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Gestational Diabetes - What Is It
With the help of a hormone called insulin that is produced by your pancreas, the glucose will enter your blood. This glucose provides the energy for your body. Gestational diabetes, just like type one and type two diabetes, is the condition that arises when the glucose does not leave your blood.
When you are pregnant, your body does not use insulin the way it usually does. Therefore, your pancreas must produce more insulin. For most expectant mothers, this does not create a problem. Normally, women who are pregnant will produce more insulin when it is needed.
However, when a pregnant woman's body cannot produce enough insulin and as a result, her blood glucose level gets too high, she is said to have gestational diabetes. The good news is that most pregnant women will not continue to have the same problem with their insulin after giving birth.
They will however, be at a higher risk for the same problems during additional pregnancy and later on in life. For the most part nowadays, women who have gestational diabetes will have healthy babies. The prenatal doctor will keep close watch on your blood sugar level and advise you how to keep those levels under control with diet and exercise.
You may need to take insulin shots, as well. However, if you do not control your gestational diabetes, there can be severe consequences for you and for your baby. The main concern for women with gestational diabetes is that the baby will end up with too much glucose in it's blood.
This will cause the baby's pancreas to make more insulin in order to process the extra glucose. One of the most common effects on the baby is too much weight gain. Babies born to women who have untreated gestational diabetes are often considered macrosomic. Macrosomic babies are often too large to proceed into the birth canal.
Once born, your baby may have low blood sugar. The nurses that attend to your baby will check his blood sugar to be sure he doesn't need an IV glucose drip. There are several other conditions that may affect your baby as a result of gestational diabetes.
Jaundice, polycythemia (increase in red blood cells), hypocalcemia (low blood calcium), and even the baby's heart functions can all result from your uncontrolled blood sugar. There is also an increased risk of stillbirth and you are twice as likely to develop preeclampsia as women who do not have gestational diabetes.
The signs and symptoms of gestational diabetes are hunger, thirst, fatigue, and frequent urination. However, many of these symptoms are commons with pregnancy. Therefore, nearly all pregnant women submit to a glucose screening between 24-28 weeks of the pregnancy.
If you have tested positive for sugar in your urine, your doctor will recommend the screening prior to the normal testing time. Your physician will work with you to develop a plan to manage your diabetes. Diet is one of the main areas where you might need to make changes.
Gestational diabetes can be controlled in some women with a balanced diet of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. It's very important to avoid skipping meals, as this can cause your blood sugar levels to become unstable. Exercise is also very important, even if it just means getting out and walking.
Some exercise is always better than none. However, depending on how serious your gestational diabetes is, you may need to use a home glucose meter. Your doctor will instruct on its use and what the ideal range of readings should be.
If your glucose level is not controllable through these means, your doctor may prescribe insulin shots for you to administer to yourself. It might sound very scary, but remember that this is very important to your health and the health of your baby.
Related topics about Gestational Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes Mellitus, also commonly called just diabetes, is a condition where the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or where the body's cells no longer respond to the insulin that is produced. Glucose, or blood sugar, is not absorbed into the body's cells. This disease can cause serious complications, including heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, and blindness.
Hypoglycemia
When your body is functioning correctly and producing its own insulin, it knows how to regulate the amount released. However, if you have diabetes and are on insulin therapy, you will receive whatever dose you take, whether it is needed or not. If you do not correctly calculate how much insulin to take, you can end up with too much in your blood stream.
Type 2 Diabetes
If your blood glucose is constantly too high, your kidneys can become overworked and begin to fail. This can result in complete kidney failure and you could require a kidney transplant. If you have type 2 diabetes, you will be 40% more likely to develop Glaucoma and 60% more likely to have cataracts.