Pre-pregnancy Care to prevent Gestational Diabetes

A healthy pregnancy is one that should ideally involve a lot of planning. The entire pregnancy as well as the baby’s future health is all dependent on the mother’s health. This is exactly why it is said that pregnancy should always be by choice and not by chance. Everything may not be in our control but following proper and balanced nutrition and getting rid of any possible risk factors before conceiving will only increase the chances of a smooth pregnancy and delivering a healthy baby.

There are in fact a number of things that need to be taken into account with regard to health before starting the pregnancy journey. A preconception check up can greatly help to get any chronic conditions diagnosed in a timely manner. In the case that any anomalies are found this will also give you ample time to get it all under control before getting pregnant.

Get the reproductive health of both the partners evaluated and begin taking prenatal vitamins with folic acid as well. Studies have shown that prenatal vitamins play a significant role in reducing the likelihood of certain types of birth defects, called neural tube defects (NTD), like spina bifida and anencephaly.

As Indians we do have a general affinity towards borderline diabetes and especially in the pregnancy stage the change in food habits and also due to the various hormonal changes, the likelihood of gestational diabetes making an appearance cannot be overlooked or taken lightly. If there are other associated risk factors at play like diabetes history, age, genes, ethnicity, body weight then the possibility is even higher. Almost 5 to 10% of pregnant woman have found to have gestational diabetes and this condition is not something that is rare.

Once a pre-pregnancy risk factors evaluation is done the doctor can advise you on any necessary changes like lifestyle modifications, keeping the BMI in check, reducing weight and if there is anemia or PCOS related symptoms that will also need to be treated. Pregnancy should always be entered into, in the best of health. A high body mass index and obesity are sure shot risk factors for gestational diabetes. If not corrected well in advance in the pre-pregnancy stage, then this can have very serious maternal and neonatal outcomes.

There have been many studies that prove that lifestyle interventions initiated before 15 weeks of gestation can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes by 20%. Adherence to a healthy lifestyle both before and during pregnancy is associated with a lower gestational diabetes risk. The importance of preconception care for all women cannot be stressed enough. There have been recommendations for the need to incorporate a question about a woman’s plans for pregnancy into routine primary and gynecologic care.

The preconception care of women with diabetes should include the standard screenings and care recommended for all women planning pregnancy. The doctor can advise a number of routine blood tests to ascertain hormone levels or even a urine test that can help detect the presence of protein or sugar. A glucose tolerance test can then be further done to check for diabetes. It’s extremely important to get this under control before having a baby. If the mother -to-be already has diabetes then the doctor will discuss issues with the management of the condition so as to ensure a safe pregnancy for both the mother and the baby.

Now you can connect with Dr Hema Divakar, Senior ObGyn and Specialist with a rich experience in the field of Gestational Diabetes Care

Download Divakars Hospital App for a Video Consultation or an In-Person Consultation
Visit www.DivakarsHospital.com for more details

Visit Health for Her youtube channel and check for playlist on Gestational Diabetes
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaNrDQK_E7XWAi7dFP71ryA/videos