When pregnant, I'm already a diabetic, not pregnant yet, would it be wiser for me to get a continual glucose monitor for better control?
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is a wonderful technology that is becoming more widely used by people with diabetes. Most commonly, it is used by people with diabetes that desire to keep very tight control of their blood glucose levels. Many studies have shown us that keeping tight control of blood glucose levels is necessary to help prevent or delay diabetes complications from developing. However, keeping very tight control of your blood glucose levels does increase your risk for hypoglycemia. This is where a CGM device can be very effective!
CGM devices have the capability of alerting you when your blood glucose level is rising or falling outside of the glucose ranges that you set. You will receive alerts if your blood glucose is getting to high or low, which allows you to intervene appropriately. Additionally, you will have the ability to get updated blood glucose readings on your device screen every few minutes. Recent studies have shown us that people utilizing CGM therapy do have lower A1c results, and most importantly they are able to achieve tight blood glucose control with less hypoglycemia.
Pregnancy and the months prior to your pregnancy are definitely a time when keeping tight control of your blood glucose levels is essential. Your physician will very likely provide you with glucose goals that are lower (tighter) than you may have had prior to pregnancy. These lower goals increase your risk for hypoglycemia, especially if you are on insulin. For this reason, a CGM device could really help you to monitor and manage your diabetes closely, ensuring a healthy outcome for you and your baby. Best wishes to you for a healthy pregnancy!
For more information on CGM please feel free to visit our web site:
http://www.libertymedical.com/product/diabetesproduct.aspx?c=meters