Manage Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is one of the most
common health problems of pregnancy. It is a type of diabetes affecting
between 2 and 7 percent of expectant mothers.
In many forms of diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough
insulin. However, in gestational diabetes, glucose stays in our blood
instead of moving into our cells and getting converted to energy.
Here, the problem lies in the placenta. The placenta provides the baby
with nourishment and produces a number of hormones that interfere with
the body's usual response to insulin, a condition termed as "insulin
resistance." This is not a problem for future mothers because as the
need for insulin increases, the pancreas dutifully secretes more of it.
In gestational diabetes, a woman's pancreas cannot correspond with the
insulin demand. Thus, her blood glucose levels get too high and will
end up in the baby's blood. When that happens, the baby's pancreas
needs to produce more insulin to process the extra glucose. This excess
blood sugar and insulin can cause the baby to create more fat and put
on extra weight, particularly in the upper body.
Gestational diabetes often has no symptoms. A pregnant woman may notice
that she is more thirsty, hungry, or tired than usual or needs to
urinate more frequently, but these are common symptoms during
pregnancy. The following factors make a person high risk, according to
the American Diabetes Association:
- Obesity (body mass index is over 30).
- History of gestational diabetes (having the condition in a previous pregnancy).
- Strong family history of diabetes.
- Presence of sugar in her urine (urine is tested at each prenatal visit).
- Previous birth to a big baby (some use 8 pounds, 13 ounces as the cut off; others use 9 pounds, 14 ounces).
- Had a baby with a birth defect or stillborn.
- belongs to an ethnic group known to have higher rates of gestational
diabetes (in the United States, these groups include Mexican-Americans,
American Indians, African-Americans, as well as individuals from Asia,
India, or the Pacific Islands)
There is no known way to prevent gestational diabetes. However, having
healthy eating habits, proper exercise, and refraining from smoking can
best handle the effects of insulin resistance. Gestational diabetes is
managed depending on the gravity of the condition. One needs to keep
diligent track of her glucose levels, using a home glucose meter or
strips. Following are pointers to keep in mind:
- Take glucose screening between 24 and 28 weeks.
If one is at high risk for diabetes or shows signs of it, such as
having sugar in your urine, take this screening test at your first
prenatal visit and then again at 24 to 28 weeks if the result is
negative. If this test result is positive, you will need a longer
follow-up test.
- Eat a well-planned diet based on your height, weight, and activity level. Get nutritional counseling from a registered dietician who will help
you develop specific meal and snacks with the correct balance of
protein, fats, and carbohydrates in your diet. Do not skip meals,
especially breakfast.
- Exercise moderately. This will help improve your body's ability to process glucose. You may
benefit from 30 minutes of aerobic activity such as daily walking or
swimming. Ask your practitioner what level of physical activity would
be beneficial for you.
- Regularly measure your blood sugar. To do this, poke a finger with a needle called a lancet, put a drop of
blood on a special type of paper, and feed the paper into a meter that
evaluates and reports the blood sugar level. Self-monitoring of blood
glucose helps manage gestational diabetes and prevent complications.
You may need to take regular shots of insulin when diet and exercise do
not keep blood glucose levels within an acceptable range.
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