to Decrease Risk of Gestational Diabetes
1. Maintain a Healthy Weight
We want to be clear—dieting is not a good idea when you are pregnant. Remember that you will need to gain some weight in order to support your growing baby. (We tackle this topic in an earlier blog on “How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy”. We will discuss weight gain guidelines specific to you based on your pre-pregnancy weight. The key is to be sure that you are at a healthy weight before you start trying to get pregnant. That’s why we would like to meet with you as soon as you decide to have a baby. Our pregnancy planning can help ensure that you and your baby have the healthiest start possible.
2. Eat Healthy Foods
Remember that whole grains and vegetables are your friends in the battle in how to decrease your risk of gestational diabetes. The key is to avoid excessive sugar, seek foods high in fiber and low in fat. You can learn more about healthy eating through this comprehensive information from the Centers for Disease Control. And of course, you can always ask us for any information or advice.
3. Remain active
Thirty minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week can make a big difference. However, there are certain exercises that may not be safe during pregnancy. That’s why we’d like to work with you to develop a plan that will help keep you and the baby healthy.
In fact, we believe exercise is so important, that we wrote a complete guide to safe exercise during pregnancy to assist you.
4. Have your blood sugar tested regularly
Testing you for gestational diabetes is a part of our wellness exams that we’ll conduct at set stages of your pregnancy. Obviously, you can’t proactively manage your health if you have no idea where your blood sugar numbers are! Timing for blood sugar testing depends on your risk factors for developing gestational diabetes and we will be happy to discuss this at your first prenatal visit.
5. Don’t gain excessive weight
A certain amount of weight gain in pregnancy is healthy. In fact, you should expect it. However, if you gain too much weight in a short amount of time, you’re increasing your risk for gestational diabetes.
How much weight you should gain during pregnancy is calculated using your body mass index, or BMI. (If you don’t know your BMI, you can find out using this BMI calculator.)
Who Is at Greater Risk of Developing Gestational Diabetes?
There are several factors that determine if you’re at risk. Those who are at greater risk for developing gestational diabetes are:
- Those who are Hispanic, African American, Native American, Asian American or Pacific Islander
- Those who were overweight before they got pregnant
- Those who have a family history of diabetes
- Those who are 25 or older
- Those who have previously had a large baby of 9 or more pounds
- Those who have had a stillbirth
- Those who have had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy
What Triggers Gestational Diabetes?
Gestational diabetes is “triggered” by insulin resistance. This occurs when your body is no longer able to use insulin effectively. All pregnant women have some insulin resistance at some point in their pregnancies. However, gestational diabetes occurs when your body can’t make enough insulin while you’re pregnant.
What Are the Warning Signs of Gestational Diabetes?
Often, gestational diabetes doesn’t show any symptoms. That is why routine screening is so important.
Associates in Women’s Healthcare Seeks to Treat the Whole Patient
We realize that your gynecological health has an impact on your overall health. That’s why we strive to help diagnose chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol before they become more serious health problems. We also want you to understand how to decrease your risk of gestational diabetes to help ensure a healthy and safe pregnancy.
We do that by focusing on the whole patient. For decades, we have been women providing care for women in the Raleigh and Triangle area. If you’re concerned about your risk for gestational diabetes—or if you’re simply overdue for your Pap smear—contact us to schedule an appointment today.
