Medication
Here are a few healthier choices for snacks and meals if you have gestational diabetes:
- Fresh or frozen vegetables. ...
- Veggie omelets made with whole eggs or egg whites. ...
- Steel-cut oatmeal topped with pumpkin seeds, unsweetened coconut, and berries.
- Fresh fruit paired with a handful of nuts or a spoonful of nut butter.
- Turkey or chicken breasts. ...
- Baked fish, especially fatty fish like salmon and trout.
Self-care
Treatment for gestational diabetes includes:
- Lifestyle changes
- Blood sugar monitoring
- Medication, if necessary
Nutrition
- Exercise regularly. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. ...
- Don’t skip meals. To regulate your blood sugar levels, aim to eat a healthy snack or meal every 3 hours or so. ...
- Take your prenatal vitamins, including any probiotics, if they’re recommended by your doctor.
- See your doctor as often as they recommend — they want you healthy.
What is the best diet for gestational diabetes?
“As OB-GYNs, we have long known that women with gestational diabetes have a significant risk ... as soon as you can,” she said. Should you be diagnosed, Lubetkin said, ask your OB-GYN to do follow-up testing and give you guidance.
Are there any alternative treatments for gestational diabetes?
How often should I eat if I have gestational diabetes?
What to do if you have gestational diabetes?
Which medication is preferred for treatment of gestational diabetes?
IN BRIEF The oral agents glyburide and metformin are both recommended by many professional societies for the treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
What is first-line treatment for gestational diabetes?
Insulin is the first-line pharmacologic therapy for gestational diabetes. Most insulin regimens include intermediate-acting insulins, such as isophane (NPH), and short-acting insulins, such as regular recombinant (Humulin R) and the insulin analogues aspart (Novolog) and lispro (Humalog).
What is gestational diabetes how it can be managed?
Gestational diabetes is diabetes diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy (gestation). Like other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes affects how your cells use sugar (glucose). Gestational diabetes causes high blood sugar that can affect your pregnancy and your baby's health.
At what point do you need insulin with gestational diabetes?
Therefore, insulin therapy traditionally has been started when capillary blood glucose levels exceed 105 mg per dL (5.8 mmol per L) in the fasting state and 120 mg per dL (6.7 mmol per L) two hours after meals.
When should you start treating gestational diabetes?
Medicine. You may be given medicine if your blood sugar levels are still not stable 1 to 2 weeks after changing your diet and exercising regularly, or if your blood sugar level is very high when you're first diagnosed. This may be tablets – usually metformin – or insulin injections.
How can I keep my gestational diabetes under control?
Five Tips for Managing Gestational DiabetesEat a Healthy Diet. Your provider will make recommendations for your diet, based on your personal needs. ... Stay Active. ... Maintain a Healthy Weight. ... Know Your Blood Sugar Level. ... Take Medication If It's Needed.
How to manage gestational diabetes?
How can I manage my gestational diabetes? Many women with gestational diabetes can manage their blood glucose levels by following a healthy eating plan and being physically active. Some women also may need diabetes medicine.
How to keep blood glucose levels in target range?
The plan will help you know which foods to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat. Food choices, amounts, and timing are all important in keeping your blood glucose levels in your target range.
How does a glucose meter work?
This device uses a small drop of blood from your finger to measure your blood glucose level. Your health care team can show you how to use your meter. Recommended daily target blood glucose levels for most women with gestational diabetes are.
How to get blood glucose levels up?
Be physically active. Physical activity can help you reach your target blood glucose levels. If your blood pressure or cholesterol levels are too high, being physically active can help you reach healthy levels. Physical activity can also relieve stress, strengthen your heart and bones, improve muscle strength, and keep your joints flexible.
Can you use a glucose tracker on a computer?
You can also use an electronic blood glucose tracking system on your computer or mobile device. Record the results every time you check your blood glucose. Your blood glucose records can help you and your health care team decide whether your diabetes care plan is working.
How to treat gestational diabetes?
Treatment. Treatment for gestational diabetes includes: Lifestyle changes. Blood sugar monitoring. Medication, if necessary. Managing your blood sugar levels helps keep you and your baby healthy. Close management can also help you avoid complications during pregnancy and delivery.
What to do when you have a gestational diabetes appointment?
What you can do. Be aware of pre-appointment restrictions. When you make your appointment, ask if you need to fast for lab tests or do anything else to prepare for diagnostic tests. Write down symptoms you're having, including those that may seem unrelated to gestational diabetes.
