9 Tips For Pregnant Women To Ensure Good Sugar Control During Covid-19 Lockdown

Submitted by PatientsEngage on 12 April 2020

Dr. Uma Ram, Director and OBGYN Seethapathy clinic and Hospital, Chennai shares tips for pregnant women to follow to ensure good sugar control, especially in times of Covid-19 lockdown which has restricted movement and is stressful.

One in five pregnant women we see have gestational diabetes or high sugars in pregnancy. A lock down can cause problems for them because they may not be able to exercise, get enough veggies or access blood tests. Here are a few tips to ensure good sugar control

  1. Walk on your terrace or inside your house especially after meals. If you have a step counter use it. Most smartphones have a step counter.
     
  2. Do upper body exercises at home, since they are a good way to help keep control of your blood sugars..
     
  3. The physical activity involved in household work can also help.
     
  4. Be conscious that diet is even more important if you can’t exercise as much. Do NOT succumb to having “just one sweet “. Do read Dietary approach to managing Gestational Diabetes 
     
  5. This is a stressful time. It may be natural to feel worried or anxious. Don’t confuse that for hunger and seek out high calorie or sugared comfort food.
     
  6. Get a glycometer and check your sugars on it to keep track. Here are tips on choosing a glucometer.
     
  7. Mail in your reports or call in and talk to your doctors. See a primer on the new telemedicine guidelines.  
     
  8. Routine scans may be cancelled but if you are on medication or sugars are poorly controlled, it is recommended that your doctor can keep a watch on you and do scans as required.
     
  9. If there is a BP monitor at home that’s well calibrated, use it to check your blood pressure as your routine check up frequency may be reduced. Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus(GDM) are at higher risk of developing BP in pregnancy so it’s important to keep an eye out for that too.

 

Related reading: 

Pregnancy and Diabetes

Pregnancy and Hypertension

 

 

Director and OBGYn Seethapathy clinic and Hospital, keen on clinical research and empowering women with health information 

Community
Diabetes
Women's Health and Pregnancy
Condition
Diabetes
Changed
Mon, 04/13/2020 - 19:17

Stories

  • Why We Stopped Our Vegan Diet after 6 Months
    Jayesh Shah and his wife enthusiastically turned vegan with the hope of bringing down their cholesterol and diabetes levels. So why did they need to stop the diet?  Read their experience. In the month of October 2016, my wife and I attended a Wellness programme conducted by a “Health and Wellness Coach”. Both of us are 50+ and are suffering from High Cholesterol levels and Diabetes respectively. The promise of the programme was that these would be brought to normal levels without…
  • Moong Dal Dosa - A Healthy Snack Option
    Moong dal is a great source of protein, vitamins and dietary fiber. Moong Dal Dosa or Pesarattu is also low in sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol making a very healthy snack option for people with diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Perfect for an after school snack for young children too. Ingredients: 1 cup whole green moong dal 1 tbsp urad dal 2 tbsp yoghurt 3-4 tbsp water Salt to taste (add minimal or no salt to the recipe) 2 green chilies (optional) हिंदी में पढ़ें…
  • Cardiac Rehab Helped me get my Life Back
    Cardiac rehabilitation is extremely beneficial and life-changing for strengthening the heart post-surgery, valve replacement or heart failure. Mr Shrikant Shah, 71, recounts his experience with the cardiac rehab program and how he can climb stairs now without running out of breath. I am a heart patient of many years. I have a history of cardiovascular diseases in our family. Recently, after a heart attack I had a bypass surgery and aortic valve replacement, a minimally invasive procedure.…
  • Image of Papads or Popaddams to show an unhealthy snack
    4 Popular Unhealthy Snacks You Really Should Limit
    Meenu Agarwal, a clinical dietitian and nutritionist based in Singapore, advises on controlling consumption of junk food to stay fit and free from ailments like diabetes, cholesterol, acidity, hypertension and other complications and offers healthier options. Junk food is defined as “any food, which is low in essential nutrients and high in everything else - calories and sodium". Junk foods contain little or no proteins, vitamins or minerals but are rich in salt, sugar, fats and are high in…
  • Diabetes and Depression: Is There a Link?
    12% of people with diabetes have major depression, and about 10 to 20% have minor depression. In a new analysis, German researchers have found that reducing depressive symptoms does indeed help control blood glucose better and even increasing the probability of bringing HbA1C under to under 7.5. According to study investigator Andreas Schmitt, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the Research Institute of the Diabetes Academy Mergentheim in Germany, it could be that the less depressed people are,…
  • What is the connection between Diabetes and Diarrhea?
    Diabetic diarrhoea commonly occurs in people with poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes and can pose several challenges related to bowel movement, including constipation and fecal incontinence. Dr Shital Raval gives an overview. Diarrhea is a common and bothersome complication of diabetes. It is commonly seen in diabetic patients who have poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes and also a history of peripheral and autonomic neuropathy. The diarrhea comes and goes with periods of…
  • Leg Cramps - Causes and Prevention Tips
    Do you sometimes get sudden cramps in your calf or toe muscles? Dr. Shital Raval explains the causes and tips to get rid of leg cramps and to prevent them  Leg cramps or Charley horse (term used mainly in Canada and the US) is a common but harmless condition experienced by most individuals. These are sudden painful contractions of the leg muscles often in the calf area. They can last for seconds to a few minutes and rarely last more than 10 minutes. हिंदी में पढ़ें: पैर में ऐंठन -…
  • 7 Tips for Living with Chronic Illness
    Usha Jesudasan, who is affected by polio, diabetes and breast cancer, is a prolific writer of inspirational books and articles. Here, she advises on a holistic approach to cope with the diagnosis of chronic illness and move forward without letting life crumble. Sitting across from the doctor’s table, I hear him say something. “It is what we call a chronic disease.” 1. Your Attitude Matters Chronic disease? The doctor explained: “A chronic disease is one which continues for a long time. There is…
  • 11 Questions That You Always Wanted to Ask the Urologist
    Dr Vinit Shah, an eminent Urologist from Mumbai, helps us understand frequently asked concerns about urology and men’s health. What are the five most common urological conditions you see in daily practice? The commonest problems we seen in our daily practice are prostate, stones, urinary infections, urinary incontinence and male sexual problems. What are the different causative factors of infertility? Male infertility can have several factors. You can have pre-testicular causes due to hormonal…
  • Why is Potassium Level Important?
    This time in our Health by Numbers/Medical Tests series, Dr Shital Raval takes a look at the importance of Potassium levels in the electrolyte panel. Read the first part on Sodium Levels  POTASSIUM: Potassium is both a mineral and electrolyte. It is important for heart, muscle, digestive and nerve functioning.  The potassium test is often part of a routine or done to check on the electrolyte balance of the body. The best sources of potassium are: Leafy greens such as swiss chard,…