Gestational Diabetes

Gestational Diabetes Defined

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. Diabetes means your body isn't able to use the sugar (glucose) in your blood as well as it should and this causes the level of sugar in your blood to become too high and it means that the sugar/energy that your cells need is being denied to them.

Gestational diabetes affects between 1% to 3% of all pregnant women. It usually develops in the second trimester of pregnancy. Usually, gestational diabetes goes away after the baby is born.

Causes of Gestational Diabetes

The cause of Gestational diabetes is currently unknown, but there are theories as to why some women contract Gestational diabetes.

The placenta supplies a growing fetus with nutrients and water, and it produces several hormones to maintain the pregnancy. Some of these hormones (estrogen, cortisol, and human placental lactogen) can have a blocking effect on insulin. This blocking effect usually begins about 20 to 24 weeks into the pregnancy.

As the placenta grows, more of these pregnancy maintaining hormones are produced, and insulin resistance grows. Normally, the pancreas is able to make additional insulin to overcome insulin resistance, but if insulin production is not enough to overcome the effect of the placental hormones, gestational diabetes will occur.

Risk Factors

Below are some of the known risk factors which will increase the chance of gestational diabetes occuring during your pregnancy. By having open dialogue with your physician, he/she will be better able to evaluate your risks.

• family history of diabetes
• being overweight before pregnancy
• having previously given birth to a very large infant, a still birth, or a child with a birth defect
• age - women over 35 are at a greater risk

Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes

A glucose screening test is usually performed between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. This involves drinking a very sugary drink in five minutes. Then the nurse will draw blood at one-hour intervals and measure the amount of glucose in your blood. If this test shows an increased blood sugar level, another test will be performed after a few days of following a special diet.

The second test also involves drinking a sugary drink, and results are measured at three-hour intervals. If results of the second test are in the abnormal range, Gestational diabetes is diagnosed.

Treatment of Gestational Diabetes

Eating Healthy with Gestational Diabetes

If you are diagnosed with Gestational diabetes, your physician will work with you regarding and help you to design a regimen that will best control your gestational diabetes. He may suggest you see a nutritionist to help develop meal plans. Eating well-balanced meals, avoiding sugary foods and eating healthy snacks will benefit you and your baby.

Your physician will probably suggest that you exercise regularly (walking or swimming are excellent choices) as exercise will help you to maintain proper blood sugar levels. Medication may be involved and you will have to regularly test your blood sugar levels.

How Does Gestational Diabetes Affect My Baby and Me?

Your child may be larger than normal and a natural birth may be much more difficult or even impossible. You may end up having to have a C-section (but don't worry, C-sections are not the end of the world) Your child may be at greater risk of developing diabetes later in life.

If Gestational diabetes goes untreated, you and your baby will feel the effects. Basically, higher levels of sugar in your blood means that the sugar isn't getting into your cells and your cells are starving! They need that sugar in order to function. Also, your baby may be more likely to have problems at birth. Your baby may have jaundice, or low blood sugar levels (in addition to the higher weight). Having Gestational Diabetes also increases your risk of developing preeclampsia and you will have an increased risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes later in life.

So even after pregnancy has ended, and your blood sugar levels return to normal, it would be in your best interest to continue to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly so you can prevent problems with diabetes later in your life and in future pregnancies.