What Exactly Is This "Gestational Diabetes"?
Gestational DiabetesGestational diabetes is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. It is one of the top health complications that a woman has to face during pregnancy.
Related QuestionsWhat is Gestational Diabetes?
FAQ Gestational Diabetes - Pregnancy.org Bulletin Board Comm...Diabetes mellitus of any kind is a disorder that prevents the body from using food properly. Normally, the body gets its major source of energy from glucose, a simple sugar that comes from foods high in simple carbohydrates (e.g., table sugar or other sweeteners such as honey, molasses, jams, and jellies, soft drinks, and cookies), or from the breakdown of complex carbohydrates like starches (e.g., bread, potatoes, and pasta).
Related QuestionsPatients' Frequently Asked Questions (PFAQ) - Parenting & In...Diabetes is a medical condition in which the body's blood sugar is too high. Gestational diabetes is diabetes that is diagnosed during pregnancy. With gestational diabetes, the hormones of pregnancy interfere with the action of the mother's insulin causing higher sugar in the blood than is normal. High blood sugar can cause many problems if it goes untreated. For this reason, all pregnant women need to be screened for diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks.Related Questions
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What's my risk for gestational diabetes?
Gestational Diabetes | Your Health ConnectionOnly three to eight out of every 100 pregnant women get gestational diabetes, but your risk increases with age. The condition is more common among women who become pregnant after age 25. It's also more likely to affect women who are obese or overweight, have high blood pressure, or a family history of diabetes. Women who had gestational diabetes with a previous pregnancy, who gave birth to a very large baby (heavier than 9 pounds), or who had a stillborn baby are also at higher risk.
Related QuestionsHow can gestational diabetes affect a pregnancy?
Gestational Diabetes | Your Health ConnectionChronically high blood sugar levels can increase your chance of having a baby that's too large for a vaginal delivery, meaning that you could have a difficult delivery or require a cesarean section. Uncontrolled gestational diabetes also puts you at greater risk for a disorder called preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy. This can cause problems for both you and your baby.
Related QuestionsWhat can I do to manage gestational diabetes?
Gestational Diabetes | Your Health ConnectionA 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.
Related QuestionsFAQGestational diabetes develops only during pregnancy. It occurs at about the 24th week of pregnancy. It usually goes away after the delivery, but women who have had gestational diabetes have a 20 to 50 percent chance of developing Type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years.Related Questions
Are you at Risk for Getting Gestational Diabetes?
Gestational DiabetesWhile it occurs in less than 10% of all pregnancies, gestational diabetes can be a very serious health issue for many women.
Related QuestionsHow is Gestational Diabetes Diagnosed?
FAQ Gestational Diabetes - Pregnancy.org Bulletin Board Comm...The Council on Diabetes in Pregnancy of the American Diabetes Association strongly recommends that all pregnant women be screened for gestational diabetes. Several methods of screening exist. The most common is the 50 *gram glucose screening test (or glucose challenge). No special preparation is necessary for this test, and there is no need to fast before the test. The test is performed by giving 50 grams of a glucose drink and then measuring the blood sugar level one hour later.
Related QuestionsHow Will Gestational Diabetes Impact My Baby and I?
FAQ Gestational Diabetes - Pregnancy.org Bulletin Board Comm...The complications of gestational diabetes are manageable and preventable. The key to prevention is careful control of blood sugar levels just as soon as the diagnosis of gestational diabetes is made. You should be reassured that there are certain things gestational diabetes does not usually cause. Unlike Type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes generally does not cause birth defects. For the most part, birth defects originate sometime during the first trimester (before the 13th week) of pregnancy.
Related QuestionsWhat Should I Eat When I Have Gestational Diabetes?
FAQ Gestational Diabetes - Pregnancy.org Bulletin Board Comm...A nutritionally balanced diet is always essential to maintaining a healthy mother and successful pregnancy. The foods you choose become the nutrient building blocks for the growth of the fetus. For a woman with , gestational diabetes, proper diet alone often keeps blood sugar levels in the normal range and is generally the first step to follow before resorting to insulin injections.
