Gestational Diabetes - A Guide For Pregnant Moms

Gestational diabetes is something that is not to be overlooked by pregnant mothers. This type of diabetes occurs during pregnancy to women who have never been diagnosed with diabetes before.

The actual cause of gestational diabetes is still unknown, although there is a strong possibility that the hormones responsible in the development of the placenta have something to do with it.

The Symptoms

If you are looking for tell-tale signs to know if you do have gestational diabetes, you may only get frustrated. The usual signs of diabetes such as increased thirst, increased urination and fatigue may be confused with the normal signs of pregnancy.

Test for Diabetes

While not every expecting mother is diagnosed with gestational diabetes, pregnant women are nonetheless advised to undergo certain tests (usually on the 5th month of their pregnancy) to determine whether or not they have gestational diabetes. One of these tests is the oral glucose tolerance test in which you will be made to drink a glass of glucose solution. After an hour you will undergo a blood test to measure the levels of sugar in your blood.

The complications

It has to be emphasized that this form of diabetes can hurt both you and the baby. Although it does not cause birth defects as it usually occurs after the organs of the baby have already developed, it can nonetheless lead to a host of problems such as a fatter baby, hypoglycemia, jaundice, respiratory distress, and developmental problems like difficulty in walking, jumping, etc.

On your part, you will be at greater risk for:

o pre-eclampsia

o urinary tract infections

Treating gestational diabetes

So what should a mother do if she has gestational diabetes? When you have gestational diabetes, you need to seek treatment immediately. Go to a diabetologist at once so he can assess your needs and come up with the right treatment plan.

The treatment plan in gestational diabetes has the principal goal of regulating blood sugar levels through:

o the right diet

o exercise

o medications

The Right Diet

The right diet for you in this case includes fruits and vegetables and whole grains. As much as possible you must refrain from eating foods that are high in fat and low in essential nutrients. It is also recommended to eat at least six meals a day.

Exercise

Regular exercise is to be encouraged as this can prevent weight gain which can trigger or worsen complications. If it's okay with your doctor, engaging in aerobic exercises is a good way of regulating blood sugar levels.

Medications

For some women, eating the right foods and exercising are enough to maintain normal blood sugar levels, but for others, they need insulin injections, along with diet and exercise.

Close monitoring is very important in this case; your diabetologist may even advise you to use a special device to monitor your blood sugar levels throughout the day. Your doctor, too, will monitor the development of your baby. He may request for ultrasounds and run other tests to make sure that the baby is coping well.

Although this type of diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born, mothers are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. That is why monitoring of blood sugar levels, as well as eating the right foods and engaging in regular exercise, will prove to be of great value to a woman with gestational diabetes.

Our site provides information about diabetes types, diabetes treatment and helpful advices how to cure diabetes.

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Gestational Diabetes Management and Prevention Guide

A type of diabetes whereby the blood sugar level of a woman goes up when she is pregnant but comes back to normal after delivery is called Gestational Diabetes. Medicines alone are not enough for curing gestational diabetes. One must care for oneself as well as one's baby with the help of advice from the nurse, diabetes, a qualified dietitian, and any other professional health care advisers. With the required information, one can have a successful and healthy baby. Food and proper exercise can have curative effect on the blood sugar level and help to protect one from gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes can make the baby too large which causes delivery problems and the baby may have low blood sugar. But it can be cured and controlled with proper treatment to give birth to a healthy baby.

Home Treatment for gestational diabetes

Once a person has gestational diabetes there is every chance that the mother may develop it again at a future date with a risk for type 2 diabetes. The mother must take care to keep a healthy weight without becoming overweight. The mother has to avoid any form of medication that has resistance against insulin. Birth control pills such as progestin-only should be avoided as this increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Consulting your doctor is important to decide on a suitable type of contraception method. All pregnant women must take prenatal vitamins. On the other hand, it is important not to take too much vitamins as it is counter effective as well.

Additional steps that women can take

Many women with gestational diabetes however do give birth to normal babies. The blood sugar has to be controlled first. The mother need not eat any new or special foods. The amount of food that you eat must be changed and the timings of the meals need to be altered too. The mother need not join any costly gym or do any fancy exercises. Walking alone provides the necessary mild exercise.

How to protect the baby

The baby which is born from a mother who has gestational diabetes undergoes a high risk of being overweight and the baby too can develop type 2 diabetes. The best option for the mother is to breast feed the baby as this will reduce the chances of the baby becoming overweight. Eating healthy food and exercising regularly is a must as the baby gets older to prevent type 2 diabetes. Fetal growth must be monitored often and one must keep count of the kicks. Fetal ultrasounds and nonstress tests can also be taken to see that the weight of the baby is not above normal.

Balanced diet and exercise

Carbohydrate intake must be reduced. One must write down all that one eats and keep a check of one's weight. At least 2 hours must be devoted to exercise. Moderated exercise makes insulin more effective in controlling blood sugar level. The pregnant mother may even join special exercise classes specially formulated for such groups. A home blood sugar test must be done which help to give you peace of mind.

Conclusion

The best way to treat gestational diabetes is to change the way you eat and to exercise regularly. In spite of all these changes if the diabetes still persists one may have to receive insulin shots. This will help in reducing the blood sugar level and protecting the baby concurrently.

Diabetes is a metabolism disorder that is affecting more people in US today with 1.6 million new cases of diabetes diagnosed. To learn more about this condition, including diabetes diet plan and gestational diabetes diet, visit Clivir.com - the free learning community.

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