Mylife young adults

Pregnancy

Blood glucose control is a key factor that may affect your baby. The blood glucose ‘target’ is less than 5.9mmol/l before meals, rising no higher than 7.8mmol/l two hours after eating. Try to keep your blood glucose within this target range, but don’t let the odd ‘high’ or ‘low’ create needless worry. Discuss your individual target blood glucose range with your healthcare team.

During the first trimester of pregnancy, the body's need for insulin goes up and down frequently. Warning signs for hypos may also decrease during pregnancy. Below is some advice to help you control you blood glucose levels.

Avoiding hypos

  • Eat regular meals and snack throughout the day
  • Test you blood glucose at least four times a day
  • Work with your healthcare team to adjust your insulin dose
  • Keep some type of fast acting sugar with you at all times

Treating severe hypos

  • If you are unable to eat but are still conscious and able to swallow, someone with you can put glucose gel, jam, honey or treacle on the inside or your cheeks.
  • If you are unconscious, the people with you should call an ambulance immediately and explain that you have diabetes, are pregnant and are unconscious.
  • In the case of a severe hypo, glucagon, the hormone which releases glucose from the liver, can be injected by someone else, who must be trained. Once conscious, you must eat some long-acting carbohydrates too.

Avoiding Ketoacidosis

Ketoacidosis can kill a baby at any stage in pregnancy and sometimes before the mother feels seriously ill.

Pregnant women with diabetes should test their urine or blood for ketones if:

  • your blood glucose is over 10mmol/l
  • you are ill for any reason
  • you are vomiting for any reason

Seek immediate medical advice if the test shows more than a 'small' level of ketones.

Physical activity

Physical activity plays a vital role in keeping blood glucose under control at any time. But because pregnancy puts extra stress on your heart and lungs, don't start a vigorous exercise programme during your pregnancy. Gentle activities, like swimming and walking, are better.

Eating healthily

In general, you should eat the same types and amounts of food you normally eat. You should be able to get most of the vitamins you need from the food you eat, however, here is a guide to

Folic acid

There is an increased chance of the baby having neural tube defects, leading to spinal cord problems such as spina bifida. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects and is recommended for women with diabetes before and during pregnancy.

Vitamin A

Do not take vitamin A, cod liver oil supplements or eat liver (which contains vitamin A) while pregnant. This may increase the risk of miscarriage and the baby's risk of congenital malformations.

Calcium

You can get enough calcium eating foods such as milk, yogurt, hard cheeses, green leafy vegetables and nuts.

Iron

You shouldn't need more iron than usual because you are not losing it through the menstrual cycle and because your body's ability to absorb iron increases during pregnancy.

Protein

Protein is needed for the growth and repair of body tissues, but you should not need extra just because you are pregnant. In general, low-fat meats and fish should form a smaller part of your daily diet.

Breads and Starchy foods

These should form the main part of your meal.