Diabetes in pregnancy

                             (By Lisa Sarah John, Courtesy Bangalore Times, Mar 19, 2007)

It’s been observed that many women are developing diabetes during their pregnancy these days. Earlier, approximately 2-5 per cent of women used to develop diabetes, today it is far more common and there are various factors responsible for this. Age is one of the biggest factors. It is seen that women who get pregnant close to the age of 35 are more prone to diabetes than women getting pregnant in their 20s.

Body weight is another big factor. Those who start their pregnancy while they are overweight or obese, tend to gain more weight during pregnancy and are greatly prone to gestational diabetes. This condition usually occurs in the second half of a pregnancy. It may require insulin injections for the mother daily, plus a controlled diet. The baby inside may develop various abnormalities in such cases. Also long working hours, night shifts, and other factors make you gain weight rapidly. Those who have family history of diabetes or have low level of physical activity, also face the risk of getting diabetic during their pregnancy or later in life.

Here’s what you could do to avoid it:

Walking is a must as it helps to stimulate insulin production in the body and this will keep blood sugar levels down. If you can do a 20-minute walk in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening it is ideal. Till the sugar levels are controlled you need to completely give up all fatty foods like fried foods, nuts, ground coconut dishes, sweets and pastries. Try to avoid rice and rice items. Instead use whole wheat rotis, whole wheat bread, oats, ragi, cornflakes, jowar, bajra etc. Also try to include raw salads in your meals and eat whole fruits rather than fruit juices. These fibrous foods help lower the sugar levels.

 

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