Gestational Diabetes: Look Out for These 8 Symptoms
Pregnancy is rollercoaster and if you are a mother, you can relate with me. One day you are energetic, the next minute you are lethargic. Besides general weakness, pregnancy leaves your body vulnerable. There are several ailments that you can suffer from, during pregnancy. One such condition that you are likely to suffer from when pregnant is called gestational diabetes.
What is gestational diabetes, and how does it affect pregnant women? Let’s start from some data from a reliable source before defining this mysterious condition. According to CDC, about 7% of pregnant women in the U.S. suffer from gestational diabetes.
What is Gestational Diabetes?
The term gestational diabetes comes from the word, gestation, which means pregnancy. Therefore, gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy.
As a pregnant woman, you are likely to get gestational diabetes, when your body has either of the two things:
- The body cannot use the little insulin that it produces effectively.
- Your body produces inadequate insulin.
When your body produces inadequate insulin or uses the little insulin poorly, your blood sugar levels spike after eating certain foods. Abnormal increase in blood sugar results in a condition called hyperglycemia.
When you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, several things might take place.
First, the gestational diabetes might clear itself after delivery.
Second, in rare cases (5-10%), gestational diabetes could develop to type-2 diabetes after pregnancy.
A journal that was published by PubMed revealed that 20-50% of women who had been previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes were likely to develop type-2 diabetes in 10 years.
Doctors, gynecologists, and obstetricians have invested heavily, both financially and research-wise, to find solutions to gestational diabetes. There are several complications linked to gestational diabetes.
Complications of gestational diabetes on expectant mothers
- Preeclampsia
- C-Section; the wound takes a long time to heal.
- High blood pressure.
- Preterm labor.
Complications of gestational diabetes on the unborn baby
- High birth weight.
- Neural tubal defects.
- Congenital malformations, e.g. abnormal spinal development and Down syndrome.
- Low blood sugar.
- Heart disease.
- Respiratory distress.
- Shoulder dystocia (due to the big size, the shoulders get stuck in the birth canal.
What are the Primary Causes of Gestational Diabetes?
During the second trimester, the risk of developing gestational diabetes increases significantly. You might wonder, “why?”
During the second trimester, your hormones won’t rest. In my previous article on pregnancy symptoms, I mentioned about cravings, nausea, and swelling, which make the whole experience “hellish”. I also talked about carpal tunnel symptom (CPS), among others.
Is it easy to treat gestational diabetes? To answer you whether it is easy to deal with gestational diabetes, let’s deal with the condition’s risk factors.
Risk Factors to Gestational Diabetes
You are highly likely to get gestational diabetes if you have one or several of the following:
- You are overweight or obese.
- You are above 25 years old.
- You have had a stillbirth previously.
- You have had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy.
- You have a family history of diabetes/ gestational diabetes.
What are the Common Gestational Diabetes Symptoms?
Diagnosing gestational diabetes symptoms can be a challenge even to the most experienced health practitioner for two reasons:
- Gestational diabetes symptoms might be subtle or non-existent.
- Gestational diabetes symptoms can be confused with pregnancy side effects.
If you have these symptoms, you might be having gestational diabetes:
- Extreme fatigue.
- Tingling/numbing feeling in your limbs.
- Sores/wounds that take a lot of time to heal.
- Excessive thirst that does not get quenched despite downing a lot of water.
- Blurred vision.
- Frequent urination, especially at night.
- Frequent hunger pangs despite eating a healthy diet.
- Recurring pregnancy-related infections such as UTI, yeast Infection, and Candida
When you experience one or several of these symptoms, it is advisable to seek medical help immediately.
How Can You Test for Gestational Diabetes?
Treating gestational diabetes is a delicate process that can go south if not carried out well. When seeking treatment for gestational diabetes, avoid quacks and inexperienced doctor(s) who might put your life and that of the unborn baby at risk. Before a doctor puts you on gestational diabetes treatment, they should conduct two tests to ascertain that you have tested positive.
In both tests, you are required to take a sugary non-alcoholic drink then some tests are carried out at various intervals to assess your glucose levels.
These are the two gestational diabetes tests:
1. Glucose Challenge Screening Test
It is a mandatory diabetes test that all pregnant women must take, whether they have exhibited the six symptoms or not.
2. Glucose Tolerance Test
This is the second test that is carried out on pregnant women who exhibit abnormal results from the first test.
What is the Treatment for Gestational Diabetes?
Once the tests confirm that you have gestational diabetes, the doctor puts you in treatment.
The first step that your doctor might recommend is putting you on a daily exercise routine to keep you fit throughout the pregnancy. The interesting part is that these exercises are not strenuous and are fun to participate.
The second treatment option is whereby the doctor sends you to a dietician. The dietician will help you come up with a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet.
If the exercise and diet treatment plans don’t work effectively, the doctor may prescribe some medications. Insulin and glyburide tablets are perfect medication for managing gestational diabetes.
Precaution: Don’t take any medication to manage gestational diabetes if your obstetrician has not okay-ed it.
How can I Prevent Gestational Diabetes?
“Prevention is better than cure,” should be your mantra. These are the top three ways through which you can reduce the risk of developing gestational diabetes:
- Exercise
Taking at least 30 days off your busy schedule to exercise is a healthy way to minimize the risk of developing gestational diabetes.
Exercising also lowers blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure in pregnant women.
Finally, when you exercise, the unborn baby’s body fat and overall body weight reduces significantly, making delivery seamless.
- Check Your Diet
Weight management makes it easy to conceive. Additionally, cutting excess weight also reduces the risks associated with pregnancy such as gestational diabetes.
If you have been trying to conceive for a long time and are overweight or obese, try eating healthy; healthy diet and in moderation.
Some of the foods to include in your diet to manage gestational diabetes include; whole grains, fresh fruits, unprocessed foods, healthy fats, and fish. These foods form the Mediterranean diet.
Bottom Line
Gestational diabetes is gaining popularity, as our lifestyles keep changing. If you are planning to conceive, check on your weight, diet, and lifestyle since they are major contributors to gestational diabetes. Above all, find ways to unwind and avoid stress since it will make your pregnancy challenging.