Gestational Diabetes Symptoms, Risk Factors & Treatment | Diseases List A-Z

What is Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that only occurs during pregnancy. Like other types of diabetes, it affects how the body uses glucose.

This condition can cause high blood sugar levels that can affect the health of pregnant women and their unborn babies. Gestational DM usually appears in the middle of pregnancy, around 24 to 28 weeks.

After delivery, blood sugar usually returns to normal. But if you’ve had gestational diabetes, you’re at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Therefore, check your blood sugar more often to monitor your mother’s health condition.

Gestational Diabetes Phases and Symptoms

Gestational diabetes usually does not cause obvious symptoms. Most are only detected during routine pregnancy check-ups.

However, some pregnant women may experience symptoms if their blood sugar levels are too high, such as:

• Excessive thirst
• Frequent urination
• Dry mouth
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Itching in the genital area or yeast infection

In addition to the above symptoms, gestational diabetes during pregnancy can cause vertigo or a dizzy sensation like spinning.

However, not all of the above symptoms are necessarily gestational diabetes. Mothers need to have an examination with an obstetrician to confirm the diagnosis.

Risk Factors for Gestational Diabetes

This condition can affect any pregnant woman. However, pregnant women who are over 25 years old and of South and East Asian, Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander descent are at higher risk.

Well, here are other factors that can increase the risk of gestational DM in pregnant women:

• Suffering from heart disease.
• Have high blood pressure.
• Less active in daily activities.
• Obesity.
• Have a personal or family history of gestational diabetes.
• Having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
• Have given birth to a baby weighing nine 4 kilograms or more.
• Prediabetes, which is having a history of blood glucose that is higher than normal.

Causes of Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes occurs because of hormonal changes during pregnancy and how the body processes food into energy.

Insulin, a hormone that breaks down sugar from food and delivers it to the body’s cells. This hormone plays a vital role in keeping blood sugar levels normal.

However, if insulin does not function properly or the body does not produce enough insulin, sugar will build up in the blood and cause diabetes.

During pregnancy, hormones can interfere with the work of insulin so that the body cannot regulate blood sugar levels properly, causing gestational diabetes.

Genetic factors and being overweight can also play a role in the risk of gestational diabetes.

Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes

During pregnancy, the obstetrician will perform a blood sugar test to check whether the pregnant woman has gestational diabetes.

This test is usually done in two stages:

1. Glucose challenge test

The mother will be asked to drink a sweet liquid and after about an hour, the doctor will take a blood sample to check blood sugar levels.

If blood sugar levels are high, the doctor will perform a glucose tolerance test.

2. Glucose tolerance test

This test is only done if the glucose challenge test results are abnormal. The mother must fast (not eat for eight hours) before this test.

The obgyn specialist will take blood samples before and after one, two, and three hours after drinking the sugary liquid.

This test can determine whether the mother has gestational diabetes or not.

Gestational Diabetes Treatment

If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, the treatment steps that doctors usually recommend include:

1. Regularly check your blood sugar

Mothers will be given a test kit to check their blood sugar regularly. This tool is used by injecting the finger and attaching blood to the test strip.

Beforehand, the doctor will definitely inform you about the correct way to test, when, and how often.

2. Implement a healthy diet

Pregnant women must implement a healthy diet, such as eating regularly and avoiding skipping meals. Doctors generally recommend eating foods that are starchy and low glycemic index.

Consume lots of fruits, and vegetables, avoid sweet foods and sweet drinks

3. Sports

Regular exercise helps manage gestational diabetes. Don’t worry, your obstetrician will definitely give you advice on how to exercise safely during pregnancy.

4. Medicine

Obstetricians can also prescribe medication if blood sugar is unstable even after implementing a healthy diet and exercise.

The medication can be in the form of tablets or insulin. Well, this medication is usually stopped after delivery.

5. Monitoring during pregnancy

In cases of gestational DM, obstetricians generally provide a more routine pregnancy check-up schedule.

Its function is to monitor the health of the mother and baby until the time of delivery arrives.

6. Determining the delivery process

The ideal time to give birth is usually around weeks 38 to 40. Induction of labor or a cesarean section may be offered if the mother has not given birth by week 40 and 6 days.

7. Postpartum monitoring

Mothers can still hold and breastfeed their babies immediately after giving birth. However, the doctor will continue to monitor the mother’s blood sugar levels.

A blood glucose test will generally be repeated 6 to 13 weeks after delivery.

Complications of Gestational Diabetes

High blood sugar levels can cause problems for pregnant women and babies, including a higher risk of having a cesarean section.

1. Complications in babies

Some potential complications in babies due to gestational diabetes include:

• High blood sugar levels can make the baby too large, increasing the risk of difficulties at birth.
• Gestational DM can also cause labor to occur earlier than expected (premature).
• Babies born prematurely may have difficulty breathing.
• Sometimes babies can experience low blood sugar levels after birth.
• Babies have a higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life.
• Untreated gestational diabetes can be fatal to the baby, either before or after birth.

2. Complications in the mother

Meanwhile, gestational DM also carries the risk of causing these complications in the mother:

• Gestational DM increases the risk of high blood pressure and preeclampsia, which can be life-threatening for both mother and baby.
• The risk of giving birth by caesarean section is higher in mothers with gestational diabetes.
• Women with gestational diabetes have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life, especially during subsequent pregnancies.

Prevention of Gestational Diabetes

There is no guarantee of preventing gestational diabetes, but the more healthy habits a mother can adopt before getting pregnant, the better.

If you have had gestational diabetes, these healthy choices can also reduce your risk of having it again in a future pregnancy or developing type 2 diabetes in the future.

Here are preventive steps that mothers can take:

1. Implement a healthy diet

Choose foods that are high in fiber, low in fat and calories. Focus on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Choose a variety of foods to keep you feeling good without sacrificing taste or nutrition. Also, pay attention to portion sizes.

2. Try to stay active

Exercising before and during pregnancy can help protect the mother from developing gestational diabetes.

Try to do moderate activity for 30 minutes every day. Take a brisk walk, ride a bike, or swim.

Short activities such as parking away from stores when shopping or taking a short walk are also helpful.

3. Start pregnancy at a healthy weight

If you are planning to get pregnant, try to reach a healthy weight first.

Focus on dietary changes that can last, such as increasing your consumption of vegetables and fruits.

4. Watch your weight gain

Weight gain during a normal, healthy pregnancy is very important. Gaining too much weight too quickly can increase the risk of gestational diabetes.

Ask your obstetrician how much weight gain is normal for you.

When to See a Doctor?

See a doctor immediately if you experience signs of gestational diabetes or have a history of diabetes. That way, the risk of complications can be prevented as early as possible.