Getting pregnant is a crucial time in the life of any woman. For women who are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, it is even more of a dangerous time as they are facing various vulnerabilities for both their and their baby’s health. There was a time when diabetic women felt uneasy and scared to become pregnant due to this challenging illness. Doctors themselves warn them on the possible risks involved if they do not prepare well when this time comes. And to make it easier for them, doctors might have even kept them off the track from the beautiful yet risky event of becoming a mother.
Risks Involved in Diabetic Pregnant Women
However, as time went by with research on the forefront of controlling Type 2 diabetes at an optimum level, more and more women are experiencing a relatively healthy pregnancy and childbirth even with this disease. Obstetricians/gynecologists are finding more effective ways to guide pregnant women during this crucial time in their lives.
If a diabetic pregnant woman does not follow a proper diet and exercise regimen along with staying in comfort while relaxing with a foot pillow, even before they conceive and during pregnancy, their baby could suffer from abnormalities or worse, women could miscarry or have a stillbirth. As a result, it is paramount for Type 2 diabetic women to control their level of glucose in the body to deliver a healthy child successfully.
They could also face having either premature or huge babies than what is usually expected. The first trimester is a necessary period to be concerned with as the baby is growing its organs during this time. It is suggested that mothers who would wish to get pregnant must maintain a 60-119 mg/dl blood sugar level before eating their meals. To learn more about the ideal glucose levels, you must seek the important advice of your doctor to guide you throughout your pregnancy.
Follow Some Mindfulness Exercises
The risks do not only pertain to the child but also the mother. If this condition is not handled correctly, mothers could experience worse symptoms of Type 2 diabetes, such as aggravated eye and kidney complications. Preeclampsia could also occur, which is when they suffer from high blood pressure and protein in their urine during their pregnancy. This only further emphasizes how they must take the necessary steps to ensure that their health is in good condition for their baby to survive.
One of the best ways to keep healthy is to maintain the right lifestyle, which starts with eating the proper food. It is highly recommended to work along with that of a nutritionist. To manage the stress that comes with pregnancy and Type 2 diabetes, exercising to stay active as well as keep the right body weight should be an absolute priority. Taking recommended multivitamins such as those with folic acid will also be of great aid during this time, especially to lower the risks of defects for the baby.
Proper Diet and Truth about Calories
The diet for a pregnant woman is often associated with the term eating for two. However, many express that this is a mere misconception — a myth among the older generations. The saying does hold some wisdom to it, though. During pregnancy, you don’t have to eat for two grown people. No. The saying only means that you should be conscious of your just your own body’s needs. You must take note of your baby’s needs as well. You have this growing fetus in your body, and it needs nutrients, but he or she can only have it through you. Remember, whatever you eat, your baby feeds, too.
One of the fundamental things you have to take note of when talking about diets is calories. Calories comprise our body’s energy source. Often, they’re associated with weight gain, so people try to reduce their calorie intake. A pregnant woman should not be in this manner. Because you, an expectant mother, are eating not just for yourself now, but also for your baby. Thus, your daily calorie requirement has to be increased. The diet for a normal pregnant woman usually requires 300 more calories than the standard 2000 for non-pregnant women.
The question is, where do you get these calories? Should you start eating a bit more of everything now?
The thing is, you don’t need just any calories. You need a sustainable supply. The most important and effective source of calories is your carbohydrates. However, there are two kinds of carbohydrates — simple sugars and complex carbohydrates.
The simple carbohydrates are the ones you should limit on. This is because they are quickly used up by the body. If you rely on simple carbohydrate foods, you’ll get hungry faster, and you end up eating more frequently. You need your energy to last you a longer to prevent you from eating more than you need. Overeating of these too soon would lead to complications like gestational diabetes.
Here’s a list of some simple carbohydrates also known as your sweets:
- Table sugars
- Fruits
- Fruit juices
- Soft drinks/sodas
- Honey, etc.
Your best choice of calorie source is the complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are harder to breakdown into a usable energy source. As such, it can stay in the body longer, making it more sustainable and ideal than the simple carbohydrates. Unlike simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates do not rapidly increase your blood sugar, thus, minimizing the potential for gestational diabetes.
Here are a most noteworthy samples of complex carbohydrates:
- Bread
- Cereal
- Potatoes
- Rice
- bran
- whole-grain foods
- raw vegetables and fruit
Now that you know which foods pregnant mothers should eat to make the most out of calories, choose your food wisely. You don’t have to limit your food intake which is equally important, be careful where you get your nutrients from. A calorie is your friend to achieving a healthy and happy pregnancy!
Final Words
The diet of a pregnant woman who has this type of diabetes should consist of 40 percent carbohydrate, 40 percent fat, and 20 percent protein. Hence, You can control this gestational diabetes with your diet alone. Even exercising or taking brisk walks wearing diabetic shoes, edema shoes and smart shoes will help in a lot. These facts alone will be helping you a lot to safeguard the health of both the mother and baby.
