Diabetes Control

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes also goes by the name of gestational Diabetes Mellitus or even GDM for short. This type of diabetes sometimes occurs during pregnancy when the pancreas fails to produce the required amount of insulin which consequentially causes the body to develop an inability in regulating glucose.

The cause of gestational diabetes is unknown. A theory however is that the hormones produced by the placenta hinders an ability to regulate insulin or even prevent the process entirely. The placenta is a tissue that binds the mother and her expected baby whilst it remains in the womb. As the placenta grows and produces further hormones, the blocking of insulin becomes stronger. With the majority of women, more insulin is produced and the situation is handled. The failure of the pancreas to produce the required amount of insulin basically equates to the condition of gestational diabetes.

There are those who are more susceptible to gestational diabetes than others. These include those of particular origins, such as American Indian, Hispanic, Black, those with weight problems, such as being overweight both before and during pregnancy, a history of raised blood sugar and a family history of diabetics, even if only a single family member.

Some of the signs and symptoms for gestational diabetes are vomiting, nausea, weight gain, blurred vision, and frequent urination.

Gestational diabetes is diagnosed by a physical examination. If gestational diabetes is suspected, a 50 Gram Glucose Challenge will be the likely port of call. This is also known as the 1hour tolerance test. In most cases, you will be required to fast beforehand, but not in every case. With most labs, a sample will be taken and the baseline blood glucose will be checked. You will then have to drink a liquid with a certain amount of glucose. You will be expected to return an hour later to provide a second tube of blood. If a woman is deemed to be at high risk, there may be numerous instances of this test being taken during pregnancy.

Diet and exercise can, in many cases, both treat and control gestational diabetes. Glucose levels are required to be monitored very closely with a glucose monitoring device. Examples of these devices are the accu-check and the one-touch.

If diet and exercise fails to be of adequate measure, insulin or other types of medication may eb administered.

Gestational diabetes may cause the mother to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. It also has other potential consequences, such as experiencing gestational diabetes in further pregnancies.

It can also affect the baby with symptoms such as low magnesium, low calcium, and hypoglycemia.

To find out more about further information about gestational diabetes, or certainly if you suspect that you may be at risk, you should consult your doctor. Gestational diabetes is a disease that changes your life and you need to be fully armed with all the information you can possibly assimilate so you can handle it the best you can.