Diabetes in Pregnancy, What Every Mother Needs to Know

How does a person develop gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is usually an excessive production of insulin in response to pregnancy.

There are 2 different types of gestational diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Gestational type 1 usually occurs in about 10% of pregnant women. It is brought on by an abnormality in the way the immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells, the beta cells, found in their pancreas. Gestational type 2 usually occurs during this 9% of pregnant women who are obese or who have poorly controlled blood sugar before becoming pregnant. After becoming pregnant these women's bodies make more insulin to process all the glucose they eat while growing a baby inside them. This results in high blood sugar levels that can then damage other tissues throughout their body, including their kidneys.

What are the risk factors for developing gestational diabetes?

It is a well-known fact that gestational diabetes often goes hand in hand with a pregnant woman who also has Type 2 diabetes. Aside from this, there are still other risk factors which may cause an expecting mother to develop gestational diabetes. These include:

1) Overweight or obesity

2) Having a family history of gestational diabetes

3) Excessive consumption of alcohol or other drugs

4) Having had pre-existing diabetes or hypertension

The most common symptoms are weight gain, fatigue, nausea and blurry vision. Gestational diabetes is sometimes referred to as "slow onset" or "latent" diabetes. If gestational diabetes goes untreated it can lead to pre-eclampsia (a dangerous condition for both mother and baby) and even pregnancy loss.

Although most women with gestational diabetes will have healthy pregnancies with no complications for either themselves or their babies, an unmonitored or inadequately managed blood sugar level is linked to the following health problems: high blood pressure; preeclampsia; having a baby that is large for date or premature; early delivery; breathing problems for the baby; and, possibly, later learning problems, such as having poor vision or being hyperactive. The mother also can have a hyperglycemic emergency, which can be serious. She may also have an increased risk of delivering a baby with certain birth defects, and her baby may be at a higher risk of having health problems later in life, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

When should I go to the doctor with gestational diabetes?

You should go to the doctor as soon as you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a condition that can be serious if not treated. If left untreated, gestational diabetes can cause health problems for both the mother and baby.

How can I prevent diabetes during pregnancy?

A few simple steps can help prevent diabetes during pregnancy.