Gestational Symptoms of Diabetes

Gestational symptoms of diabetes usually occurs between 24 and 28 weeks of a pregnancy. It is the result of high amounts of glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream which impacts your pregnancy as well as your baby’s health.
No one wants any complications when they are pregnant. However, expectant mothers can manage their diabetes by exercising, eating healthy and taking medication. By taking care of yourself you can insure a healthful pregnancy for yourself along with a healthy beginning for your child.
With gestational diabetes your glucose level typically returns to normal after giving birth, but you are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. You will need to continue to work with your doctor to control your glucose.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Normally, there aren’t any symptoms of diabetes. Most of the time diabetes is discovered during routine tests performed during pregnancy. On rare occasions, like if your blood sugar count has gone wild, you may experience some of the typical symptoms of diabetes like:
  • Increased urination
  • Excessive thirst
  • Increased appetite
After you are pregnant, your physician will include diabetes testing as a part of your routine prenatal care. If you are found to have diabetes or if you experience any of the above symptoms, you will probably require additional checkups.
You doctor will test your glucose level immediately after birth and once again in 6 weeks to be sure it has come back to normal levels. If you developed diabetes, it would be wise to have your blood glucose level checked on a regular basis.
Additional complications
The majority of women that have gestational diabetes give birth to healthy babies. However, if your diabetes is not controlled properly it can lead to further complications for both you and your child.
Additional risks for the unborn child:
  • Excessive bodyweight: Too much sugar in your blood causes the child’s pancreas to produce additional insulin. This may result in a large baby at birth (macrosomia). If the baby is too big they could sustain injuries during birth or the mother could require a C-section.
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Early Birth: High levels of sugar in the mother’s blood could lead to delivery of her child before the due date. In addition, the doctor may suggest an early delivery date if the baby has grown very large. These preterm babies might develop Respiratory Distress Syndrome which makes it difficult for them to breathe on their own. They will probably need assisted breathing until their lungs get stronger.
  • Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): Occasionally the baby may develop hypoglycemia because they were producing high levels of insulin. In severe situations one of the symptoms of hypoglycemia are seizures. Immediate feedings or possibly an intravenous sugar solution can bring the baby’s sugar level back to normal.
  • Type 2 diabetes: Babies run a greater risk of obesity and of developing the more serious type 2 diabetes later on in life.
If gestational diabetes goes untreated it could also result in the death of the baby during pregnancy or a short time after birth.
Additional risks for the mother:
  • High blood pressure: You have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure in addition to preeclampsia and eclampsia. These are two very dangerous complications which threatens the lives of the mother and her child.
  • Type 2 diabetes: When you have had gestational diabetes, you are likely to get it again in a future pregnancy. As you grow older you are also more inclined to develop type 2 diabetes, which is far more serious. It may benefit you to read about the symptoms of diabetes type 2 so you know what to look for.
You can control gestational and type 2 diabetes by following a healthy lifestyle. Listen to your doctor and start taking care of yourself by exercising regularly, eating healthy nutritious foods and learning all you can about controlling both types of diabetes along with the symptoms of diabetes type 2.

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