Dealing with low blood sugar when you have gestational diabetes

How to deal with low blood sugar emergencies

Here are some ways you can prevent and manage low blood sugar emergencies.

Be prepared

Although most women with gestational diabetes do not have problems with low blood sugar, you should always be prepared for the possibility.

• Have fat-free milk or quick-sugar foods (such as table sugar, fruit juice, or candy) available. It is best to drink a glass of fat-free milk when your blood sugar is low, because it will raise your blood sugar level 1.4 mmol/L to 1.7 mmol/L. If fat-free milk is not available, use quick-sugar foods to raise your blood sugar level about 1.7 mmol/L within 15 minutes.
• Learn the symptoms of low blood sugar. Carry a copy with you at all times, and post a copy at home and work.
• Wear medical identification in case your blood sugar drops very low and you need help. Medical identification bracelets and necklaces are sold at many local drugstores and pharmacies.
• Keep a copy of instructions on how to check your blood sugar with your blood sugar meter. Tell your family and friends where the instructions are and how to use your meter.
• Post a copy of the emergency care for low blood sugar in a convenient place at home and at work for other people to use if you need help during a low blood sugar episode.
• Do not drive if your blood sugar is less than 4.0 mmol/L. Your reflexes are slowed, and you could have an accident.

Treat low blood sugar early

Treat low blood sugar levels as soon as the symptoms are noticed, whether by you or by someone else.

• Check your blood sugar often.
• Follow the steps for dealing with low blood sugar when your blood sugar level is below 3.1 mmol/L.
• Keep track of your symptoms and how you treated them in a low blood sugar level record(What is a PDF document?).
• Talk with your doctor if you have low blood sugar. If you are taking insulin, your dose may need to be adjusted.

Test Your Knowledge

1. To be prepared for a low blood sugar emergency, I need to carry:

1. My insulin.
2. Some quick-sugar foods.
3. A protein bar.

2. If my blood sugar level is 2.8 mmol/L, I need to:

1. Call my doctor immediately.
2. Go to sleep and rest.
3. Follow the steps for dealing with low blood sugar.

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Author:	Alison Allen Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS	Last Updated: February 12, 2008
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Lois Jovanovic, MD - Endocrinology Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine
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