How often should gestational diabetes be checked?
This test is similar to the initial test — except the sweet solution will have even more sugar and your blood sugar will be checked every hour for three hours. If at least two of the blood sugar readings are higher than expected, you'll be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
How to help a baby with diabetes?
But the steps that will help control your blood sugar level — such as eating healthy foods and exercising regularly — can help relieve stress , nourish your baby and help prevent type 2 diabetes in the future.
How to keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range?
Lifestyle changes. Your lifestyle — how you eat and move — is an important part of keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range. Doctors don't advise losing weight during pregnancy — your body is working hard to support your growing baby.
How to help a pregnant woman with back pain?
Regular physical activity plays a key role in every woman's wellness plan before, during and after pregnancy. Exercise lowers your blood sugar, and as an added bonus, regular exercise can help relieve some common discomforts of pregnancy, including back pain, muscle cramps, swelling, constipation and trouble sleeping.
What is the best diet for diabetics?
A healthy diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein — foods that are high in nutrition and fiber and low in fat and calories — and limits highly refined carbohydrates, including sweets.
How to manage gestational diabetes?
You can do a lot to manage your gestational diabetes. Go to all your prenatal appointments and follow your treatment plan, including: 1 Checking your blood sugar to make sure your levels stay in a healthy range. 2 Eating healthy food in the right amounts at the right times. Follow a healthy eating plan created by your doctor or dietitian. 3 Being active. Regular physical activity that’s moderately intense (such as brisk walking) lowers your blood sugar and makes you more sensitive to insulin so your body won’t need as much. Make sure to check with your doctor about what kind of physical activity you can do and if there are any kinds you should avoid. 4 Monitoring your baby. Your doctor will check your baby’s growth and development.
How many pregnant women have gestational diabetes?
Every year, 2% to 10% of pregnancies in the United States are affected by gestational diabetes. Managing gestational diabetes will help make sure you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
How to get rid of diabetes?
Eating healthy food in the right amounts at the right times. Follow a healthy eating plan created by your doctor or dietitian. Being active. Regular physical activity that’s moderately intense (such as brisk walking) lowers your blood sugar and makes you more sensitive to insulin so your body won’t need as much.
What happens when you don't make enough insulin during pregnancy?
Gestational diabetes occurs when your body can’t make enough insulin during your pregnancy. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into the cells in your body for use as energy. During pregnancy, your body makes more hormones and goes through other changes, such as weight gain.
How many women with gestational diabetes have type 2 diabetes?
About 50% of women with gestational diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes, but there are steps you can take to prevent it. Talk to your doctor about how to lower your risk and how often to have your blood sugar checked to make sure you’re on track.
When does blood sugar go back to normal after birth?
Your blood sugar levels will usually return to normal after your baby is born. However, about 50% of women with gestational diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes. You can lower your risk by reaching a healthy body weight after delivery. Visit your doctor to have your blood sugar tested 6 to 12 weeks after your baby is born ...
What to do if your baby is not eating enough?
If healthy eating and being active aren’t enough to manage your blood sugar, your doctor may prescribe insulin, metformin, or other medication.
What happens if you have gestational diabetes?
If you have gestational diabetes, you'll need to get your blood sugar under control, and keep it that way, to protect your health and your baby's. You’ll have to make some lifestyle changes for that to happen.
What to do if your baby's sugar is high?
Take Medication. If your blood sugar remains high despite these changes, the doctor may prescribe diabetes pills to keep it in check and protect your baby. If they don’t do the job, the next step may be insulin injections. Continued. Chart Your Baby’s Growth.
How many calories should a woman eat a day?
Your dietitian will recommend the number of total daily calories a woman your height and weight should get. About 2,200 to 2,500 calories per day is the norm for women of average weight. If you’re overweight, you may need to lower that to about 1,800 calories per day.
How to check blood sugar at home?
Test Your Blood Sugar. Make sure the diet changes and added exercise get your blood sugar levels under control. Test your levels regularly, before meals and 1 or 2 hours after meals . If you don’t already have a blood glucose meter to use at home, your doctor will probably give you one and teach you how to use it.
Can gestational diabetes cause a vaginal delivery?
While most women with gestational diabetes are able to have a normal labor and vaginal delivery, some doctors prefer to deliver the baby earlier than the due date. Yours may suggest a cesarean section if the baby grows too large.
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