Complicated but not hopeless: Having a bouncing baby despite diabetes

As a doctor, I always tell the truth to my patients no matter how dismaying it may be. Women don’t go out of Dr. Louise Habash’s clinic with false hopes. Inasmuch as I hate relaying bad news to my patients, I feel exultant when I tell them good ones such as the fact that diabetes during pregnancy may be complicated, but is not a hopeless case.

Image Source: diabetesmine.com

Most pregnant women with diabetes may feel disheartened by their medical condition especially because of its possible effects, which include:

- Fetal growth restriction or acceleration

- Risk of giving birth to large babies, which may cause difficulty in delivery, which in turn often leads to the C-section

- The baby’s risk for developing congenital abnormalities

- Miscarriage

- Stillbirth

Opportunely, these risks can be prevented. To give birth to a healthy baby despite diabetes, I advise women to monitor their blood sugar level regularly. The fluctuation of blood sugar level necessitates them to undergo frequent tests to prevent it from becoming too low, leading to hypoglycemia, or too high, resulting to gestational diabetes.

Image Source: babble.com

However, as I always tell my patients, frequent blood tests will be in vain if they don’t watch what they eat. Besides, even those without diabetes are advised to keep an eye on their weight, making this step more of an imperative for them. NHS.uk furthers that dieting can control gestational diabetes. Consulting a dietician is an option for women who are not sure of what they can eat to keep their blood sugar stable.

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Stopping diabetes treatment is out of the question during pregnancy, though, it will definitely be adjusted according to the soon-to-be moms’ needs and condition. Sufficient intake of folic acid is also a must during pregnancy as it prevents birth defects.

Aside from having the tests that patients undergo to monitor their blood sugar, they are also advised to undergo an ultrasound scan such as the fetal echocardiogram to observe the development of the baby’s heart, and sometimes even a congenital anomaly scan to determine fetal malformations.

Yes, being pregnant while suffering from diabetes entails expending twice the effort, but it will be all worth it once the bundle of joy has been brought to the world safe and healthy.

Image Source: thetreatmentfordiabetes.com

More topics on childbirth can be accessed on this Louise Habash blog site.