|  | Conditions Treatments | Diabetes

What Can Women With Diabetes Do to Become Pregnant?

For many women, having a baby is the ultimate plan for their life. However, for those women who struggle with diabetes, it can seem as though the disease can raise fears that a pregnancy won't be viable. However, this couldn't be further from the truth as many diabetic women have sustained healthy pregnancies and gone on to start beautiful families. Taking care of yourself and managing your disease is the key to getting pregnant with diabetes.

  1. Management

    • To prepare your body for pregnancy, your diabetes must be completely under control. Before you begin trying to get pregnant, the best thing to do is make an appointment with both your primary care physician and a gynecologist to discuss the risks of a pregnancy. They will run tests to gauge how well your diabetes is being managed, which will give you an idea of whether or not your body will sustain a pregnancy. While trying to get pregnant, you must continue to take your insulin as scheduled and take every step to keep your blood glucose levels as steady as possible. Your levels need to be consistently steady for at three months, before making attempts to get pregnant.

    Diet and Exercise

    • Eating right and getting plenty of exercise are also key to preparing your body for pregnancy with diabetes. This is also a part of keeping your diabetes under control, as exercise and proper nutrition are key components of being as healthy as possible with this disease. Regular cardio workouts three times per week, and eating plenty of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, along with lots of water each day will help to get your body into tip-top condition.

    Monitoring

    • Monitoring your diabetes will trying to get pregnant will ensure that you are aware of what your body is doing at all times. So, for example, if you are having problems getting pregnant, frequent check-ups may uncover that your blood sugar levels are fluctuating wildly during the day, meaning your disease is not managed enough for your body to carry a pregnancy. To avoid this unpleasant scenario, schedule more frequent check-ups with your doctor to monitor your diabetes, make changes to your insulin and/or medication as necessary, and stave off any roadblocks your diabetes might provide to getting pregnant.

Diabetes - Related Articles