Is Gestational Diabetes Preventable?

Is Gestational Diabetes Preventable?

There is no denying that pregnancy is a beautiful time full of surprises. Through the forty weeks of pregnancy you will face a number of changes. You will love some and hate some others but you will enjoy each and every change because you are actually making a baby.  Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here

However, along with surprises there may be some rude shocks that you may have to endure. One such problem is gestational diabetes that some women endure in their second trimester.

What is gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is the diabetes that you suffer from while you are pregnant. Usually, after your pregnancy, the problem fades away but experts say that it does increase your chances of suffering from diabetes later on in life.

As is common knowledge, when you suffer from diabetes, the processing of glucose is altered in your body. Remember that glucose is the most important source of energy in your body. When the levels of glucose increase, your health is at risk. Alongside, your baby may suffer the consequences too.

How to lessen your chances of developing it

Frankly speaking, you can’t completely eliminate your chances of getting gestational diabetes. You can’t completely prevent it but there are ways that will reduce the chances significantly. You need to lead a healthy lifestyle and eat a proper diet. Here are a few tips to help you out.

Find out if you are at risk

As soon as you get pregnant or as soon as you start trying to get pregnant, you should talk to your doctor to find out if you are at risk. Your doctor will tell you about all the risks involved in developing gestational diabetes. She might also refer you to a dietitian in order to help you out with a new diet. You might need to make a few nutrition changes to reduce the risk.

Contact a dietitian

Contacting a dietitian is a very good idea. Of course the idea of developing gestational diabetes is very scary. You can reduce the risks by changing your lifestyle with the help of the dietitian. She will discuss with you your eating habits and your lifestyle, and she will help you accordingly.

Along with advising you to make changes in your diet, she will ask you to exercise. Exercising will keep you healthy inside out. Exercising and eating well will definitely decrease chances of gestational diabetes.

Watch your weight

You may already know that extra weight is a leading cause of diabetes. Thus, if you are overweight, try losing the additional pounds before pregnancy itself. When you get pregnant, you will gain even more weight inevitably.

Thus, trying to stay in shape beforehand will reduce your risks considerably. Again, a healthy diet and lifestyle are important. Eat well and healthy, and avoid foods that will worsen your problem. Also, start exercising in order to lose weight.

Exercise

Even if you are not overweight, incorporate exercise in your daily regime. Whether or not you are pregnant, exercising will help you a lot. You should exercise for about five days a week for thirty minutes each day. You don’t have to go extreme. Moderate exercises such as aerobics, jogging, biking, and walking are enough to keep you in shape.

Low calorie foods

All your foods should be low cal. Include foods such as whole grains, poultry, lean meat, fish, and low fat dairy along with fruits and vegetables. Eliminate high cal foods such as chips, fried foods, cakes, and cookies.

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Maureen Stephens, BS, RN
Maureen Stephens, BS, RN | ConceiveEasy
Ms. Stephens has spent over twenty years in the healthcare world, specializing in obstretical and medical/surgical nursing. She joined ConceiveEasy as she has a strong interest in educating and empowering women and promoting fertility awareness.

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