What The Heck Is Gestational Diabetes?

Being pregnant is scary enough, which can put the body under a lot of stress.  This is why you need to see a doctor all throughout your pregnancy.  There are usually many programs for pregnant low-income women to get the doctor's care they and their babies need.  One of the reasons you need these regular checkups during the pregnancy is to be sure you don't get gestational diabetes - and if you do, for it to be treated immediately.  Gestational diabetes only goes away when you are no longer pregnant - but by then, it may be too late.

What Women Are Especially Venerable

You don't have to have diabetes or a family history of diabetes in order to develop gestational diabetes.  However, if you have a family history or any kind of diabetes, that does put you at risk.  You are also more at risk if you are over 25 and overweight.  For reasons unknown, gestational diabetes occurs more often in Hispanic, Asian, black or Native Americans than in other races.

It is very difficult to prevent gestational diabetes if you already are overweight, not exercising regularly, smoke and drink.  The stress of getting pregnant will just be too much for your body to handle.  However, if you make it a habit to eat a wide variety of healthy foods, exercise regularly, stop smoking and cut back or cut out alcoholic beverages before and all throughout your pregnancy, then you stand a good chance of preventing gestational diabetes.

You Must Have Regular Screening

Unlike Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes has no recognizable symptoms.  The only way to know if you have it is through regular blood screenings throughout your term.  These screenings are blood tests where you have to fast overnight, then are given a sugary drink to see how your body reacts.  You need two positive readings before you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

Why bother about screening?  Because gestational diabetes can lead to other complications during and after pregnancy, not the least of this is risk of developing a high blood pressure condition known as preeclampsia.  This can be fatal to both you and the baby.  Gestational diabetes also makes the baby at risk for developing severe breathing problems, jaundice, and diabetes.  The baby is also at risk of being a "giant baby" (macrosomia) - one that has suddenly grown too big to be delivered in the normal manner.  When a baby is too big for the normal method of delivery, they and the mother are high risk of getting injured due to the birth.

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