High blood sugar (hyperglycemia)
High blood sugar may result if there is too much sugar in your blood. To maintain a healthy pregnancy, blood sugars must be kept in a range between 60-120 mg/dL. Keeping your blood sugars within normal limits will help you prevent problems for you and your unborn baby.
How will I feel if my blood sugars are high?
Signs and symptoms: - Extreme thirst
- Hunger
- Blurred vision
- Drowsiness
- Dry skin
- Urinating often
If your blood sugar is not treated, you may get very sick with signs and symptoms of ketoacidosis. Signs and symptoms of ketoacidosis are similar to high blood sugar. These signs and symptoms are: feeling extremely thirsty, a need to empty your bladder often, dry skin, hunger, blurred vision, feeling drowsy and wounds that heal slowly. There is an increased risk of fetal loss with ketoacidosis and your baby end up with a lower IQ after birth. Please notify your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.
How will diabetes affect my baby?
High blood sugar during pregnancy can cause problems for your baby while you are pregnant and after you give birth. The effects of high blood sugar for your baby may result in birth defects if you have uncontrolled blood sugars before getting pregnant and during the first trimester of pregnancy. Uncontrolled blood sugars during the last trimester for any pregnant woman with diabetes may result in a large baby making it difficult to give birth, and delayed lung maturity making it difficult for your baby to breathe after birth. Additionally, after birth your baby may have low blood sugars, a high bilirubin (jaundice), elevated red blood cells, and learning disabilities.
You can lower these risks by following a healthy meal plan, taking your medicine and following instructions from members of our diabetes and pregnancy healthcare team. Additionally, choosing to breastfeed your baby may help reduce your risk of developing certain kinds of cancers and the risks of childhood diabetes and obesity.
Always consult your personal physician about your plan of care. The above information is for educational purposes only and is not to be used for individual treatment or diabetes self-management recommendations. |
