The Symptoms Of Gestational Diabetes

One of the risks involved in pregnancies is developing gestational diabetes

. This is a temporary condition that presents itself with the mother where there is high blood glucose present often after the twenty sixth week of the pregnancy. This condition results from the high hormonal activity and the development of the placenta that results in production of insulin resistant hormones.

Like any kind of diabetes, there are complications that would arise. Because essentially there are two people in the pregnancy, namely the mother and the child, the effects would put both their lives at risk. For the mother, the propensity to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life becomes an issue. For the child, low blood sugar levels together with macrosomia can complicate the pregnancy and the birth of the infant.

The main problem though is that there are no outward symptoms to gestational diabetes. Subtle changes such as increased propensity to become fatigued, excessive thirst and increased frequency of urination become normal to many pregnant women. The simplest and surest way to determine if the pregnancy is fraught with gestational diabetes is through glucose tolerance testing. Here, the blood glucose levels of the mother are tested and once they are high, the diagnosis for gestational diabetes is made.

Once diagnosed with gestational diabetes, the mother must then undertake ways to control blood sugar levels during pregnancy. This is done would be making a diet plan for the mother. This diet plan controls possible sources of increased blood sugar, such as high carbohydrates and sweets for the mother. Also, the pregnant mother should also do exercise, be it simple walking or simple cardio exercises. The third way would be through regular testing of blood glucose levels. This must be done weekly until the baby is born. The testing must be done in the morning before breakfast and two hours after breakfast. For those who are at high risk, a mid afternoon blood sugar test would be in order.

Testing can be done using a home testing blood sugar kit. It is important that blood sugar levels are tracked to be given to the doctor during the weekly prenatal check ups when diagnosed with this temporary condition. If despite such activities the blood sugar levels remain high, then insulin injections would be necessitated to control these levels for the health of both mother and child. Insulin injections would not cross the placenta unlike if insulin is taken orally, which can eventually end up with the infant.

During the weekly prenatal check ups, not only is the mother being observed but also the development of the fetus is checked. If macrosomia has set in, then a proper measurement of the baby's size and weight would be necessary to determine if cesarean section would be required to deliver the baby. This is to prevent any issues regarding delivery through the birth canal that may endanger both mother and child.

by: Bobby Castro

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