How is gestational diabetes managed?
The goal of managing gestational diabetes is to keep your blood glucose levels within a "normal" range for pregnancy. Your health care provider or diabetes educator will tell you what this range is.
Certain things directly affect your blood glucose level, including:
- food (what you eat, how much you eat and how often you eat)
- how much you exercise
- how much stress you feel
Gestational diabetes is managed by controlling all of these things with the help of your health care provider and diabetes educator.
Until your baby is born, you'll have to think carefully every day about your food choices, the timing of your meals, your activity level and your exercise routine. You'll have to plan your day's schedule to make room for eating, exercising and monitoring your blood glucose regularly.
General guidelines will help you choose foods and a routine. However, you may need to customize your diet and exercise plan from time to time to achieve the results you want.
Sometimes, even when all guidelines are carefully followed, blood glucose doesn't stay at an acceptable level. In these cases, it's necessary to add medicines to your management plan.
This is a significant change in your life. Expect it to take concentration and effort at first. Try not to get impatient with yourself.
Remember that many resources are available to you. Your health care provider, the diabetes educators at your clinic or at your hospital's diabetes center, and this online information are all here to help you.
