Glucose Levels During Pregnancy

Glucose levels during pregnancy fluctuate due to the various hormonal changes that take place inside a woman's body. Read on to know more about the causes behind the increase and decrease in the glucose levels during pregnancy, followed by the treatment options for the same...

If you are pregnant and your doctor has recommended that you get a glucose screening done, the reason behind it is to confirm that you and your baby are safe from gestational diabetes. It is estimated that around four percent of all pregnant women develop this condition, that is why doctors recommend pregnant women to go for a glucose screening between weeks 24 and 28 of their pregnancy. And if you are already diabetic, it is even more important for you to keep a check on your glucose levels during pregnancy.

Fluctuating Glucose Levels During Pregnancy: Causes

The normal glucose levels during pregnancy should be anywhere between 70 and 130 mg/dL before a woman takes her meal, and up to 180 mg/dL a couple of hours post eating. However, if gestational diabetes sets in, these glucose levels will be much higher. Women who are overweight, have a family history of this disease, have given birth to a baby who weighed more than 4.5 kg, and/or those who have polycystic ovary syndrome are much more prone to develop this condition than others.

Our bodies produce a hormone named insulin which aids the body in breaking down the blood sugar. When a woman is pregnant, certain hormones inside her body do not let insulin perform its normal function. This is body's self mechanism to ensure that the baby gets the right amount of sugar. In this condition, the body needs more insulin and if the insulin demands of the body are not met, gestational diabetes sets in.

If gestational diabetes is not controlled in time, it can have many harmful effects for the mother and the baby. The baby might be born with birth defects such as low blood sugar levels, may have jaundice or may be overweight. The mother can develop serious conditions such as preeclampsia and may experience premature labor.

Sometimes, low glucose levels during pregnancy are experienced by women too, producing symptoms such as fatigue, sweating, dizziness, extreme hunger, etc. This condition develops if she takes more than the recommended amounts of insulin medication, exercises in excess, or leaves a lot of gap between meals. This condition can be equally dangerous for the woman and her child. Hence, it very important to keep the glucose levels stabilized during pregnancy.

How to Control Glucose Levels During Pregnancy

In order to maintain healthy glucose levels during pregnancy, a woman should be very careful about the kind of diet she takes as well as exercise on a daily basis. If she is diabetic, she should take her insulin medicines as prescribed by the doctor.

Diet

Some of the dietary changes that a pregnant woman should make to control the high glucose levels during pregnancy are - avoiding processed foods and foods which contain sugar such as cakes, cookies, soft drinks, ice cream, fruit juices (especially the canned ones), sweetened yogurts, etc. A pregnant woman should instead eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Complex carbohydrates such as those found in whole grains, vegetables, brown rice, beans and peas are good options which can be included in the pregnancy diet. A pregnant woman should see to it that her diet is rich in fibers and low in fats. However, she should include appropriate amounts of unsaturated fats in her diet by eating foods such as fish, olive oil and margarine as these are essential for proper fetal growth.

Besides these dietary changes, a woman should see to it that she spreads her meals throughout the day. Instead of eating three large meals, a pregnant woman should switch to eating three small meals and two snacks in between them. Some studies show that if pregnant women eat a light snack rich in carbohydrates and proteins just before sleeping, it is very good to keep the glucose levels stabilized.

Exercise

Exercising everyday helps in keeping the glucose levels during pregnancy normal. A pregnant woman should ask her doctor to recommend certain exercises which are considered safe during pregnancy. Generally, doctors recommend that the woman should initially exercise for just ten minutes and when her stamina builds up, can increase the exercise timings to half an hour. When exercising, the woman should see to it that her pulse does not go higher than 160 beats per minute. In case a woman gets any feeling of uneasiness, pain, vaginal bleeding or uterine contractions while performing pregnancy exercises, she should contact her doctor without any delay.

Controlling glucose levels during pregnancy is important for the safety of the mother and the child. That's why doctors ask for regular blood tests for women who have gestational diabetes. In most women though, gestational diabetes gets cured by itself after the delivery of the child.