Let’s Talk Health Matters: Dealing With Diabetes And Pregnancy

Diabetes in pregnancy may be looked at as a window of opportunity to intervene and start paying attention to lifestyle habits Dr T.W Ngwenya Changamire In previous articles on The Sunday Express we spoke about Obesity and how it increases your risk of other diseases. One such prevalent condition is Diabetes in pregnancy. Diabetes in pregnancy may be looked at as a window of opportunity to intervene and start paying attention to lifestyle habits to prevent onset of Type 2 Diabetes and other lifestyle related conditions. Gestational diabetes This condition is also referred to as pregnancy induced diabetes. This is a condition that occurs during pregnancy and it often resolves after the baby is born. It is important to mention that women who have had gestational diabetes have a higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. These women need to take precautionary measures to prevent progression to Type 2 diabetes after the pregnancy. These measures include diet modification and increasing exercise levels together with weight reduction in overweight and obese individuals. How does diabetes develop during the pregnancy? During pregnancy the placenta is responsible for supplying blood from the mother to the growing foetus. Blood contains oxygen and nutrients.