Mamma, don't be diabetic...

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Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that starts during pregnancy when the blood sugar is too high due to hormones from the placenta. It is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. It affects about three out of 100 of pregnanat women. Doctors state that gestational diabetes usually begins in the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy and like other types of pregnancy syndromes goes away after the baby is born.

Signs and Symptoms:
Most women do not experience any signs or symptoms of gestational diabetes. However if they do occur there would be excessive thirst, increased urination, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, bladder, yeast infection and blurred vision.

Risk factors:
Below are the risk factors due to which pregnant women can develop gestational diabetes.

• Overweight women.
• Women aged more than 25 are more likely to get gestational diabetes.
• Women who had gestational diabetes before or who have given birth to at least one baby weighing more than 9 pounds or who had an unexplained stillbirth.
• Women of certain race are more prone to this diabetes though the reason is not known. They are African American, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/ Latino and Pacific Islander.
• Smoking doubles the risk of gestational diabetes.
• Women with family or personal history of type 2 (adult onset) diabetes.

However many women who develop gestational diabetes have no known risk factors.

If untreated:

For mother: High risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy.

• Large baby and the need for cesarean section at delivery
• More likely to develop type 2 diabetes as they get older.
• If a person had it during one pregnancy she is more likely to have it in next pregnancy.

For baby:

• Macrosomia (that is baby may grow too large)
• Hypoglycemia (that is low blood sugar)
• Jaundice
• Increased risk of childhood and adult obesity and type 2 diabetes in later life.
• Low calcium and magnesium
• Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), a condition that makes breathing difficult.

Treatment:
Treatment for gestational diabetes include planned and personalized diet, exercise program, maintaining a healthy pregnancy weight, monitoring of your blood glucose with a blood glucose meter and if suggested daily insulin injections.

Healthy Diet: Eat foods that are high in nutrition and low in fat and calories. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains food. Eat less animal products and sweets. However a single diet is not right for every woman as the meal plan should be based on your blood sugar level, weight, height, exercise habits and food preferences. Consult a dietitian for a meal plan.

Physical activity: Women should exercise at least three or four day a week for 15-30 minutes. Walking, cycling, swimming are the best ways to get safe aerobic workout. Regular activities like housework and gardening can also lower your blood sugar. If the woman has not been active for a while, then do not start exercising rigorously.

Medication: If the diet and medications are not helping to reach the attained sugar level then go for daily medication. A systematical plan for therapy begins with a small dose of insulin taken once or twice daily. Adjustments should be made when insulin resistance increases. Ask your doctor about what kind of insulin to take, when to take, the right amount of insulin, and how to change the dosage. Insulin was the only medication for decades, as it did not cross the placental barrier. However the most recent medication is oral anti-diabetes drug Glyburide. It is also safe and effective in controlling gestational diabetes.

Follow the guidelines to be healthy with the gestational diabetes.