How to Prevent Gestational Diabetes?

Before asking how to prevent gestational diabetes you should know that this is a kind of diabetes that only affects pregnant women.

In this case the insulin production or the use of insulin is compromised.

Although there is no way to make sure that you won’t have it, there are some steps that can be taken to prevent it.

How to Prevent Gestational Diabetes

Risk factors

The first step to prevent the condition is to know about the risk factors. You have higher chances of developing the condition if you are obese, had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy, had a large baby, have some family or personal history of diabetes or had glycosuria before or during another pregnancy.

According to the latest researches regarding gestational diabetes prevention, the women who had high levels of animal fat before they got pregnant had twice as high chances of developing gestational diabetes than the women who had low levels of animal fat.

In the same time you should know that the women who have high cholesterol levels before pregnancy have 45% more chances of being affected by the condition. If you belong to the high risk group most probably you will have a blood test early in your pregnancy.

After this test, to avoid gestational diabetes, you will have another test around the 24th week of pregnancy. If you are at average risk of being affected, you will have a blood test between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy.

Actions for prevention

Regardless whether you do or don’t belong to the high risk group, in order to escape gestational diabetes you have to be prepared. The first step is to come up with a pregnancy plan. You should talk to your doctor even before you get pregnant.

When it comes to escaping gestational diabetes you should talk to your doctor to be prepared physically, emotionally and mentally.  Before pregnancy it is important to have a normal weight. Another good idea is to have an early blood test.

For you not to have gestational diabetes you should ask your doctor about your blood sugar level during the early stages. It is also a good idea to get a blood test three months before you get pregnant to be sure that the blood sugar level is within the normal ranges.

Nutritional counseling could also help you not to have gestational diabetes. You ought to have foods that maintain the normal blood sugar levels and that offer you and the baby all the nutrients that you need. Also ensure that your weight is within the normal limits. Exercise might help you as well to reach your goals.

If you are thinking about preventing gestational diabetes keep in mind that in some cases there is nothing that you could possibly do. However there are some measures that decrease your chances of being affected and so you will be able to enjoy your pregnancy even more without having to worry about the blood sugar levels.

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