Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a condition in which the glucose level is elevated and other diabetic symptoms appear during pregnancy in a woman who has not previously been diagnosed with diabetes. Gestational diabetes is diabetes that is found for the first time when a woman is pregnant. Out of every 100 pregnant women in the United States, three to eight get gestational diabetes. Diabetes means that your blood glucose (also called blood sugar) is too high. Your body uses glucose for energy. Gestational diabetes is usually diagnosed in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. It typically starts in the 24th to 28th weeks and goes away after the baby is born.

Causes of gestational diabetes
The placenta supplies a growing fetus with nutrients and water, as well as produces a variety of hormones to maintain the pregnancy.
As the pregnancy progresses, the mother's energy needs increase. Coupled with this, the placenta produces hormones that help the baby grow and develop. These hormones also block the action of the mother's insulin. This is called insulin resistance. The pregnant woman needs extra insulin so the glucose can get from the blood into the cells where it is used for energy. From about 24 weeks, insulin needs in pregnancy can be two or three times higher than normally required. If the body is unable to meet this requirement, then diabetes develops.

Risk of gestational diabetes

• family history of diabetes
• obesity
• having given birth previously to a very large infant, a stillbirth, or a child with a birth defect

Symptoms of gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes refers to a condition where a pregnant woman who has never had diabetes suddenly has high levels of blood sugar. Generally, gestational diabetes does not cause any symptoms. Subtle signs, such as fatigue or excessive thirst and urination, may sometimes occur, but many women without gestational diabetes also experience these changes late in pregnancy. Because the condition cannot be diagnosed on the basis of the mother's symptoms, glucose testing must be done to detect it.
The symptoms of gestational diabetes can be similar to normal pregnancy

Symptoms
Some of the symptoms of gestational diabetes can include:
You are more hungry than normal
You are more thirsty than normal
You need to urinate frequently.

Treatment
A controversial alternative to insulin injections for pregnant women with gestational diabetes is safe, Gestational diabetes is a complication in about five per cent of pregnancies - and is on the rise.Where it can't be controlled through diet and exercise, insulin therapy is often used to improve the health of both baby and mother.

# Regular self-testing of blood glucose levels
# Eating a healthy meal plan designed by a registered dietician or other healthcare provider (known as medical nutrition therapy)
# Getting regular, moderate physical activity
# Maintaining healthy weight gain
# Keeping a daily log of dietary intake, physical activity, and glucose levels
# Taking insulin as prescribed

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