Pregancy with Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes first seen in a pregnant woman who did not have diabetes before she was pregnant. It is a disease that can come on during pregnancy but that usually disappears once the baby has been born. However, some women have more than one pregnancy affected by gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes usually shows up in the middle of pregnancy. Doctors most often test for it between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.
In some women, pregnancy results in their blood sugar levels getting out of balance. A pregnant woman might realize that she is having blood sugar problems on her own or it might take a doctor to determine that her levels are not normal. Regardless of how it is discovered, gestational diabetes is a serious issue that needs to be handled with caution and care throughout a woman’s pregnancy and after.
When my friend was struggling with feeling abnormally up and down during her pregnancy, her doctor took blood tests and determined that her blood sugar levels were being affected by her pregnancy and her food choices. She was diagnosed simply by having this blood work done. At first she was hesitant and scared because gestational diabetes sounded huge and she did not know how relatively simple the treatment process could be.
Gestational diabetes, because it is primarily an imbalance of blood sugar, can often be regulated by changes in diet and levels of exercise.
The amount of changes that are necessary are dependent upon the habits of the women. My friend had to make changes to her diet, but did not have to make such significant changes that her lifestyle was radically altered. Mostly her changes consisted of going on a low-sugar and low-carb eating plan.
Blood sugar not well controlled in a woman with gestational diabetes leads to problems for the pregnant woman and her baby.
When this type of diabetes is not well controlled, it causes the baby’s blood sugar to be too high. This brings a risk of the baby getting to large during the gestational period and needing to be delivered early or by C-section. When the baby is delivered by a C-section, it takes longer for the woman to recover from childbirth. The baby can be born with nerve damage due to pressure on the shoulder during delivery.
The more the pregnant mother cuts down on sugar intake, the less likely it is that the baby will get too large to be delivered vaginally. Because pregnancy causes the body’s need for energy to change, blood sugar levels can change very quickly. Check your blood sugar often, as directed by your doctor.
Sometimes a woman with gestational diabetes must take insulin. If insulin is ordered by your doctor, take it as directed in order to help keep blood sugar under control. Women who take insulin or other diabetes medications can develop blood sugar that is too low.
Low blood sugar can be very serious, and even fatal, if not treated quickly.
Seriously low blood sugar can be avoided if women watch their blood sugar closely and treat low blood sugar early. If a woman’s diabetes was not well controlled during pregnancy, her baby can very quickly develop low blood sugar after birth. The baby’s blood sugar must be watched for several hours after delivery.
You should also get tested for diabetes 6 to 12 weeks after your baby is born, and then every 1 to 3 years. For most women with gestational diabetes, the diabetes goes away soon after delivery. When it does not go away, the diabetes is called type 2 diabetes.
Even if the diabetes does go away after the baby is born, half of all women who had gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes later.
It is important for a woman who has had gestational diabetes to continue to exercise and eat a healthy diet after pregnancy to prevent or delay getting type 2 diabetes. She should also remind her doctor to check her blood sugar every 1 to 3 years.
If you are pregnant or are thinking of becoming pregnant in the near future, take some time and learn about ways to prevent gestational diabetes. It is the best for you and your baby. Prevention is always a better option than having to find a solution to high blood sugar levels.
For more information on gestational diabetes, visit the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse:
http://www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/gestational/index.htm#8
Be wise with your food and exercise choices from the start and you should be able to avoid dealing with gestational diabetes in your pregnancies. Talk with your doctor and take every possible precaution.