Managing Diabetes Post Pregnancy: Tips to help avoid Diabetes Burnout and Postpartum Depression
Nov 16, 2023, 11:51 AM
By Mayra Cantazaro, ADCES Research Committee
Both diabetes and pregnancy
have been associated with an increased risk of anxiety and depression. With the
growing prevalence of diabetes in the United States, the number of women
impacted by diabetes during pregnancy is also on the rise. Mothers experience
heightened emotions during pregnancy, both positive and negative. These emotions
may include excitement, joy, happiness, stress and anxiety. Unfortunately,
many women do not seek help because they feel embarrassed or guilty about their
feelings, which can result in postpartum depression and diabetes burnout going
unrecognized, undiagnosed and untreated, jeopardizing both the mother's and
baby's health.
It was not until I became a
mother that I fully comprehended why some of my postpartum patients living with
diabetes experienced diabetes burnout and depression. The days following your
baby's arrival can be exhausting given the inconsistent eating and sleep
schedules, on top of the stress of needing to continue to manage your diabetes
with potentially multiple daily insulin injections and frequent glucose
monitoring, which may seem impossible and promote such feelings of defeat,
depression, and anxiety.
Some practical
recommendations to keep in mind to help prevent diabetes burnout and postpartum
depression are:
- Make sure you prioritize
yourself because the baby, more than anything, needs their mom to be healthy.
- Create your support system
of family, friends and your healthcare team.
- Work with your healthcare
team to help set realistic glycemic goals and establish a plan to achieve
optimal glucose levels by incorporating lifestyle and behavioral modifications.
- Incorporate a diet that
includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and healthy fats. Limit
processed foods, red meat, sodas and juices.
- Get outside more and
incorporate brisk walking with your baby for at least 20 minutes daily.
- Speak with your provider
about ways to help reduce the burden of frequent blood glucose monitoring and
see if you qualify for a continuous glucose meter (CGM).
- Don't be afraid to ask for
help and be open to expressing your feelings and concerns with your healthcare
team.
- Confidential counseling to
pregnant and new moms experiencing anxiety and depression is available via a
hotline from the Department of Health and Human Services. The hotline is
accessible by phone or text at 833-9-HELP4MOMS (833-943-5746).
As diabetes care and
education specialists, it is important to provide the necessary education and
support to our patients during their pregnancy and postpartum period to help
prevent and to reduce the risk of diabetes burnout. In addition, we need to
support high-quality research that not only
addresses diabetes management during pregnancy but also during the postpartum
period to help bring awareness and establish evidence-based guidelines that may
help prevent diabetes burnout.
As we prepare to celebrate
Mother's Day, I want to acknowledge the incredible job every mother out there
is doing and wish you a happy Mother's Day.
Reference:
Nuha A. ElSayed, Grazia
Aleppo, Vanita R. Aroda, Raveendhara R. Bannuru, Florence M. Brown, Dennis
Bruemmer, Billy S. Collins, Marisa E. Hilliard, Diana Isaacs, Eric L. Johnson,
Scott Kahan, Kamlesh Khunti, Jose Leon, Sarah K. Lyons, Mary Lou Perry, Priya
Prahalad, Richard E. Pratley, Jane Jeffrie Seley, Robert C. Stanton, Robert A.
Gabbay; on behalf of the American Diabetes Association, 15. Management of
Diabetes in Pregnancy: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2023. Diabetes
Care 1 January 2023; 46 (Supplement_1): S254–S266.