Like everything else, pregnancy changes everything! While pregnant many women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. What is gestational diabetes? The women diagnosed with gestational diabetes do not necessarily have a history of diabetes. The cause of gestational diabetes and how it affects the pregnancy are discussed below.
As of this date, there is no known cause for gestational diabetes. It is believed that hormones, genetics and obesity may play a role in who gets gestational diabetes.
Approximately 4% of all pregnant women will be told they have gestational diabetes. All women who are pregnant should receive the best quality prenatal care in order to stay safe, healthy and to have a normal, healthy delivery.
Gestational diabetes typically occurs in the last half of pregnancy, making sure that you are getting quality care right from the start is all you can do to prevent gestational diabetes. Lowering your risk by losing weight prior to becoming pregnant may lower your risk for gestational pregnancy if indeed being obese plays a role in gestational pregnancy.
If you have diabetes before becoming pregnant you should have a complete physical examination before conceiving. Most of the organ systems are developed in the growing fetus during the first 7 weeks after conception so by the time you find out you are pregnant the baby is almost fully developed. Knowing that you are as healthy as you can before becoming pregnant is something that you are doing for yourself and for your baby.
Testing for gestational diabetes is done routinely as part of your routine prenatal care.
Gestational diabetes is a condition of pregnancy and will go away after the birth of the baby.
Obstetricians consider you at risk for gestational pregnancy if you are obese (A BMI of 30 or over), you have a family history of Type 2 Diabetes, you are age 35 or over, you have previously delivered a large baby (over 8lbs. 5 oz.), you have high blood pressure, you are one of the following ethnic backgrounds: African American, Hispanic, East Asian, Native American, South Asian, Pacific Island descent.
If you have any of these risk factors it is especially important for you to receive good prenatal care. If gestational diabetes is not diagnosed or controlled during pregnancy it can put both the mom-to-be and the baby’s health at risk.
Your doctor will help you to control your diabetes if you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Some of the control measures you will be taught have to do with diet, and exercise. Occasionally it is necessary to use insulin to keep the blood glucose levels close to normal.
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