Gestational Diabetes
Diabetes that develops during pregnancy is called gestational diabetes. If a woman has diabetes before she is pregnant, this is called pre-existing diabetes, not gestational diabetes.
About four percent of all pregnant women develop gestational diabetes. The cause of gestational diabetes is not completely understood, but it may have to do with hormones that help the baby develop but have a negative impact on the effectiveness of the mother’s natural insulin in her body.
Gestational diabetes occurs late in a pregnancy. This condition does not cause birth defects, but may affect the baby by increasing the baby’s body mass. Large babies can be susceptible to injury during birth.
If a pregnant woman has gestational diabetes, the newborn may be at an increased risk for breathing problems. Newborns of women with gestational diabetes may also have low blood glucose levels at birth. People whose mothers had gestational diabetes during the pregnancy may be prone to obesity and type II diabetes.
Testing for gestational diabetes includes drinking a glucose solution and timed blood testing. A blood sample may be drawn at the beginning of the test. Women are typically tested again an hour after drinking a glucose solution and may be tested after a longer period of time.
Diabetic diets are the first treatment for gestational diabetes. The obstetrician may have the pregnant woman with gestational diabetes meet with a dietician or nutritionist who will devise a diabetic diet.
Three meals and two snacks are typically included in the diabetic diet for gestational diabetes. Food intake is generally not necessarily restricted, but it instructs the pregnant woman to eat a variety of foods from certain food groups for each meal and snack. In exchange list with the food groups and examples of foods and serving sizes for each food group may be given to the pregnant woman as a reference.
Multiple times a day, the pregnant woman with gestational diabetes will need to check her blood sugar levels. These readings are then reported to the doctor’s office where they will be used to determine if the gestational diabetes is under control. If the gestational diabetes is not effectively managed with a diabetic diet, insulin injections may be necessary.
The newborn and mother do not usually have diabetes after birth. Women who have had gestational diabetes have an increased risk of type II diabetes. When the gestational diabetes is managed properly, the lasting effects are minimal.