Control Gestational Diabetes in Pregnancy to Save Your Baby

In medicine, gestational diabetes is defined as the condition wherein a woman who is currently pregnant has been diagnosed with diabetes for the first time. This happens when the pregnant woman has exhibited increased blood sugar levels. Blood sugar is medically termed as glucose.

Glucose is needed by the body as a source of energy in order to perform daily activities; however, presence of too much glucose in the blood can also be harmful, especially to a pregnant woman who has a baby in her tummy.

When a woman is pregnant, it is expected that she will gain weight and there will be some physical changes brought about by the changes in the levels of the hormones. Because of these changes, the pregnant woman’s body is unable to produce enough insulin which is needed in order to absorb the energy from the food that she eats.

There are numerous factors associated with gestational diabetes but obesity is the leading risk factor. Aside from that, a woman who has experienced gestational diabetes in her previous pregnancy and has a family history of diabetes is also at risk for developing gestational diabetes.

To be able to determine if a woman has gestational diabetes, the doctor will order series of tests. One test is called as oral glucose tolerance test wherein the pregnant woman will be given 50 grams of glucose. This will be absorbed in the body in a period of 30 minutes to one hour and a blood sample will be taken to measure the level of glucose in the blood. For abnormal results, more tests will be given to confirm the diagnosis.

In order to manage gestational diabetes, pregnant women are encouraged to exercise while the doctor will give a prescribed diet to be followed. The blood sugar levels will also be monitored at an interval to determine if there are any changes like a sudden rise or fall. Pregnant women may also be given with insulin to keep the blood sugar at normal levels.

If the gestational diabetes is not controlled, it can cause effects to the baby. The baby can grow too large and a normal spontaneous delivery would not be possible.  Very high blood sugar levels can also cause increased insulin levels in the baby which can cause a drop in the blood sugar of the baby after birth. In order to relieve this, health care providers would give the baby some sugar water to normalize the blood sugar levels.