All You Need To Know About Gestational Diabetes

by Ankita Sehgal Freelance Blogger, Lives in New Delhi

Gestational diabetes is the name of the condition when a woman suffers from diabetes during pregnancy. There are two types of gestational diabetes- class A1 can be managed through diet and exercise whereas class A2 needs medicine and insulin. This disease goes away after you give birth, however, it may affect your baby’s health. It also raises the risk of you getting type 2 diabetes later in life.

Symptoms: Gestational diabetes rarely causes any harsh, visible symptoms. However, they may include fatigue, excessive thirst, excessive need to urinate, snoring or blurred vision.

Causes: Although the exact causes are unknown, hormones definitely play a part in the occurrence of gestational diabetes. These include:

• human placental lactogen (hPL)

• hormones that are known to increase insulin resistance

These two hormones have an influence on your placenta and help in sustaining your pregnancy. When the amount of these hormones increases in your body, they may make your body resistant to insulin, which is responsible for regulating your blood sugar. If this insulin resistance becomes extremely strong, chances are that your blood glucose levels will rise abnormally. This is the cause of gestational diabetes.

Risk Factors

You are more likely to have gestational diabetes if you:

• Have a history of being overweight before pregnancy

• Previously had blood sugar levels that are higher than usual, which is also called prediabetes

• Have a family history of diabetes

• Have other medical complications such as high blood pressure

• Have previously given birth to a stillborn baby, a baby with birth defects or a baby which was on the heavier side

• Are above the age of 25

Diagnosis

Routine screening of pregnant women for signs of gestational diabetes is recommended by most doctors. If you have no history of high sugar levels, your doctor will only screen you for gestational diabetes when you’re 24 to 28 weeks pregnant, as it is likely to occur in the second half of the gestation period. The diagnosis is usually undertaken with the help of a glucose challenge test which sees the retention of sugar in the blood with the help of a blood test. This test can be conducted in either one or two steps.

Treatment

Treatment plans depend on your blood sugar levels during the day. You will be required to test the blood sugar before and after meals, and accordingly will follow certain pregnancy and nutrition tips given by the doctor. Some nutritional tips include:

• Consuming plenty of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables.

• Proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats should be consumed but in moderate amounts.

• Sugary foods and drinks should be kept to a minimum.

Keeping these points in mind, it is important to be aware of gestational diabetes and ensure that it does not translate into Type 2 diabetes in the future or adversely affect the baby’s health.