Gestational Diabetes Need to be known

Diabetes is a serious disease in which your body cannot properly control the amount of sugar in your blood because it does not have enough insulin. Diabetes is the most common medical complication during pregnancy, representing 3.3% of all live births.

Gestational diabetes only happens during pregnancy. It means you have high blood sugar levels, but those levels were normal before you were pregnant.Gestational diabetes makes you more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, but it won’t definitely happen.

CAUSES:

During pregnancy, the placenta makes hormones that can lead to a buildup of glucose in your blood. Usually, your pancreas can make enough insulin to handle that. If not, your blood sugar levels will rise and can cause gestational diabetes.

There are two primary types of diabetes:

 Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that requires daily use of insulin. Symptoms of Type 1 may include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue. Often diagnosed in childhood and in young adults, this type of diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10% of diagnosed cases in the United States.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for about 90-95% of diabetes cases in the United States. Symptoms of Type 2 include bladder or kidney infections that heal slowly, increased thirst and urination, constant hunger and fatigue. This form of diabetes is often associated with older age, obesity, family history, previous history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, and it can be more prevalent in certain ethnic groups.

Diagnosis:
Gestational diabetes usually happens in the second half of pregnancy. Gestational diabetes between weeks 24 and 28 of your pregnancy high risk.

This will raise your blood sugar levels. An hour later, you’ll take a blood test to see how your body handled all that sugar. If the results show that your blood sugar is higher than a certain cutoff (anywhere from 130 milligrams per deciliter [mg/dL] or higher), you will need more tests. This means testing your blood sugar while fasting and a longer glucose test that will be done over a 3-hour period.

TREATMENT:

Whether you are trying to conceive or already pregnant, treating diabetes during pregnancy is key to the health of both you and your baby.

• Take time to build your health care team and devise a care plan to manage your blood glucose levels. Frequent contact with your health care provider is essential in managing blood glucose levels and monitoring the health of you and your baby.
• Talk to your health care provider, or dietitian, to develop a healthy meal plan.
• Prioritizing proper nutrition will assist in controlling your blood sugar both before and after conception.
• Doctor should know about any current medications you are taking for diabetes, or any other health conditions so you can take what is safest during your pregnancy.
• Make appointments with the appropriate high-risk specialists. Specialists may include a perinatologist who treats women with high-risk pregnancies and an endocrinologist who treats women with diabetes and other health conditions.
• Stay physically active. You will want to be in the best physical condition during your pregnancy.

Hypoglycemia can be triggered by:

• Skipping or delaying meals
• Eating portions that are too small
• Overexerting yourself physically

Hyperglycemia can be triggered by:

• Improper balance in your food consumption
• Problems with the amount of insulin you are taking
• Stress
• Sickness
• Lack of physical movement

Risks of diabetes to my unborn child:

There are a few potentially negative health risks to the baby when the mother has diabetes.

• Macrosomia is a condition in which your baby grows too large due to excess insulin crossing the placenta.
• A large baby can make vaginal delivery difficult and increase the risk of injury to the baby during the birth process.
• Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can develop shortly after birth due to high insulin levels.
• Controlling your own blood sugar can help to lower the risks of hypoglycemia for your baby.
• Jaundice is a yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes and can sometimes be attributed to diabetes while pregnant.
• Paediatric care provider will assist you with a plan to alleviate this condition for your newborn.

• Diet & Exercise for Diabetes Management
• Carbs, Fiber, and Diabetes
• Understanding Food and the Glycemic Index
• Optimal Serving Sizes for Diabetes
• Diabetes and Alcohol
• Drinking alcohol can cause your blood sugar to rise.