High blood sugar levels during pregnancy could indicate that you have gestational diabetes. This occurs due to hormonal changes in the body that take place during pregnancy.
Risk Factors:
- Being overweight
- A family history
- The woman is over 30
- History of stillborn babies in the past
Should you be worried?
Blood sugar levels usually return to normal after the baby is born. But proper diabetes management and diabetes care can help prevent complications during labour and even avoid the risk of acquiring Type 2 Diabetes at a later stage.
How to maintain blood sugar levels During Pregnancy?
- Plan your meal: Consult your dietitian to specify your meal plan that can help control your sugar levels. This is important because pregnant mothers tend to eat more to fulfil their body’s needs, which is important. But you end up eating things that might not be good for your system.
- Avoid too much sugar: True, the cravings are there. But it is advisable to avoid too many sugary foods and drinks. Food that contains simple sugars can increase blood sugar levels, which could ignite gestational diabetes or make it worse if you already are diagnosed with it.
- Reduce the Carbs: Another diabetes care tip to avoid fluctuating blood sugar levels, is to limit the intake of carbohydrates and replace it with high fibre foods.
- Stay hydrated: A lot of expecting mothers end up not fulfilling their daily water levels. It is important to stay hydrated at all times.
- Test for Ketones: Test urine for ketones. Ketones are when your body is burning fat for energy. It is important to get this done, as and when recommended as it can be dangerous for the baby.
Foods that naturally help maintain blood sugar levels:
- Apple Cider Vinegar: ACV helps regulate blood sugar levels and improves insulin sensitivity and therefore is a hit in the diabetes management sector.
- Nuts: They are a great source of natural fat and help lower the release of glucose.
- Avocados: They are a great source of good fat and can be incorporated into your diet. They help reduce postprandial levels as they lower the rate at which blood glucose is released into the bloodstream.
- Dark Chocolate: Yes, it is known to lower sugar levels, but this does not imply that you have a lot of it. Since chocolate contains caffeine, therefore, caffeine intake should be limited to 200mg a day for pregnant women.
Read More: Important Benefits of Tulsi for Diabetes Patients
In some cases, insulin may be required. This in no way means that your baby is at risk; it only implies you need extra steps to prevent blood sugar fluctuations.
To read more about diabetes, download the BeatO App.
