Gestational Diabetes: Diabetes in Pregnancy



Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful phases in a woman’s life. During pregnancy, several women develop spiked blood sugar levels, a condition often coined as Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. The condition affects a would-be mother between 24th to 28th weeks of pregnancy and is often temporary, cured after the birth of the child.

Moreso, the condition affects one in six births; the numbers increase with each year. There are two severities to this condition, the A1 condition, where the blood glucose levels are often managed by diet and lifestyle changes, and the A2 condition, wherein the patient needs to take insulin or medications to control their blood glucose levels during the pregnancy.

Here, we will discuss everything there is to know about Gestational Pregnancy and how one can approach the situation.

Table of Content

Feel free to skip ahead if one topic catches your eye:

  1. What causes Gestational Diabetes during Pregnancy?
  2. Common Signs and Symptoms
  3. When to See a Doctor?
  4. How Does Gestational Diabetes Affect Babies and Mothers?
  5. How is it Treated?

Takeaway

1. What causes Gestational Diabetes during Pregnancy?

Gestational diabetes (GD) is a type of diabetes which is diagnosed during the tenure of pregnancy. It is marked by the peaked blood glucose levels that can further impact the pregnancy and the baby’s health if proper and timely treatment is not done.

The primary concern with this condition is that the causes of gestational diabetes are not known. Researchers are still not sure about the primary contributing factor to the sudden rise in the blood sugar levels in the pregnant lady's body.

It is believed that overweight or obese pregnant women are at heightened risk of developing GD during pregnancy. A sudden change in the hormone levels during pregnancy can also be a contributing factor to this condition.

The hormonal changes often make it difficult for your body to process blood glucose, making it difficult to get metabolized, thereby contributing to a higher glucose level in the bloodstream.

2. Common Signs and Symptoms

In most pregnancies, gestational diabetes doesn’t show any severe symptoms in the body. Some of the standard symptoms include:

  • Frequent urge for urination
  • Being thirsty quite a lot
  • Excessive hunger pangs

Since GD is a risk factor to a healthy pregnancy, one must take care of the issue by seeking proper treatment depending on the symptoms of gestational diabetes. Conducting tests for GD during pregnancy is part of the prenatal care that your OBGYN should likely do.

Pregnant ladies with GD often undergo frequent checkups with their doctor, especially during the last three months of pregnancy, to ensure that everything is in line, especially concerning the blood sugar levels and the child’s health.

3. When to See a Doctor?

Consult your doctor as soon as you get pregnant. Doing so will help your doctor get a better understanding of your case and prepare you for complications like Gestational Diabetes. Several women who have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes reported that it is more prevalent around the second half of pregnancy.

An OBGYN will conduct diagnostic tests during the 24-28th week of pregnancy to check for any symptoms of diabetes in pregnancy. In case you are at a high risk of developing GD from a genetic predisposition or unhealthy lifestyle choices, your doctor will likely conduct the tests in the initial stages of your pregnancy.

The doctor conducts a glucose tolerance test wherein you have to drink 50gms of glucose in a drink to initially raise blood glucose levels. After drinking that, the patient needs to wait for 30 minutes, after which their blood sugar levels are measured. Any kind of irregularities in the levels indicates a possible risk of GD.

Pregnant women who develop gestational diabetes during their pregnancy need to come for frequent checkups to keep up with their and their baby’s health.

4. How Does Gestational Diabetes Affect Babies and Mothers?

Gestational diabetes mellitus during pregnancy can make the whole pregnancy risky. If left untreated, the condition can contribute to the risks of premature birth and stillbirth. Some children are often born with birth defects, including sacral agenesis, holoprosencephaly, and a range of limb defects in the child.

Gestational diabetes often goes away after pregnancy but if it doesn’t, the chances of developing chronic diabetes could persist. GD can also result in Fetal Macrosomia, a condition wherein the newborn baby is much larger in size than average and weighs over 8 pounds.

5. How is it Treated?

If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes in pregnancy, you will need to get immediate treatment for the condition. You can visit the best gynecologist in Delhi for the right medications or proper diet chart to ensure a smooth and safe pregnancy.

Some more precautions which can be taken:

  • Check the blood sugar levels in the body at least 3-4 times every day
  • Have a proper diet for diabetes in pregnancy
  • Check your urine for levels of ketones
  • Lead an active lifestyle by indulging in pregnancy-safe exercises

In case the level of diabetes is the A2 type of gestational diabetes, the doctor will prescribe insulin injections or medications to keep the levels in control.

Take Away

Developing gestational diabetes often makes the experience risky. Pregnant women must get timely treatment for their diagnosis instead of taking it for granted. Also, ensure that your OBGYN conducts all the allied tests needed for a confirmed diagnosis before jumping to conclusions.

At Dr. Puja Sharma’s clinic, we handle a range of high-risk pregnancies with utmost care and caution and everything at cost-effective packages.

Daksh Clinic