High Blood Sugar Count After Giving Birth

by Subashni Thaver

HI,

PLEASE ADVISE WITH REGARDS TO HIGH BLOOD SUGAR COUNT - IF IT REACHES OVER 17 AND IF I'M ON 800MG OF METFORMIN, CAN I TAKE INSULIN THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME WHEN I WAS PREGNANT?

MY BABY IS NOW 4 MONTHS AND I JUST CAN'T GET MY SUGAR UNDER CONTROL.


Answer
Dr Alba


First, congratulations for your body. Hope the best for both of you.

Coming to your problem with high blood sugar count even after giving birth. Usually gestational diabetes will be gone immediately after giving birth, which has not happened in your case.

Therefore, I could judge that you are diagnosed as type 2 diabetic (based on what you are saying, because I do not have your medical records).

Let me explain you a little bit. Certain people are at high risk at developing diabetes, especially when they run a family history of diabetes, are overweight, etc.

Not all the women develop gestational diabetes; however, in some of them, due to the influence of placenta hormones, mother's insulin is not working properly. When this factor (placenta) is gone, then mother's insulin goes back to normal activity; which has not happened in your case.

On the other side, pregnancy or labor could be consider as periods of "stress" in your body, which can exarcerbate the setting up of diabetes (which I think has happened in your case, since you are taking Metformin).

I don't know if your doctor has asked you to check your baby's blood sugar (if you are breastfeeding and taking Metformin). Although studies have not fully determined the role of Metformin in nursing babies; however, the risk for them to develop hypoglycemia is still debatable.

In general, if Metformin 800mg is not working at lowering blood sugar levels, then, there are two possibilities:

1. Increase the dose of Metformin intake and add another oral hypoglycemic drug.

2. Start insulin therapy, but without stopping Metformin at the beginning.

However, I do not know much on your medical status to clearly tell you what to do; you should discuss these alternatives with your doctor.

One last thing, do not rely only on drugs. I think you still have excess weight after giving birth. Here's exactly your "culprit": overweight . Try to lose weight; once you do that; your diabetes will be under control too.

Do not use weight loss formulas (if you are breastfeeding); but drink plenty of water; eat lots of fruits and vegetables; low fat milk or other dairies; and avoid too much calories intake.

Keep in mind that breastfeeding is another natural way to lose weight.