Diabetes is a condition in which your body cannot produce sufficient insulin or use insulin properly. Insulin is a peptide hormone that allows glucose in the blood to enter cells for energy your body needs to function. When glucose can't enter the cells, a high level of sugar builds up in the blood. This condition is called diabetes. There are three types of diabetes:
Here is everything you need to know about gestational diabetes!
It is a condition in which a non-diabetic woman develops high blood glucose levels during pregnancy. According to different studies, gestational diabetes affects nearly 10% of pregnancies every year.
Gestational diabetes is a temporary thing that typically develops during the middle of pregnancy, between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy. It affects moms-to-be who haven't ever been diagnosed with diabetes. It occurs when your body can't produce the extra insulin needed while pregnant. Gestational diabetes is often called glucose intolerance or carbohydrate intolerance while pregnant.
If not treated early, gestational diabetes can cause various health risks to both you and your baby.
All women get tested for gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Pregnant women with a high risk of developing gestational diabetes are often tested in the initial phase of pregnancy.
Generally, testing for gestational diabetes occurs between the 24th and 29th weeks of pregnancy. This is the time when the placenta is making hormones that increase insulin resistance. Therefore, most pregnant women catch gestational diabetes during this period.
The process of the Pregnancy Glucose Test includes:
1. Initial glucose screening test: It is a routine test to check the glucose level in blood during pregnancy. Avoid any changes to your diet before this test.
Test procedure:
If the result shows a high blood sugar level, a glucose tolerance test will confirm gestational diabetes.
2. A glucose tolerance test: Also known as the oral glucose tolerance test, this test is done to diagnose gestational diabetes. Consult your doctor first if you're taking any medicine. Avoid eating or drinking anything for 8 hours before the test.
Test procedure:
Gestational diabetes usually doesn't show any symptoms. But some pregnant women may experience:
You're more likely to develop gestational diabetes if you:
The treatment and prevention of gestational diabetes during pregnancy depends on:
You can lower your risk of developing gestational diabetes by:
Gestational diabetes has been divided into two classes:
Class A1: Can be controlled through diet and exercise.
Class A2: You'll need insulin or other types of oral medications to control the condition.
Thus, diagnosis of gestational diabetes include:
No matter which class of gestational diabetes you have developed, chances are you'll not experience it after childbirth. However, the condition puts you at high risk of catching type 2 diabetes as you get older. It is recommended you check your blood sugar levels a couple of months after your delivery.
For most women, gestational diabetes goes away soon after the baby is born. However, it increases your risk of catching type 2 diabetes post-delivery. It is recommended that you should have a fasting blood sugar test between 6–13 weeks postpartum.
Nearly half of women who developed gestational diabetes during pregnancy have type 2 diabetes later in life. So you should get tested every three years for type 2 diabetes.
Having gestational diabetes doesn't mean you have to compromise your sense of style. You can always look fashionable with stylish pregnancy wear designed to keep you comfortable throughout your pregnancy. Consider purchasing a couple of trendy maternity clothes you can wear from bump to baby.
You can choose from a vast assortment of comfortable and fashionable maternity wear available online. These include but are not limited to stretchable maternity yoga wear, loungewear, nightwear, kaftans, dresses, jeans, leggings, pants, two-piece maternity co-ord sets, and more. All you need to do is make the right choice according to your comfort and style.
I'm Darfashan Parveen, a passionate blogger having 7+ years of experience. I love to read and write about Pregnancy, Parenting, and Baby Care to make people aware of parenthood challenges and easy ways to overcome them. Apart from Blogging, I'm a foodie who loves traveling and dancing.