There are two ways that diabetes can affect pregnancy.
If a woman is diabetic and becomes pregnant her health and the baby's welfare can be impacted by the condition if care is not taken.
Also there is a condition known as gestational diabetes, which develops when a woman is pregnant and most often levels off after the baby is born.
This last condition must be treated carefully, and through temporary can be indicative of a problem which might return.
In both instances, the baby's health is dependent on good care being taken of the mother's condition.
For a woman with diabetes, it is a good idea to start seeing a doctor or health care provider before becoming pregnant in order to better guarantee a healthy baby.
The doctor can help the mother with decisions to determine if the diabetes can be controlled well enough to stop birth control.
One test a doctor might give is called an HbA1c or hemoglobin test which can evaluate how well the patient's diabetes has been controlled for as long as the past 3 months.
Other tests might also be assigned by the doctor to ensure the mother's health such as a urinalysis to see if there are any kidney complications related to diabetes, a cholesterol and triglyceride blood tests, and an eye exam to screen for diseases common in diabetics such as diabetic retinopathy.
If these conditions are present before the pregnancy, they increase the changes of complications during the birth.
A woman can make a family counseling appointment with her doctor, as soon as she begins to consider preparing for a pregnancy.
During the pregnancy, the mother will need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and very careful monitor her blood sugar levels looking for an ideal range in the area of between 70 to 100 mg/dl before eating and less than 120 mg/dl around two hours after means and 100/140 mg/dl before a nighttime treat.
The mother to be with this condition also needs to be very careful about balancing meals, exercising as directed by her doctor and taking her medications.
One of the reasons it is important to begin monitoring and seeing a doctor even before becoming pregnant is that most women will not even become aware they are with child until the fetus has been developing for roughly 4 weeks.
If the mother has been experiencing high blood sugar levels during those times or at any point during the early stage before the 13th week, there is a possibility of birth defect for the infant.
The most common complication in diabetic pregnancy is called macrosomia or 'large body'.
This occurs because the baby receives too much sugar via the placenta during the pregnancy.
The extra sugar is converted to fat and the baby becomes so large it can be difficult to deliver.
The mother and doctor will need to work together to make sure the baby is as healthy as possible.
Medications, diet and blood sugar levels will need to be monitored carefully for the sake of both the mother and baby's health.
If a woman is diabetic and becomes pregnant her health and the baby's welfare can be impacted by the condition if care is not taken.
Also there is a condition known as gestational diabetes, which develops when a woman is pregnant and most often levels off after the baby is born.
This last condition must be treated carefully, and through temporary can be indicative of a problem which might return.
In both instances, the baby's health is dependent on good care being taken of the mother's condition.
For a woman with diabetes, it is a good idea to start seeing a doctor or health care provider before becoming pregnant in order to better guarantee a healthy baby.
The doctor can help the mother with decisions to determine if the diabetes can be controlled well enough to stop birth control.
One test a doctor might give is called an HbA1c or hemoglobin test which can evaluate how well the patient's diabetes has been controlled for as long as the past 3 months.
Other tests might also be assigned by the doctor to ensure the mother's health such as a urinalysis to see if there are any kidney complications related to diabetes, a cholesterol and triglyceride blood tests, and an eye exam to screen for diseases common in diabetics such as diabetic retinopathy.
If these conditions are present before the pregnancy, they increase the changes of complications during the birth.
A woman can make a family counseling appointment with her doctor, as soon as she begins to consider preparing for a pregnancy.
During the pregnancy, the mother will need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and very careful monitor her blood sugar levels looking for an ideal range in the area of between 70 to 100 mg/dl before eating and less than 120 mg/dl around two hours after means and 100/140 mg/dl before a nighttime treat.
The mother to be with this condition also needs to be very careful about balancing meals, exercising as directed by her doctor and taking her medications.
One of the reasons it is important to begin monitoring and seeing a doctor even before becoming pregnant is that most women will not even become aware they are with child until the fetus has been developing for roughly 4 weeks.
If the mother has been experiencing high blood sugar levels during those times or at any point during the early stage before the 13th week, there is a possibility of birth defect for the infant.
The most common complication in diabetic pregnancy is called macrosomia or 'large body'.
This occurs because the baby receives too much sugar via the placenta during the pregnancy.
The extra sugar is converted to fat and the baby becomes so large it can be difficult to deliver.
The mother and doctor will need to work together to make sure the baby is as healthy as possible.
Medications, diet and blood sugar levels will need to be monitored carefully for the sake of both the mother and baby's health.
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