Gestational Diabetes Avoidance Tips For Women Looking To Conceive

If you have been considering having a baby, you need to be aware of the potential risks associated with gestational diabetes. A potential threat for every pregnant woman, gestational diabetes is diabetes that develops during pregnancy. The good news is that there are some things that you can do to minimize your risk of developing diabetes during your pregnancy. Here are a couple of tips to help you.

Preparation Starts Before Conception

One of the best things you can do to reduce your risk of gestational diabetes starts before you even get ready to conceive. Make an effort to get your body to a healthy weight before you try to get pregnant. It is much easier to get control of your weight and blood sugar before you get pregnant than it is afterward. Starting your pregnancy at a healthy weight and with balanced blood sugars makes it far easier to maintain both throughout your pregnancy.

Maintain Your Diet And Exercise Routine Through Your Pregnancy

It's easy to fall into the poor eating habits of an "eating for two" mentality when you find out you're pregnant. Unfortunately, eating in excess and making poor food choices can lead to substantial weight gain, increasing your risk of developing gestational diabetes.

The same is true if you become sedentary throughout your pregnancy. That is why your OB/GYN will recommend that you maintain your exercise routine throughout your pregnancy. It may require some adaptation to keep the baby safe, but you can talk through that with your care provider to ensure that you are doing things in a safe and healthy manner.

Don't Skip Prenatal Care

Whether it is the result of the misconception that you are "feeling fine" and don't need it, or the belief that women have given birth for hundreds of years without prenatal screenings, some women opt to skip much of the standard prenatal care that has become very important.

This can put you at risk of all sorts of complications, including undiagnosed gestational diabetes. In addition, when you don't attend the early prenatal appointments, you miss valuable insight from your care provider about warning signs, such as rapid weight gain and protein presence in your urine, both of which can indicate the development of gestational diabetes.

The more you understand about preventing gestational diabetes, the healthier your pregnancy is likely to be. Talk with your obstetrics care provider today for more help.