When you become pregnant, your life becomes a whirlwind of emotions. You have great excitement and trepidation in equal measure. You plan for you and your child’s finances, you buy baby clothes and start to create a room for them to inhabit. You know that you’ve taken on a great responsibility for your child and you want to live up a high standard. However, we weren’t kidding when we said that pregnancy is a whirlwind, because you can often have wild physical side effects. These can be typical, such as weight gain, anxiety, or strong, even peculiar food cravings. There’s an especially unfortunate physical side effect that can arise from pregnancy as well: gestational diabetes. As a direct result of the baby’s development, your body stops being resistant to insulin. This can be a big pain for the overall health of the mother and adds even more stress during an already tumultuous development.

Thankfully, all is not lost for mothers who have gotten a diagnosis of gestational diabetes. There are a few ways that you can lessen the negative side effects of your illness, which we have listed.

1. Lower Your Weight

This tip is important because weight gain, even without pregnancy, can cause a woman to become more insulin resistant. If you have gestational diabetes, then you need to do everything you can to improve the now increased insulin resistance of your body, and a key part of that can be weight loss.

While it can be difficult to focus on losing fat while the baby is gestating, it’s not impossible, and often requires the direct assistance of a doctor or dietitian.

2. Consume Less Carbohydrates

When you have diabetes, your body is more sensitive to blood sugar spikes that can come from carbohydrates. The key becomes lessening your overall consumption of carbs significantly so that your glucose doesn’t reach high levels.

It’s often advised to go on a low-carb diet, but such things are best discussed with a medical professional.

3. Get Injections of Insulin, If Ordered By a Doctor

This tip requires the go ahead from a doctor, and it can be one of the most effective things you can do, if you require it.

Shots of insulin for pregnant women are injected into the thigh or arm, and are great in preventing a high blood sugar level

Conclusion

Pregnancy should be a wonderful period in a soon-to-be mother’s life, and the specter of gestational diabetes shouldn’t bring them down. Follow these tips, and you’re sure to be better prepared.