Gestational diabetes is diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy (gestation).Similar to other types of diabetes, it affects how your cells use sugar (glucose). This diabetic condition causes high blood sugar that can affect your pregnancy and your baby’s health. However, controlling blood sugar can keep you and your baby healthy and prevent a difficult delivery.
In women suffering from gestational diabetes, blood sugar usually returns to normal soon after delivery. But if you have had gestational diabetes, you are at a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes. And, you will need to be tested at best diabetic hospital for changes in blood sugar, more often.
What Is Gestational Diabetes?
As mentioned above, Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy in women who don’t already have diabetes. As per reports, 2% to 10% of pregnancies in the United States are affected by gestational diabetes every year.
Signs And Symptoms Of Gestational Diabetes
Usually, women with gestational diabetes don’t have any symptoms. However, some of them may experience changes in appetite, increased thirsty feeling and willingness to pee more. Also, feeling extreme nausea after eating, blurred vision and tingling in the hands or feet.
Gestational Diabetes Causes
When you eat, your pancreas secretes insulin, a hormone that aids in the transport of glucose from your blood to your cells, which use it for energy.
During gestation, your placenta makes hormones that enables glucose to make up in your blood. Generally, your pancreas can shoot out enough insulin to handle it. But if your body can’t make enough insulin or stops using insulin as it should, your blood sugar situations rise, and you get gestational diabetes.
Risk Factors For Gestational Diabetes
Some women might have a higher risk of gestational diabetes. Crucial factors for gestational diabetes include overweight and obesity, lack of physical activity and prediabetes. Few other risks are polycystic ovary syndrome and diabetes in an immediate family member.
Gestational Diabetes Complications
Gestational diabetes that is not precisely managed can lead to high blood sugar situations. High blood sugar can cause problems for you and your baby, including an increased need of a C- section to deliver your baby.
If you are suffering from gestational diabetes, your baby may be at an enhanced risk of:-
1. Excessive Birth Weight
Higher blood sugar level in mothers can cause their babies to grow too large. Very large babies are more likely to become wedged in the birth canal and have birth injuries or need a C-section birth.
2. Severe Breathing Difficulties
Babies born with gestational diabetes may experience respiratory distress syndrome. This condition that makes breathing difficult.
3. Low Blood Sugar
Babies of mothers with gestational diabetes have low blood sugar shortly after birth. At times low blood sugar may cause seizures in the baby.
Other complications of gestational diabetes could be obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes Treatment
If you are suffering from gestational diabetes, you will need treatment as soon as possible. This is essential to keep yourself and your baby healthy during your pregnancy and delivery. Your gynecologist doctor will advise you to check your blood sugar levels four or more times a day. You will also be recommended to check your urine for ketones, chemicals that mean that your diabetes isn’t under control. Apart from these measures, your doctor will keep track of your weight and your baby’s development. Doctors might give you insulin to keep your blood sugar under control.
Gestational Diabetes Diet Plan
The list of foods to eat with gestational diabetes include eating food items that are low in sugar. You can switch to fruits, carrots, and raisins. You must add vegetables and whole grains to your diet and watch your portion sizes. It is important to have three small meals along with two or three snacks about the same times every day.
How To Control Gestational Diabetes?
According to the doctors, one of the best ways to reduce your risk of developing gestational diabetes is to maintain a proper diet. You must also maintain your body weight prior to and during the pregnancy. At the same time, it is also important to increase the physical activities. Give emphasis to your diet. Go for healthy foods that are high in fiber and low in fat. For example, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Gestational Diabetes can be controlled. To know more about the disease and its preventive measures, you must reach out to the suitable doctors. This will be beneficial for avoiding Gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
