Gestational Diabetes

Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women - about 135,000 cases of gestational diabetes in the United States each year.We don't know what causes gestational diabetes, but we have some clues. The placenta supports the baby as it grows. Hormones from the placenta help the baby develop. But these hormones also block the action of the mother's insulin in her body. This problem is
called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance makes it hard for the mother's body to use insulin. She may need up to three times as much insulin.


What are the symptoms?

Because gestational diabetes does not cause symptoms, you need to be tested for the condition. This is usually done between the

24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy. You may be surprised if your test shows a high blood sugar. It is important for you to be tested

for gestational diabetes, because high blood sugar can cause problems for both you and your baby.

How does Gestational Diabetes occur ?

During pregnancy, hormones are produced which prevent your insulin from working properly. This is why diabetes has appeared for the

first time now that you are pregnant. The effects of the pregnancy hormones are mainly seen only from about the 24th week of

pregnancy onwards. This is why you were probably tested at about this time. You may also have been tested because of glucose in

your urine, previous pregnancies with a large baby, or other problems which we know to be more common in people with diabetes.


How does your blood sugar affect your baby throughout the pregnancy?

Extra blood sugar in your system passes through the placenta to the baby. High blood sugar can cause your baby to grow too big,

making delivery difficult for both of you.3 And your baby may be at higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life.


How Gestational Diabetes Can Affect Your Baby
Gestational diabetes affects the mother in late pregnancy, after the baby's body has been formed, but while the baby is busy

growing. Because of this, gestational diabetes does not cause the kinds of birth defects sometimes seen in babies whose mothers had

diabetes before pregnancy. When you have gestational diabetes, your pancreas works overtime to produce insulin, but the insulin

does not lower your blood glucose levels. Although insulin does not cross the placenta, glucose and other nutrients do. Extra blood

glucose goes through the placenta, giving the baby high blood glucose levels. This causes the baby's pancreas to make extra insulin

to get rid of the blood glucose.

What can I do to manage gestational diabetes?

Gestational Diabetes | Your Health Connection
A healthy diet and regular exercise can go a long way to managing your blood sugar levels. Your doctor may recommend a visit to a

registered dietitian or diabetes educator to talk about a planning a diet that controls blood sugar and meets the needs of a

growing baby. For most women, this means planning small meals and snacks that incorporate whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and

protein.