Diabetes during pregnancy is called gestational diabetes. Diabetes during pregnancy may be harmful to the baby and mother if it is not treated well. Here we will see all about diabetes during pregnancy I.e gestational diabetes. What is gestational diabetes, what causes gestational diabetes, symptoms, treatment, tests, diet and exercise for diabetes during pregnancy.
What is gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes is a rise in blood sugar level of a pregnant woman. Gestational diabetes is a short time diabetes which stay only in pregnancy. Normal blood sugar level of a pregnant woman should be 7.8 mmol/L. Above 11.0 mmol/L is a range of gestational diabetes. In gestational diabetes one should regularly checks blood sugar level.
Gestational diabetes stays only in pregnancy but it increases the chances of type 2 diabetes in future. It usually starts in a second trimester of pregnancy.
In pregnancy placenta makes more hormones in the body which increase the blood sugar level in the pregnant woman during her pregnancy. To respond the blood sugar level if your pancreas makes enough insulin it will manage the blood sugar level if pancreas not makes enough insulin than the blood sugar level rise in body. In India every year more than 1 million cases are seen of gestational diabetes.
You have gestational diabetes if:
You are overweight during pregnancy then you may have chances of gestational diabetes during pregnancy. To avoid this you should do exercise regularly and loose weight before conceive and consult doctor about this.
You have chances of gestational diabetes if your mother or anyone else in the your family history have diabetes during pregnancy.
Your age is 26 or more I.e if you are older than 26 at your pregnancy, you may have chance to get gestational diabetes.
You have diabetes before conception or pregnancy.
You have history of gestational diabetes in your last pregnancy. If yes then you may have chance of gestational diabetes in your next pregnancy.
How gestational diabetes effects on baby and mother?
Usually gestational diabetes seen in second half of pregnancy but in some cases gestational diabetes occurs in the first trimester and if a woman doesn't know about her pregnancy till 2 to 4 weeks it may increase blood sugar level and the risk of child birth defects and also miscarriage can be happen.
Due to diabetes during pregnancy child also have chances of diabetes in future.
In gestational diabetes if blood sugar level is high than it passes to the baby through the placenta and baby becomes overweight and fatty.
Because of overweight of baby the chances of vaginal delivery reduces.
C-section delivery may perform if child is too heavy to come through the vagina.
Due to high blood sugar level which passes to the child through placenta to manage this high blood sugar level baby's pancreas makes more insulin for this and after delivery baby face low blood sugar level in the body because of more insulin produced by pancreas.
Baby may also get deficiency of calcium and magnesium.
Mothers have chances of type 2 diabetes in future which may lasts for lifetime.
Mother also have chanes of gestational diabetes in future pregnancy.
Mothers also face high blood pressure problem in the last trimester of pregnancy.
Baby may also face respiratory problems due to gestational diabetes in mother.
Test and treatment of gestational diabetes:
Doctor advice a blood sugar test to confirm that you have gestational diabetes or not. Test of diabetes during pregnancy perform after you drink a sugary drink and after 1 hour of drinking your blood sample will taken. If the result is positive then you ask for more tests. In these tests fasting test is taken and the gap of 3 hours after drink is done. In this test they checks that how your body responds to the high blood sugar level.
If you get positive result then doc will start your gestational diabetes treatment. Doctor will advise you medication to lower or control your blood sugar level. Doctor tell you to check regularly your blood sugar level.
Doctors also advice you to follow a healthy diabetes diet plan. And told you to perform physical exercise. Physical activity is very helpful in gestational diabetes.
Make schedule to perform diabetes test in the second half and last trimester of pregnancy. If you are having any side effects to the medication or the medicine not helpful to lower the blood sugar level then doctors asks for insulin. Insulin is given through injections. Insulin gives at bed time, at wakeup, and before meals according to your diabetes level.
Gestational diabetes diet or a healthy diabetes diet:
Consult doctor for a healthy diet plan for the gestational diabetes diet plan.
Eat healthy food which are beneficial to you and your baby during pregnancy. Avoid sweet food and sugary drinks.
Eat more vegetables like green leafy vegetables and fruits and dry fruits.
Avoid sugary drinks which include sugar and increase your blood sugar level. Also don't drink fresh juices because it have sugar besides eat fresh fruits.
Don't eat chocolate and toffee or bakery items like pastries, cakes, cookies, etc which include sugar.
Use sugar free if you want to eat sweet dishes. Eat whole grains like pasta, brown rice, brown bread, and in vegetables eat peas, corn, broccoli etc which lower the sugar level in your body.
Eat less fruit like banana, mango, melon, apple which have sugar in it. Take fruits like grape fruit, lemon, kiwifruit, pear, green apple, grapes, berries, etc.
Include more protein rich food in your diet like fish eggs.
Exercise in gestational diabetes:
Pregnant women who have gestational diabetes should talk to her doctor about exercise for gestational diabetes during pregnancy. In research it is found that physical exercise reduces the blood sugar level.
When you perform the physical exercise your body uses the glucose as energy and it will reduce the blood sugar level in your body. Pregnant women should perform the exercise for healthy and safe pregnancy. And if you got positive res8
result for gestational diabetes then exercise is good to control diabetes during pregnancy.
Pregnant women who has gestational diabetes should do 2 hours intensive workout or exercise in a week. Swimming, walking, aerobics, yoga, and physical workouts is good exercise for women with gestational diabetes.
Exercise provides you energy and it balances pregnant women emotional behavior and reduces tension and maintain a healthy pregnancy.
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