How can I Manage Low Blood Sugar in Pregnancy?

One of the best ways for managing low blood sugar in pregnancy may be to eat several small meals every day. Most doctors additionally recommend that these small meals consist of lots of healthy things, such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. It may also be a good idea to incorporate some lean meat, such as chicken, into some of your meals. Dairy products are additionally considered beneficial during pregnancy by most doctors, and may be best when consumed in the form of low-fat yogurt and reduced fat milk. You should also keep something very sweet, such as a candy bar or can of soda, on hand at all times in the event of severe low blood sugar in pregnancy.

Eating several small meals throughout the day rather than three large meals might benefit women who experience low blood sugar in pregnancy, because it will prevent them from going too long without eating. Pregnant women who have hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar, are usually more likely to experience problems if they don't get something to eat at least every few hours. In most cases, simply adding in a snack after breakfast and before lunch as well as a snack after lunch and before dinner is sufficient for preventing low blood sugar symptoms.

If you experience low blood sugar in pregnancy on a regular basis and your symptoms are severe enough to bring you to the point of passing out, you may need to keep a sugary snack with you wherever you go. When blood sugar is allowed to reach dangerously low levels, it can be very risky for the health of both the mother and the baby. Quickly eating a candy bar, a piece of hard candy, or drinking a sweet soda should be able to bring it back up quickly enough to prevent any major problems. It might also be a good idea to carry a glucagon kit with you, which should effectively bring your levels back up in the event that the sugary snacks prove ineffective.

Another thing you may want to keep in mind for controlling low blood sugar in pregnancy is how much you exercise. Most of the time, doctors are in favor of exercise during pregnancy, because it can help to keep women fit, which usually has a positive impact on the ease of labor and delivery. If you are hypoglycemic, excessive exercise can actually make your blood sugar levels drop. Your doctor will probably still allow you to exercise if you have low blood sugar, but she may request that you avoid anything too strenuous and limit your sessions to just a few days per week.