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| Changes You will feel During Pregnancy |
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Throughout pregnancy members of your health care team will actively help
you support a healthy pregnancy. Here's what can happen as your pregnancy
progresses.
So from this point on, as a healthy mother Eat well and exercise in moderation. Instead of lunch errands, think lunch naps. Everything you do is for two, so take a deep breath, daydream often and let your body perform its miraculous work |
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First trimester
During the first 10 to 12 weeks of your pregnancy, you'll meet with your
obstetrician regularly. Whoever is helping you manage your blood sugar through
insulin dosage will want to be actively involved at this time as well. This
is the time that your baby's organs are developing, so you want your blood
sugar to be as close to normal as possible to prevent birth defects. Frequent
blood sugar monitoring can help you do this. Because your body's need for
insulin may drop slightly during this time, it's important to be alert to
signs of low blood sugar.
Morning sickness (nausea) can further complicate
the appropriate use of insulin by altering your absorption of carbohydrates
in your diet. Contact your care providers to help control this symptom
and for advice regarding insulin treatment.
At this stage of your pregnancy, it's also important to see an eye specialist.
Damage to the small blood vessels in your eyes can progress during pregnancy. |
Second trimester
In the second trimester, an ultrasound will be carried out to examine your
baby for any congenital anomalies that might affect your care during the
rest of the pregnancy. Because diabetes increases the risk of these problems,
an ultrasound is highly advised.
Your doctor also will keep track of
your weight gain. If your weight is normal when you start your pregnancy,
research suggests a total weight gain of 25 to 35 pounds is healthiest
for you and your baby. If you're too thin, you may need to gain more.
If you're obese, you may need to work with a dietitian to limit your weight
gain
Expect your insulin requirements to rise gradually between week 16 and
20, and then accelerate dramatically. Hormones made by the placenta to
help your baby grow block the effect of insulin, so you'll need significantly
more to compensate. |
Third trimester
During the final three months of your pregnancy, your doctor will monitor
you carefully. He or she will check for complications that can occur during
the late stage of any pregnancy, such as high blood pressure, swollen ankles
from fluid buildup and kidney problems. Your doctor may also recommend that
you have your eyes examined again to check for eye damage.
Because women
with diabetes are more likely to give birth to babies who weigh more than
9 pounds, you may receive another ultrasound to assess the size and health
of your baby. Intensive evaluation of the baby's well being is required
in the third trimester to assure that the placenta is functioning normally.
This testing dramatically reduces the risk of intrauterine fetal death.
At this stage, any potential problem for you or your baby may prompt early
delivery of the baby. |
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