Obviously, if you are reading this you are looking for information on gestational diabetes. That is good. A mother with diabetes should learn as much information on gestational diabetes as possible in order to protect herself and her baby. Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes which is diagnosed during pregnancy and often is no longer present after the pregnancy ends.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), gestational diabetes affects 18% of pregnancies. Specifically what causes gestational diabetes is still unknown; what is known is that gestational diabetes starts when your body is not able to make or use all the insulin that it needs for pregnancy. When this happens blood sugar cannot leave the bloodstream and so it builds up in the blood. Too much blood sugar in the blood can lead to bodily damage for you and your baby.

Usually, gestational diabetes is not found or even tested for until late in the pregnancy. This is because it is most likely to affect the mother after the baby’s body is formed but still growing. Normally, mothers with gestational diabetes have perfectly healthy babies. However, a mother must monitor her blood sugar levels regularly and eat healthily to make sure her blood sugar levels don’t get too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia).

 

Information on Gestational Diabetes Risks

 

Although you are likely to have a normal baby, it is good to know information on gestational diabetes risk factors. One can never be too prepared. After all, gestational diabetes is still considered a high risk pregnancy.

If a mother has diabetes early on in pregnancy, the baby can have birth defects concerning major organs such as the brain and the heart. This is more likely to occur in cases where a woman had diabetes before pregnancy and did not know it, not in cases of gestational diabetes itself. Mothers with gestational diabetesdo have a higher risk of miscarriage though.

The most common problem that is faced in gestational diabetes is that the mother’s diabetes often causes the baby to get too much sugar and nutrition, and therefore ends up rather large. The problem with this is that large babies have a hard time during delivery, and this could lead to potential injuries to the baby during labor. In fact, many women who have gestational diabetes end up getting caesareans because the baby is too large to safely be delivered vaginally.

Another common problem is that the baby’s body gets used to the large amounts of nutrients and sugars provided by the mother, so their blood sugar levels often drop after birth. With the technology and the knowledge doctors have today, babies are usually fine, and if the mother keeps her blood sugar under control the pregnancy is just like any other one. To find out more information on gestational diabetes and how to keep your blood sugar levels steady visit the following websites:

  • EveryDayHealth.com
  • Health.com
  • ClevelandClinic.org
  • WebMD.com
  • ChildBirthSolutions.com