However, the most recent studies show that 90% of women with so-called gestational diabetes, had in fact low insulin receptor sensitivity prior to pregnancy, indicating that they were already “pre-diabetic” anyway and that the insulin changes of pregnancy had, in effect, simply “tipped them over the line”(13).
   There is currently much debate in medical circles about gestational diabetes. The old view is that screening for blood sugar abnormalities during pregnancy should be universal and that treatment by way of insulin injection and dietary management has valid and beneficial results. Critics of this approach say that there is in fact no such thing as gestational diabetes and that there is no evidence supporting the need for such tests or treatments.
   Not being an expert in this field, I cannot legitimately weigh in on either side of these arguments. The best advice I could give any woman, is to pay close attention to her food inputs, eating patterns, exercise regimes and weight management – both prior to and during her pregnancy. With a regular program of yoga, her pancreatic function will most likely remain within the proper limits for her own and her baby’s needs. See the program – “Diabetes Mellitus” (Non- Pregnant) on page 2013, and “Gestational Diabetes”, page 2026.
   Presently, if through the usual regime of tests a woman is diagnosed as having gestational diabetes, she often comes under enormous pressure to consider early induction or caesarean section., This pressure arises from the belief that her “blood pressure will skyrocket” during labour; her baby will be “too big”; that “large baby equals problem birth” or “large baby equals potential litigation”. Irrespective of any previous birthing history, she will be excluded from being able to use a Birth Centre. However, many mothers and midwives know these to be false premises. With proper preparation by the mother, good active birthing support, and the care of an experienced midwife, a large baby need not necessarily present any insurmountable problems on the birthing day.

HIV-AIDS and Hepatitis
   HIV-AIDS is a very serious infection. Since it is an STD, and likely to be passed on to any offspring, avoidance of infection is especially important through careful selection of sexual partners before and during pregnancy. Where any doubt exists, condoms should be used. Also see also Chapter 3 – “Sexually Transmitted Disease”, 111. Management of any HIV-infected pregnancy requires special medical treatment to reduce the

  
likelihood of passing the condition onto the baby.
   All forms of hepatic viruses (Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, F, G) can present complications for mother and baby. For those presently uninfected, care must be taken when dealing with the body fluids of those who are infected so as not to transmit the diseases to yourself. For those who are carrying any of these conditions, special treatment may be required during your pregnancy by a qualified medical practitioner.

Conclusion
   As you can see from the above list of condi-tions, there are many weird and threatening bacteria, viruses and diseases which can complicate a pregnancy and threaten your baby’s well being. I certainly don’t mean to scare you or overload you with such medical information, but I do believe it is important for a mother to be aware that our highly populated, and therefore potently infective society nowadays harbours an increasing number of threats to the unborn child. The risks of any one of these things happening is very, very small. But nonetheless they do happen.
   What all of the above conditions have in common is this: they are all becoming more common; there is increasing medical pressure for all women to be routinely tested for them; each week there are new vaccines and treatments being offered by the vested pharmacological interests; and women are gradually becoming more and more afraid of their own pregnancies, thereby directing more and more faith into the medical model of ante-natal management.
   What can be done? In a nutshell, the direction to me is clear. A woman who wants to conceive, gestate and bear naturally the fruit of her love with a man, needs to consider how close to the germs and illnesses of other people she wishes to live and bring up her baby. If she longs for a healthy motherhood, and to pass on the best health to her child, she also needs to create that health within herself to the greatest degree. With this achieved, there then becomes no need for the tests, the vaccines nor the paranoia, and the health of her progeny will be more assured.

	~Managing Illness During Pregnancy~

   Alongside yoga practice as a preventative and curative therapy for your ailments, there may be times during pregnancy when your health needs some