Gestational diabetes is diabetes diagnosed for the first time when a woman gets pregnant. Gestational diabetes, like other types of diabetes, alters the way your cells use sugar (glucose). High blood sugar levels can harm your pregnancy and the health of your baby if you have gestational diabetes.
Healthy eating, exercise, and, if necessary, medication can help pregnant mothers manage gestational diabetes. Blood sugar control can help you and your baby stay healthy and avoid a difficult birth.
Blood sugar levels in women with gestational diabetes usually return to normal after delivery.
If you’ve experienced gestational diabetes, you’re more likely to acquire type 2 diabetes. Changes in blood sugar will necessitate more frequent testing.
Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes
Women with gestational diabetes may have no symptoms or mistakenly attribute them to pregnancy. The majority of people find out they have it through a routine test.
You may have noticed:
- You seem to be thirstier than normal.
- You’re hungrier than normal and consume more food than usual.
- You pee more frequently than normal.
Causes of Gestational Diabetes
When you eat, your pancreas secretes insulin, a hormone that aids in the transport of glucose from your bloodstream to your cells, where it is used for energy.
Your placenta produces hormones that cause glucose to build up in your bloodstream throughout pregnancy. Your pancreas can usually produce enough insulin to handle it. However, if your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t use it properly, your blood sugar levels rise, and you get gestational diabetes.
When should a healthcare provider perform a pregnancy diabetes test?
During weeks 24 to 28, your healthcare practitioner will check for gestational diabetes. The placenta begins to create hormones at this point. This organ develops in the uterus and provides oxygen and nutrition to the foetus. Insulin may be harmed by the hormones it produces.
How do you know if you have gestational diabetes?
During pregnancy, your blood sugar will be tested by Sugar Specialist. There could be two elements to the test:
Glucose tolerance test: You take a sip of something sweet. You’ll undergo a blood test to assess your blood sugar level after roughly an hour. A glucose tolerance test will be performed if your blood sugar is too high.
