Gestational Diabetes

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Gestational Diabetes
When my sister told me she had gestational diabetes it was the first I had ever heard of this medical condition. I was really concerned for her health and what could happen to her unborn child. I did a little research and found out that is was actually pretty common in pregnant women and normally disappears after the baby is born.

When I mentioned to friends and colleagues that my sister had gestational diabetes I was surprised by how many people told me they also had suffered with this condition. Most of the people I spoke with seemed to have controlled it with a change of diet. My sister was not that lucky. She had to monitor her blood sugar and give herself insulin shots.

Gestational diabetes is the most common complication during pregnancy, which affects 2-3 percent of pregnant women. When you eat food, your body converts it to glucose and it enters your bloodstream. Your pancreas releases insulin to help convert the glucose into fuel for your body. If your body cannot produce enough insulin to convert the glucose into energy the glucose remains in the bloodstream, which is known as high blood sugar and is referred to as Diabetes. Gestational diabetes unlike normal diabetes is just for the period of time you are pregnant and disappears once the baby is born.

With a healthy diet and exercise gestational diabetes can normally be controlled. On the rare occasion you may have to administer insulin shots. My sister had fun during her pregnancy testing her blood sugar regularly and giving herself insulin shots. Towards the end of the pregnancy she was tired of the shots and was extremely happy when the doctor told her she could stop with the shots after her daughter was born.

My sister just had her second child and again dealt with gestational diabetes during her pregnancy. Normally once you've experienced gestational diabetes with one pregnancy you are more likely to endure it again during your next pregnancy.

There are some factors that can make you more at risk for gestational diabetes, which include:

- Obesity

- Family history of Type 2 diabetes

- Gestational diabetes in a previous background

- Smoking

The risk of getting gestational diabetes also increases as you get older. During pregnancy you will be tested at about 26-28 weeks and if the preliminary test is positive then a Glucose Tolerance test will probably be done. If you are at higher risk to get gestational diabetes you will often be tested earlier in your pregnancy.

Read more in my Gestational diabetes article.

Many people have normal births without complications with gestational diabetes. There are a few extra tests and monitoring that are done depending on the severity of the gestational diabetes. Some women will have a caesarean section because having high blood sugar can cause the baby to grow too large for a normal delivery.

After giving birth the gestational diabetes normally disappears. Your blood sugar will be tested on the occasion to make sure everything is back to normal. Your newborn will also be checked as some babies can be born with low blood sugar.

Good diet and a healthy lifestyle can help reduce your chances of getting Gestational diabetes so when you are thinking of getting pregnant be sure to take extra care of yourself for the sake of your own health and the health of your baby.