Health Blog Details

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that is first seen in pregnant women who have never had diabetes before. It usually occurs in the middle of pregnancy. More often than not, doctors test you for gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. Generally, your blood sugar should return to normal after delivery, but sometimes, you may be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes Signs and Symptoms

The thing about this type of diabetes is that not all pregnant women with it exhibit symptoms. This is why your doctor tests you between the 24th and 28th weeks of your pregnancy. It is also possible to miss the symptoms because they are common in all pregnant women. However, you can be on the lookout for the following:

• Extreme and constant thirst

• Dry mouth

• Abnormal fatigue

• Blurred vision

• Nausea

• Tendency to urinate frequently

• Sugar in the urine

• Infection in the bladder, vagina, or skin

If you feel like these symptoms are getting more severe than usual, bring it to the attention of your gynecologist as soon as possible.

Gestational Diabetes Treatment

There are a few risks associated with gestational diabetes. But here is the deal, most women with the condition have healthy pregnancies and deliver healthy babies because they are aptly diagnosed. In most cases, gestational diabetes is easy to control. Here are some treatment steps that doctors take:

Lifestyle Changes: It is normal that you gain weight during pregnancy. But if you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, your doctor will probably give you weight gain goals to make sure that you do not gain excess weight. Lifestyle changes include maintaining a healthy diet and staying active with regular physical activity. Also, Read: PCOD: What Every Patient Should Know

Medication: If your blood sugar levels do not come under control with diet and exercise, your doctor will have to prescribe insulin injections.

Gestational Diabetes Complications

What happens if gestational diabetes is not controlled? It can affect you and your baby in many ways.

Complications your baby is at risk of

• Excessive birth weight: If you have diabetes during pregnancy, it will cause your baby’s blood sugar to be high. They become overfed and grow abnormally large. Other than causing discomfort during pregnancy, large babies are more likely to become wedged in the birth canal during delivery and suffer from injuries. 

• Preterm birth: With high blood sugar, you will likely go into early labor and delivery before your due date. Your doctor may even recommend an early delivery if they feel like the baby has become too large.

• Breathing problems: If your baby is born premature, their lungs may not be completely formed. As a result, they may experience respiratory distress syndrome, making breathing difficult.

• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): Some premature babies experience low blood sugar after birth causing seizures.

• Obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life: Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes are at a higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes later in their lives.

• Stillbirth: In some cases, especially if left untreated, you may lose your baby either before birth or shortly after. 

Complications for the Mother

• High blood pressure and preeclampsia: Gestational diabetes can cause high blood pressure and preeclampsia. Both cases pose a threat to your and your child’s life.

• Having C-Section: Most women who have gestational diabetes end up having a C-Section. Your doctor may even recommend it because your baby has already become too large to have a safe vaginal delivery.

• Diabetes in the future: If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you are more likely to get it again in future pregnancies. If your blood sugar does not come back to normal after your delivery, you are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes over time. You can also experience hypoglycemia if your blood sugar drops too low. 

If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you must get tested again within 6 to 12 weeks after delivery and every 1 to 3 years.

To sum it up

In most cases, gestational diabetes is easy to manage with proper diagnosis and precautions. Opting for experienced doctors from the best gynecology hospital in your area is the first step towards having a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery.