In 2017, when I came to know that I was expecting again, I was shocked and, also a little surprised because we didn’t expect to be expecting!!! We were done with the struggles faced with the first baby. But somehow, I could not say NO to this pregnancy and decided to continue with it. My husband, who wasn’t ready for our second pregnancy, also decided to support my decision and we were happy and also, excited about it.
It started off quite well as everything seemed to be normal in my monthly regular checkups and tests until the report of GTT ( glucose tolerance test) test arrived. My Gynae told me to reduce my sugar intake as I was prone to having GDM (Gestational Diabetes Mellitus). I got a little upset about hearing about it. But I decided to take more care of my routine and lifestyle.
- I reduced my sugar intake by 50% by adding to sugar to my teas, shakes, and milk. I cut down on biscuits, chocolates, and other sugar indulgences.
- I also reduced my fruit intake for the day – while I was earlier eating 3-4 type of fruits every day, I decreased it to only two. My doctor specifically asked me to not eat a banana.
- The other thing, which I was asked was to lessen the carbs in my diet. Though pregnant mums are always encouraged to indulge in their food cravings but to be honest, I never had such cravings during my both pregnancies. In the first time, I did not focus on my diet and during the second I made sure that I take care of my unborn and also of myself by taking a balanced diet under doctor’s supervision. In those 9 months, my main motto was to prevent GDM to happen and to undergo normal delivery. And with God’s blessings and with some proactive attitude, I achieved both.
A few days back, I had the privilege to attend the bloggers meet organized by Momspresso. The agenda was to talk and create awareness about Gestational Diabetes. As I myself was prone to it, so I was curious to know more about it. And with a panel of experts and doctors – we were enlightened with some great information about GDM.
Thanks to Nestle, Team Momspresso, and Doctors who took the initiative to educate new mums about this.
I would like to share three important and practical tips to avoid Gestational Diabetes for new mums:
- Exercise to remain active: Exercise can help prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy, which in turn helps lower your risk for gestational diabetes. Low-impact cardiovascular exercises, walking, swimming, stationary biking, yoga are all good choices. Please check in with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
- Eat a balanced diet (less of sugar and carbs): Achieving a healthy diet will only lead to a healthy amount of weight gain during pregnancy. Eat controlled portions of healthy carbs, such as whole grains, non-starchy vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, and low-fat dairy. Stick to lean proteins and foods with healthy fats such as nuts. Limit added sugar and avoid sugary beverages as much as possible. Drink lots of water.
- Go for regular checkups: Make sure you attend all of your scheduled doctor’s visits. Around weeks 24-28, you will be screened for gestational diabetes. If you are diagnosed with the condition, it will be important to see a Certified Diabetes Educator or Registered Dietitian. He or she will help you with lifestyle management as well as glucose monitoring.
However, I’d say that though GDM is temporary (in most cases) it has its side-effects for both mom and baby.
So, it is better to prevent it in the beginning only. Better to be safe than sorry.
This article was originally published by me here.
