Pregnant mother-to-be walking, companion on bike
Yes, it is true ... there was a 19-pound baby born just a few days ago in Indonesia! This baby was just shy of the world record held on to by a 23-pound baby! And, yes, you guessed, it, to a mother with gestational diabetes. This topic brings up many related issues worth talking a bit about.
What is gestational diabetes? Simply put, gestational diabetes is a high level of sugar or glucose in your blood during your pregnancy. The reason it is important to keep track of your blood sugar levels during pregnancy is, not only for your health, but it is certainly related to your baby's short and long term well-being.
How does gestational diabetes affect my unborn baby? Blood sugars not well controlled and thus remain high in both mom and baby's blood stream lead to a series of hormonal changes involving insulin which then causes the baby to store excessive fat ( since it is receiving more energy than it needs to properly grow and develop) causing a large baby or macrosomia. These babies more to have breathing problems, difficult deliveries due to size and thus complications (such as shoulder injuries), and low blood sugar levels requiring newborn hospitalization at times.
Do larger babies eat more? Why yes, it makes sense that they should. Larger bodies require more energy normally to function well. Just as a gentle reminder, however, that not all babies' cries mean that they are hungry and need feeding -- know your baby's particular cries.
What does this mean for the future health of my baby? Does this mean that if I have gestational diabetes that my child will be obese? One thing about medicine, frustratingly enough at times, is that there are no absolutes. So, the short answer is no, not necessarily. However, you should know that studies have shown a link between macrosomia (larger babies) and later problems with childhood overweight and obesity and type 2 diabetes in children, teens, and adults.
Once I have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, does this mean that my next pregnancy will also involve diabetes? Well, again, not necessarily. But know that your chances increase by 2 chances out of 3 that it will reoccur.
Therefore, it is VERY important that before, during, and after your pregnancy that you watch what you eat, taking in nutritious calories sufficient to keep both you and your baby at healthy weights at all times and ages... of course, keep up the exercise! Even better yet, exercise as a family!
Picture by Pavel Kashaev, PhotoXpress
For more info: American Diabetes Association, American Academy of Pediatrics diabetes information and resources, my training zone
Comments
Those are good recommendations to avoid gestational diabetes. Watching nutritious food intake and exercise before, after and during pregnancy is crucial. But this advice does not only hold true for the pregnant women but it is also good for the whole family.
Evelyn Guzman
http://www.free-symptoms-of-diabetes-alert.com (If you want to visit, just click but if it doesn’t work, copy and paste it onto your browser.)
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