The bitter sweet truth

Planning a baby but suffering from diabetes? M&B tells you how you can safeguard your baby through preconception care for diabetes

Time was when it was general belief that having diabetes would greatly hamper your chances of having a baby. But times, they change and how! Today, with proper care and precautions, it is possible to have a healthy pregnancy and baby despite the odds. Dr Shalini Jaggi, diabetologist at the Delhi based Sri Balaji Action Medical institute tells you how.

“Oh are you planning for a baby? But I heard you have diabetes? Avoid getting pregnant. It might lead to major complications like congenital malformations in the baby or a large baby, or maybe even stillbirth or abortion.” This is what a diabetic woman usually gets to hear from people around her. But little do they know that with careful pre-pregnancy planning, a majority of diabetic women can have safe pregnancies and healthy babies.

Effective preconception care holds positive chances of improvement in pregnancy outcomes in women with diabetes. To give a baby the best start in life, it’s a good idea to get the woman’s health balanced before pregnancy. Preconception care acts as a preventive medicine for the mother and the child she is planning to conceive.