Gestational diabetes occurs when a pregnant woman doesn't produce enough insulin for her and her baby. This can affect the health of the mother and even the baby. When a woman becomes pregnant, hormones can change rapidly and cause gestational diabetes. Many women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes around their 28th week of pregnancy.
About 3-8% of pregnant women get gestational diabetes in the United States.
Gestational diabetes can effect your baby in may ways and this is why it is important to control your diabetes as soon as you are diagnosed. Babies with mothers diagnosed with gestational diabetes can become very large and that can be dangerous during delivery. The baby can have low blood sugar levels when delivered, because the overproduction of insulin in the womb from mother's high blood sugar levels. Both you and the baby are at risk for developing diabetes at some time in your lives.
If you have a family member that has diabetes, your chances of developing gestational diabetes rises. Women that are African American, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, or Pacific Islander have a higher risk for developing gestational diabetes. Also being overweight and/or over the age of 25 can raised your risk as well.
If you were considered pre-diabetic or had gestational diabetes before, you run a higher risk for developing gestational diabetes.
To be diagnosed, your doctor will probably check your glucose levels at the first prenatal visit if you are high risk. If you are at average risk, you will be checked between weeks 24-28 into pregnancy.
There are four ways your doctor can diagnose gestational diabetes: Fasting blood glucose, random blood glucose tests, screening glucose challenge test, or oral glucose tolerance test.
When a doctor does a fasting blood glucose test, the patient is instructed to not eat or drink anything for 8 hours prior to the test. For a random blood glucose test, the doctor will check the patient’s blood sugar anytime throughout the day.
When a doctor diagnoses a woman by screening glucose challenge test, they have the patient drink a sugary drink and then the patient’s blood glucose levels are checked in an hour.
The oral glucose tolerance test is performed by having the patient eat normally for 3 days, then fast for eight hours. After the eight hours are up, the doctor will check the patient’s blood glucose level and then give the patient a sugary drink. The blood glucose levels are then checked after 1, 2, and 3 hours. This is an indication that the pregnant woman has gestational diabetes if the numbers are above normal two out of three of the tests.
Most women that have gestational diabetes do not have symptoms; however gestational diabetes may increase your blood pressure and raise your chances of having a large baby that could require a c-section.
When a woman develops gestational diabetes, their chances for developing type 2 diabetes later in life rises. It is very important to take preventative measures after a woman is diagnosed with gestational diabetes. This goes for after having the baby as well.
When a woman is diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it is important to keep a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly. Walking 10 minutes a day around your neighborhood is better than not doing it at all. Walk at your own pace and wear comfortable clothing.
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