What is Gestational Diabetes?
High blood sugar (glucose) is a symptom of gestational diabetes, which normally goes away after delivering delivery.
Although it can occur at any time during pregnancy, it usually occurs in the second or third trimester. It occurs when your body is unable to produce enough of the hormone insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar levels, to fulfill your increased needs during pregnancy.
Having gestational diabetes throughout pregnancy and after delivery might be problematic for you and your unborn child. However if the illness is identified quickly and is adequately handled, the hazards can be minimized.
Who is vulnerable to gestational diabetes?
Any pregnant woman can develop gestational diabetes, however several factors put you at higher risk:
When you are over forty or body mass index (BMI) is greater than 30. Or when you previously gave birth to a child that was at least 4.5 kg (10 lb) in weight, were pregnant before and experienced gestational diabetes.
Also,if you are of South Asian, Black, African-Caribbean, or Middle Eastern descent and one of your parents or siblings has diabetes (even if you were born in the UK) you underwent a gastric bypass or another type of weight-loss procedure If any of these describe you, you ought to be given the option of getting screened for gestational diabetes while you are pregnant.
Gestational diabetes signs and symptoms
Symptoms of gestational diabetes are uncommon. The majority of cases are only identified by blood sugar monitoring during gestational diabetes screening.
If their blood sugar levels get too high (hyperglycemia), some women may have symptoms like increased thirst, wanting to urinate more frequently than normal, dry mouth, and fatigue. vision that is hazy, genital itchiness or thrush
However, some of these signs and symptoms are typical during pregnancy and do not always indicate gestational diabetes. If you have any concerns about any symptoms you are having, consult your midwife or doctor.
How pregnancy can be affected by gestational diabetes
Most pregnant women with gestational diabetes have healthy babies and otherwise normal pregnancies.
However gestational diabetes can result in issues like:
Your baby is developing bigger than usual, which could complicate birth and increase the need for an induced labor or caesarean operation.
Polyhydramnios is the medical term for having too much amniotic fluid in the womb, which can lead to premature labor or complications during delivery.
preterm delivery – giving birth before to week 37 of pregnancy
Pre-eclampsia is a condition that can cause pregnancy-related difficulties due to elevated blood pressure during pregnancy the stillbirth of your child, but this is uncommon.
Pregnancy diabetes treatments
The likelihood of experiencing complications during pregnancy if you have gestational diabetes can be decreased by managing your blood sugar levels.
A blood sugar testing kit will be provided to you so you can keep track of the results of your therapy.
By altering your diet and, if possible, increasing your activity level, blood sugar levels may be lowered.
Also, your pregnancy and delivery will be more attentively watched to look for any potential issues.
It is best to deliver before 41 weeks if you have gestational diabetes. If labor has not begun naturally by this point, an induction of labor or cesarean section may be advised. If there are concerns about your health or the health of your unborn child, an earlier birth may be advised.
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Writer
Fahima Akter
Content Writing Inter
YSSE