Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes occurs in women during pregnancy. It occurs in at least 4% of pregnant women. Women develop insulin resistance during pregnancy. To make up for this, there is a rise in insulin production in women at the time of pregnancy. If this extra insulin production is restricted, then pregnant women develop gestational diabetes. It’s important to be informed of the gestational diabetes symptoms and risk factors in order to treat it with proper medicine, diet, and lifestyle changes during pregnancy.
Gestational Diabetes Symptoms
Most often, women who suffer from gestational diabetes do not exhibit any symptoms. Between 26-28 weeks of the pregnancy, a screening test is performed to check for diabetes. This test is called screening glucose challenge test.
Gestational diabetes symptoms can be compared to that of the symptoms of Type II diabetes. Increased urination, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, increased thirst, blurring vision, and infection due to bacteria and yeast are quite common during gestational diabetes. However, this doesn’t mean that all patients would experience all these symptoms nor does it mean that this is the exhaustive list of symptoms.
Gestational Diabetes and Risk of Developing Diabetes in Future
In general, gestational diabetes is a temporary phase that automatically disappears after delivery of the child. However, there is a slight chance that a woman who had gestational diabetes might develop diabetes in future. It’s very difficult to say whether someone has developed diabetes after pregnancy due to gestational diabetes or by natural course. However, the existing link between type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes cannot be ignored as they both involve insulin resistance.
Risk Factors
• Medical history of the family showing type 2 diabetes.
• The older the woman is while getting pregnant, the greater the chances of acquiring gestational diabetes.
• Occurrence of gestational diabetes during previous pregnancy.
• Previous pregnancy resulting to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds.
• Diagnosis of impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose of pre-diabetes.
Diet for Gestational Diabetes
It’s important to have a well balanced diet during pregnancy. This is to ensure good health of both mother and the child. Additional care should be given to diet when a mother is suffering from gestational diabetes. Proper diet can keep gestational diabetes at check and decrease discomforts during pregnancy.
• Vitamins, proteins, minerals, and dairy products should be taken in sufficient amounts.
• Carbohydrates, although necessary, should be restricted and taken in limited amount, especially during breakfast.
• Fruits, vegetables, and food with high fiber content and calcium rich food should be added to the diet.
• Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, tobacco, and junk food of any form should be thoroughly avoided.
Keeping the above mentioned facts about gestational diabetes in mind can help the pregnant woman go through diabetes without much trouble for herself and her baby.