Sugar Mother’s Doubts: Can I Breastfeed with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus?

With the improvement of living standards and the increase of elderly parturients, many expectant mothers have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus and become special [sugar mothers].

Except for a few sugar mothers who need insulin therapy, the vast majority of pregnant women can control their blood sugar by adjusting their diet and exercise.

Originally, these sugar mothers could have breathed a sigh of relief, but they were still worried about whether they could breast-feed after delivery.

Can sugar mothers breastfeed?

Sugar mothers can breastfeed normally.

The vast majority of sugar mothers suffering from gestational diabetes mellitus will return their blood sugar to normal after delivery and do not need to use drugs to reduce blood sugar. Even if medication is needed, doctors usually choose insulin.

Insulin can be used during pregnancy and lactation, of course. It has no effect on the baby.

Breastfeeding has many benefits. It can not only promote the growth and development of babies, enhance emotional communication and reduce the possibility of related diseases in adulthood, but also has the following benefits for sugar mothers:

  1. In a short period of time, improve postpartum blood sugar and blood lipid, restore islet cell function and control body weight;

  2. Reduce the occurrence rate of diabetes in the future or delay the onset time;

  3. If insulin is needed after delivery, breastfeeding can help reduce the dosage or frequency.

Does breastfeeding transmit diabetes to children?

Diabetes may indeed be passed on to babies by sugar mothers, but it is not through breast milk, but through genetic inheritance.

The occurrence of diabetes is often the result of the combined action of [internal factors] (such as genetic inheritance) and [external factors] (such as living habits).

If a person has only [internal factors], it is still possible to adjust [external factors] through a healthy lifestyle () in the future, thus postponing the time of developing diabetes or reducing the possibility of developing diabetes.

In addition, the baby may suffer from malnutrition or overnutrition in the uterus, which will also lay the groundwork for the occurrence of diabetes in the future. Breastfeeding has just the opportunity to improve this situation.

Therefore, although diabetes is hereditary, we still have ways to reduce the risk of the disease. Adhering to breast-feeding is one of the important means to protect the baby.

It is more appropriate to feed it for several months.

According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), sugar mothers should be exclusively breastfed for 6 months just like ordinary mothers.

If conditions permit, breast-feeding can continue until the age of 2.

If various conditions do not permit, sugar mothers should breast-feed for at least 3 months, which can also allow babies to enjoy the benefits of breast-feeding as much as possible.

Less milk, no milk, how to do?

Many sugar mothers do not have enough milk because:

  1. Obesity or high blood sugar will lead to delayed milk production and decreased sucking reaction to babies, which are not conducive to milk production.

  2. For patients with gestational diabetes mellitus, the incidence rate of pregnancy complications or neonatal complications is higher. Sugar mothers are easy to affect milk secretion because they cannot breast-feed in time.

How should sugar mother deal with these problems?

  1. Try the reliable [lactagogue] method and click here to see what you can do.

  2. During pregnancy, we will follow the measures of “shut up and keep your legs open” and try our best to control our weight.

  3. Postpartum, also want to maintain a reasonable diet and exercise, must not blindly [big supplement special supplement].

Due to the existence of gestational diabetes mellitus, sugar mothers and babies may have to be temporarily separated. At this time, milk suction should also be carried out in time to ensure smooth milk discharge. After that, sugar mothers should try to resume breastfeeding as soon as their illness permits.

In addition to the above situation, sugar mothers, like ordinary mothers, [no milk] [less milk] are all problems that can be solved. Click here to learn this knowledge.

To sum up, breast-feeding is good for babies and sugar mothers. The vast majority of mothers with gestational diabetes can rest assured to breast-feed!