If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes before getting pregnant here’s all of the information you need to know to reduce the risks for both yourself and your child. Preparing for Pregnancy: When You Have Diabetes If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes there are a variety of precautions and steps you can take to ensure that you and your future child’s health. If your glucose levels are too high for example, you may increase the risk of birth defects for your child. If your glucose levels during the first trimester of pregnancy are too high, it can cause a miscarriage. The first trimester is when the baby’s organs are forming and growing fastest, which is why the baby is most susceptible to injury. It is vitally important to lower your glucose levels before getting pregnant. What Are the Risks  During Pregnancy, if You Have Diabetes ? In case the mother has high blood sugar levels, some of the associated risks are: Birth defects in the child Miscarriage Premature delivery Preeclampsia in the mother Jaundice in the mother Difficulty breathing Difficult or impossible delivery, making a C-section procedure unavoidable Urinary infections How to Reduce Risks During Pregnancy if You Have Diabetes Some prenatal tips can greatly reduce the risk of health problems and will set you on the path to a healthier lifestyle:

Whether you’re pregnant for the first time or you’ve been pregnant before, your body will go through some significant changes over the next nine months. Every woman will experience pregnancy in a different way, but even so, there are some universal changes that are common to all women. Here are just a few of those changes that you may experience: The First Trimester Breast tenderness and enlargement –Starting at around 6 to 8 weeks, you may notice your breasts getting bigger in size and they’ll usually continue to grow throughout the course of your pregnancy. In fact, it is not uncommon for a woman’s bra size to change several times over the next few months. So, for this reason, be sure to invest in a good maternity bra that can expand in size! Constipation – Sluggish bowels, irregular bowel habits, and constipation are common in early pregnancy. This can happen for many reasons, but needless to say, it’s not a symptom that most people are happy to deal with. Natural remedies for constipation include adding more fiber to your diet , drinking more water, and breaking up your daily food intake into smaller but more frequent meals. Stretch marks – Somewhere between the end of the first trimester and the beginning of the second one, stretch marks may start to make an unwelcome appearance on your body.

Now that you’re pregnant, it is more important than ever to take care of yourself both physically and emotionally. Staying healthy while you’re pregnant can help reduce your risk of complications and can also lead to a smoother pregnancy and a faster recovery period. Here Are A Few Pregnancy Tips On How To Stay Healthy: Start early with good prenatal care The earlier women are able to start receiving prenatal care the better. As soon as you find out that you’re pregnant be sure to make an appointment with your family doctor or OBGYN right away. Going sooner rather than later means that you can start pregnancy supplements earlier, discuss your pregnancy plan with your healthcare provider, have routine blood tests done, and talk about any concerns you may have. Additionally, if you fall under the category of a ‘high risk’ pregnancy which includes women with pre-existing medical conditions or women over the age of 40, it is specifically important to see your doctor as soon as possible. Healthy eating There is no such thing as the perfect pregnancy diet. As a general rule, most foods are safe to eat during pregnancy, but here are a few things to keep in mind:

Are you wondering if you might be pregnant? Or maybe you just found out that you’re pregnant and are not sure what to expect. Of course, the only way to be 100% certain is by taking a pregnancy test. But there are a few tell-tale signs to look out for that can point to you being pregnant. Here are some of them: Breast tenderness Breast tenderness is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy and can be noticed as early as the 4th week of pregnancy. Milk ducts in the breast tissue start to expand in preparation for breastfeeding, which can cause breasts to feel tender, heavy or tight. The good news is that these symptoms usually get better with time. To help deal with breast tenderness most doctors recommend that women should wear support bras or special maternity bras that are less likely to cause pain or discomfort. Spotting and Cramping After the fertilized egg attaches itself to the wall of the uterus (where it will spend the next nine months), some women may experience light spotting and cramping. This is perfectly normal and is known as implantation bleeding. The cramping resembles menstrual cramps, so a lot of women initially mistake both the cramps and the mild bleeding as the start of their period.

 Hospital Bag Checklist for Labor So you’re counting down the minutes till your due date. The nursery is ready to go, your hospital route is planned and your doctor is on stand-by. But what have you packed in your hospital bag? Do you know what you’ll need before you’re in labor or after you’ve given birth? Here are the top 7 things that all women should pack in their maternity bag. Your own comfortable clothes- ie. a robe, dressing gown, yoga pants The hospital will usually provide you with a hospital gown for the labor itself. But just after the delivery, particularly if you’ll be in hospital for a day or two, wearing your own clothes such as a robe, dressing gown or comfy pants will go a long way towards making you feel more comfortable. While you’re in hospital it’s the small personal items like your own pillow from home or your favourite pair of slippers that can help you settle in. Snacks You’re probably wondering why this is here. After all hospitals have plenty of food on-site. This is true but the food may not always be available when you need it -like at 2 in the morning, when you’re craving crackers, and the food that’s available may not necessarily be the kind that you enjoy.