Excess weight can increase your chances of getting gestational diabetes, but it is not advisable to reduce weight when you are pregnant.
Even if you have gestational diabetes, you should not aim for any weight loss. A diabetes educator and registered dietitian from New York Presbyterian Hospital says that weight loss is not usually the advice given.
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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also do not find weight loss advisable although several studies concluded that it can be beneficial for pregnant women. There is much debate over the issue of weight loss for pregnant women as researchers do not comprehend fully that the growing fetus will face possible risks.
The growing fetus can develop into a child with a lower IQ due to the presence of abundant ketones in the bloodstream of the mother which is produced during a quick loss of fat. However, this has also not found acceptance by all. Although there are some who believe that ketones produced during quick weight loss are the culprit, others think it is poor control of blood glucose levels which is the cause. So, more studies need to be done before weight loss will be recommended for pregnant women.
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Bohl says the aim of gestational diabetes patients ought to be the maintenance of the present weight or getting only a slight gain in weight. This can be a better mentality on the weight of women who are pregnant.
According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the rate at which a pregnant woman gains weight ought to depend upon the weight of the person before conceiving. Overweight pregnant women who are at greater risk of having gestational diabetes ought to be prepared for an increase of between approximately 15 and 25 pounds during their pregnancy. For obese pregnant women, they ought to limit their increase to 15 pounds only.
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A Healthier Lifestyle is Important During Pregnancy
If you have any reason, one of which can be gestational diabetes, to be worried about too much increase in weight during pregnancy, seek the help of a doctor, a diabetes educator or a registered dietitian. They will help you to plan how to increase weight slowly the right exercise and diet during your pregnancy. The following points will most probably be discussed.
- Exercise.
Exercise, even if it does not help with weight loss, can help keep the size of the baby normal and not allow blood glucose levels to rise if you have gestational diabetes. And if you have not yet developed gestational diabetes, exercise can reduce your chance of getting it. Bohl says that it will certainly help if being overweight is the cause of the diabetes.
- Healthy foods.
If your chance of having gestational diabetes is high, seek the help of a registered dietitian so that meals with the right amount of food containing the necessary nutrients can be planned for you.
- Do not focus on weight loss, even when it can happen.
Bohl says that when a diet is prescribed for women with gestational diabetes, some of them do reduce weight during the first stage of pregnancy because the possible slight weight gain at that time was offset by exercise and the nutritious foods taken.
Although reducing weight before a pregnancy is definitely a good idea, reducing weight while pregnant must be done with great care and the approval of your doctor. Exercise and a nutritious diet are essential to health. So, they ought to be practiced together with your family members even when weight loss is not your objective.