Related QuestionsWhat causes gestational diabetes?
FAQ Gestational Diabetes - Pregnancy.org Bulletin Board Comm...Changing hormones and weight gain are part of a healthy pregnancy. But both changes make it hard for your body to keep up with its need for a hormone called insulin. When that happens, your body doesn't get the energy it needs from the food you eat.
Related QuestionsWhat is my risk of gestational diabetes?
FAQ Gestational Diabetes - Pregnancy.org Bulletin Board Comm...To learn your risk for gestational diabetes, check each item that applies to you. Talk with your doctor about your risk at your first prenatal visit. I have had gestational diabetes before, or I have given birth to at least one baby weighing more than 9 pounds. I have been told that I have "pre-diabetes," a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.
Related QuestionsWhen will I be checked for gestational diabetes?
FAQ Gestational Diabetes - Pregnancy.org Bulletin Board Comm...If you are at high risk, your blood glucose level may be checked at your first prenatal visit. If your test results are normal, you will be checked again sometime between weeks 24 and 28 of your pregnancy. If you have an average risk for gestational diabetes, you will be tested sometime between weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy.
Related QuestionsHow will gestational diabetes affect my baby?
FAQ Gestational Diabetes - Pregnancy.org Bulletin Board Comm...being born very large and with extra fat; this can make delivery difficult and more dangerous for your baby If you have gestational diabetes, your health care team may recommend some extra tests to check on your baby, such as kick counts" to check your baby's activity (the time between the baby's movements) or special "stress" tests
Related QuestionsHow will gestational diabetes affect me?
FAQ Gestational Diabetes - Pregnancy.org Bulletin Board Comm...The good news is your gestational diabetes will probably go away after your baby is born. However, you will be more likely to get type 2 diabetes later in your life. (See the information on how to lower your chances of getting type 2 diabetes.) You may also get gestational diabetes again if you get pregnant again. Some women wonder whether breastfeeding is OK after they have had gestational diabetes.
Related QuestionsHow is gestational diabetes treated?
FAQ Gestational Diabetes - Pregnancy.org Bulletin Board Comm...Treating gestational diabetes means taking steps to keep your blood glucose levels in a target range. You will learn how to control your blood glucose using You will talk with a dietitian or a diabetes educator who will design a meal plan to help you choose foods that are healthy for you and your baby. Using a meal plan will help keep your blood glucose in your target range. The plan will provide guidelines on which foods to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat.
Related QuestionsWhen is screening done for gestational diabetes?
Patients' Frequently Asked Questions (PFAQ) - Parenting & In...Women are screened for diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks. Women are screened according to risk categories. Low risk women are those who have no family history of diabetes, have a healthy body weight, do not belong to a high risk ethnic group, and have no other medical conditions that put them at increased risk for diabetes. In these women, screening for gestational diabetes is done between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.
Related QuestionsGestational Diabetes, SVCMC; New York NYIf your blood sugar level is too high when you are pregnant, you have gestational diabetes. It usually goes away after the baby is born. High blood sugar can cause problems for you and your baby. Your baby may grow too large, which can cause problems during delivery. Your baby may also be born with low blood sugar. But with treatment, most women with gestational diabetes are able to control their blood sugar and give birth to healthy babies.Related Questions
Sansum Diabetes Research InstituteGestational diabetes is when a woman is diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy. In some cases, the diabetes only lasts during the pregnancy, but 40 percent of mothers with gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes later in life.Related Questions
How is Gestational Diabetes Different From Other Types of Diabetes?
FAQ Gestational Diabetes - Pregnancy.org Bulletin Board Comm...There are several different types of diabetes. Gestational diabetes begins during pregnancy and disappears following delivery. Another type of diabetes is referred to as type 1 diabetes (sometimes called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes). These individuals usually (although not always) develop their disease before age 20. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin by injection every day. Approximately 10 percent of all people with diabetes have type 1.
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