GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS AND THE DIFFICULTIES FOR THE SELF-CARE

Objective: to understand how diabetic pregnant women experience difficulties in self-care Method: This is a descriptive and exploratory qualitative study carried out with five pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus. The data were collected through an interview recorded at a Women's Clinic, located in the city of Guarapuava, in the center-west of Paraná and submitted to Minayo's thematic analysis. Results: there were four categories emerged from the discourse analysis: 1) Control of diet with gestational diabetes mellitus, 2) Changes in the pattern of sleep and rest, 3) Difficulty in the practice of physical activity and leisure, and 4) Changes in the activities of daily life. Final considerations: the relevance of the implementation of strategies that guide the diabetic pregnant woman to understand the importance of self-care through daily actions adopted by health professionals, with the objective of controlling the disease, as well as favoring the healthy evolution of pregnancy and childbirth are highlighted.