How to Monitor Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational diabetes can cause problems both in the mother and baby but all is not lost because you have gestational diabetes. With proper treatment, blood sugar control and care, most women with gestational diabetes can have a normal pregnancy and give birth to a healthy baby. But for this besides medications and follow ups with your doctor you will need to regularly monitor gestational diabetes. Read to know measures that should be done to monitor gestational diabetes.

Keeping Daily Records

Your doctor may recommend you to keep a record of your daily diet, daily exercise or physical activity besides the blood sugar level. These records are useful to determine how your diet and exercise affect your blood sugar.

Diet Record

Diet records can help to determine if you are having a healthy diet and determine what is causing the rapid weight gain and rise of blood sugar levels. In some people certain foods such as bananas, brown rice, pasta, and dried fruits such as raisins, potatoes, instant noodle soups, and grapes can cause rise in blood sugar levels. Your response to the food you eat can help you to determine a pattern and then avoid foods that cause significant rise in your blood sugar levels.

Glucose Monitoring

Your doctor will advise you to maintain a record of blood sugar levels by monitoring at home as well. Blood sugar level testing before and after meals helps to determine if your diet and weight gain are enough to keep blood sugar levels under control or if insulin is needed to keep the blood sugar levels to normal and the foetus protected. Your doctor will teach you how to monitor the blood sugar at home using a glucose meter. You may be asked to check your blood glucose levels several times a day (such as when you wake up; just before meals; 1 or 2 hours after eating breakfast, lunch and dinner). Record all your blood glucose levels in a book and take it with you when you visit your doctor. These can help your doctor to advice measures if your results are often out of range and suggest ways you can reach your targets.

Remember that well controlled blood glucose levels in gestational diabetes can help you to have an uneventful pregnancy and give birth to healthy baby. So comply with your doctor’s recommendations regarding blood sugar monitoring and treatment.

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