A metric for quantifying adaptation to successive disruptions.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is one of the most prevalent medical complications that poses a significant risk to both maternal and neonatal health. Globally, the prevalence of GDM affects 17% of pregnancies, making it a major public health concern. GDM is characterised by glucose intolerance of varying severity with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. The condition arises when a hormone made by the placenta prevents the body from using insulin effectively or inhibits its secretion, causing glucose to build up in the blood. GDM is characterized by carbohydrate intolerance of varying degrees, with its onset or first recognition occurring specifically during pregnancy. This pathophysiological process is similar to type 2 diabetes, where there is a progressive rise in tissue resistance to insulin. In pregnancies, the heightened demand for insulin is met inefficiently, leading to an imbalance between insulin resistance and insulin supply. This shift commonly occurs in the second trimester of pregnancy, with insulin resistance steadily increasing before birth. In normal pregnancies, the blood sugar returns to normal rapidly after birth. The condition represents a more pronounced and resolved imbalances beteween insuline demand and supply. The prevalence of GDM varies widely across regions, with an estimated prevalence of 14% in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ghana, the prevalence has risen markedly form 0.5% in 2004 to 9.3% in 2015. The global obesity epidemic, characterized by an increased body mass index (BMI) across populations, birthing at later stages of life, and advanced maternal age, multiple fetuses pregnancies, such as twins or triplets, were influential in the increasing prevalence of the disease. GDM is associated with numerous adverse outcomes. The risk of GDM complications commonly significantly impacts both mothers’ and babies’ health. Maternal risks include a heightened likelihood of preeclampsia, increased rates of cesarean section births, an elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and a greater vulnerability to cardiovascular diseases. For infants, GDM includes excessive birth weight (macrosomia), an increased risk of neonatal hypoglycemia, and a higher incidence of respiratory distress syndrome. However, effective self-care practices such as dietary modification, regular physical activity, blood glucose monitoring, and medication adherence can significantly improve glycemic control and reduce this risk. Despite the importance of self-care, several barriers hinder effective management. This includes limited knowledge of GDM, time constraints related to work and family responsibilities, and inadequate access to health resources. Poor understanding of ion may reduce adherence to the recommended practices and increase the risk of adverse outcomes. Consequently, GDM management necessitates vigilant self-care practices to mitigate associated complications. It is important to promote the adoption of self-care, educate high-risk women on GDM, encourage efficient time management, promote practical measures, and encourage sustained practices, especially in resource-limited settings. Therefore, health care practitioners must encourage and promote the adoption of self-care practices among pregnant women to control GDM. This will warrant adopting specific, culturally tailored, acceptable, cost-effective, and feasible guidelines that empower women in low-resource settings. Despite the availability of guidelines and recommendations, there remains a critical gap in the understanding of pregnant women diagnosed with GDM and their adoption of self-care practices. Also, in some parts of the developing countries, critical gaps exist in the nature and quality of literature that promotes the adoption of self-care practices. Few studies use an in-depth qualitative approach to elicit the inherent challenges influencing women’s decision-making and subsequent self-care practices. Also, women’s experiences in utilizing self-care practices, particularly in resource-limited settings where access to services may be limited, are also relatively underreported. Elucidating these experiences will highlight the challenges, motivations, and perceptions that influence self-care practices among women with GDM. A crucial component for developing targeted strategies that can enhance the quality and effectiveness of GDM management. Therefore, this study aims to explore the self-care practices of women diagnosed with GDM in the hospital municipality of Ghana, using the phenomenological approach.