Gestational Diabetes And How It Can Affect You!

By Author: Jessica Cristina
Total Articles: 20
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Gestational diabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar levels become high during pregnancy. Just like normal diabetes, there are two types of gestational diabetes, A1 and A2. While A1 gestational diabetes can be managed through diet and exercise, A2 gestational diabetes is much severe and might need insulin dosage. Although gestational diabetes only remains until the time of pregnancy, there's a risk that your new-born might get type 2 diabetes. The most common gestational diabetes symptoms you should look out for are as follows:

• Frequent urination
• Frequent thirst
• Frequent hunger

What causes gestational diabetes?
Your pancreas is responsible for releasing insulin, a hormone that breaks down sugar into glucose and then transports them to the respective cells. But during pregnancy, glucose gets build-up in the bloodstream due to certain hormonal changes. In a normal case, pancreas takes charge of releasing an adequate amount of insulin. But here it fails to do so, resulting in gestational diabetes.

So how do you determine its gestational diabetes? Here ...
... are a few tests that your doctor might suggest to make sure you're suffering from gestational diabetes. In most cases, gestational diabetes occurs in the second half of pregnancy. Depending on your symptoms your doctor might check for it between weeks 24 and 28. A glucose screening test is the most favorable option to determine gestational diabetes. In this test, you'll be asked to have a sweet drink to raise blood sugar levels. After an hour or so, a normal blood test will be taken to see how your body managed the excess sugar. If your sugar levels are higher than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), an oral glucose tolerance test is suggested. This tolerance test will check the blood sugar levels during meal intervals. If the results come out as same as the earlier test, chances are you may have gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes management
If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it's best to seek a medical professional's help as soon as possible to ensure you and the baby are healthy after the delivery. Here are a few ways to keep your gestational diabetes symptoms in check.

• Keep a track of your blood sugar levels at least 3-4 times a day.
• Make sure you're eating healthy to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Consult a doctor and ensure you're getting adequate nutrition needed for the baby's development. Steer clear of sugary snacks like cookies, candy and ice cream and switch to natural alternatives like fruits, carrots and raisins.
• Get active as much as possible. 30 minutes of moderate activity can be a great start, some simple exercises like walking, swimming and cycling can also help a lot.

Keeping a track of your weight and your baby’s development is necessary. Your doctor might suggest insulin dosage if the symptoms are much severe. Noting down blood sugar levels is also important because a slight fluctuation might lead to other health complication for the child as well as the mother. The risk factors for gestational diabetes are as follows:

• If the blood sugar before a meal is less than 95 mg/dL
• If the blood sugar an hour after a meal is less than 140 mg/dL
• If the blood sugar two hours after a meal is less than 120 mg/dL

Gestational diabetes can be tough to manage. But with proper diagnosis and changes in lifestyle routine can make it easier to deal with. Please consult a doctor as soon as possible for all the necessary guidance.