I had gestational diabetes with my son...?

Is it true if I get pregnant again- it will be worse? Also, is this a precurser to full blown diabetes?? Any steps I can take now?

my son is now 2 1/2 before i was pregnant i was 96 lbs and 25 years old. I am now 106 lbs and nearly 28. I am very small (5 ft 2) but have a HUGE family history of diabetes. The doctors were shocked I was able to go the entire pregnancy with no insulin, as they prepared me at Christmas, not believing I could go the break with out it, to do shots- I made it until April

Having gestational diabetes doesn't mean it will be worse, but likely that it will show up again - yes. Hormones produced by the placenta also tend to make the mother somewhat insulin resistant. Ordinarily the body just makes a bit more insulin to make up for this, but in some cases it's just not able to do so. The result is that glucose and insulin both build up in the bloodstream, and the problem only gets worse as a result. As far as you are concerned, you have had a warning of a potential problem you have with insulin resistance. Gestational diabetes does often mean that you are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life- that is if nothing changes. Your body is pre-diabetic, at the moment you are not but you have the potential to be if anything- like pregnancy, or age, push you over the limit. At this point, there is no way to promise a second pregnancy would not do that. Chances are 2 out of 3 that it will. But there are things you can do to lessen the odds, yes. First, if you have a few pounds to lose, lose them. Alter your diet to include more fruit, veggies and whole grains, less refined sugar. And finally, exercise. Exercise ups the cell demand for glucose, and sort of reminds the cells how to use the insulin for that. By doing these three things, you will lower your risk for developing Type 2 diabetes later in life. If you start the next pregnancy in good condition, and continue to eat and exercise, you may be able to prevent the gestational diabetes from reoccuring. Of course, the ob need to know you did develop it with your first pregnancy so you can be monitored for that from the beginning. If you work with the OB you may be able to do home monitoring from the very first, and adjust your diet as needed so it never reaches the level you need to be concerned about. And if you heed the warning, you may be able to prevent Type 2 diabetes later on.

Not sure if it would be worse if you get pregnant again--check with your doctor. Gestational diabetes along with family history, having high blood pressure, being native American, and being overweight are precursors to having diabetes. Once again I recommend you talk with your doctor regarding this and steps to take. I am 1/4 Cherokee and have all the other 4 and at the age of 47 was diagnosed as diabetic.

I had 2 daughters who had gestational diabetes with pregnancy...one is now diabetic.
but it also depends on your family history..age..weight..eating habits.
there is diabetes in both sides of my daughters families....my 10 yr old grandson also has diabetes..and not from the one daughter who does...but his father...grandmother(fathers' mother) great-grandfather..great grandmother and grandfather on mothers side does.....so family history plays a great role in this disease.
some things you can do is be sure you are not over weight before pregnancy..eat heathy foods and excerice.
God bless and take care

Was your son born recently? If so, congratulations to you.

I am supplying you with links to learn a little more about diabetes.

www.the-truth-about-goji.com/diabetes

You should also be able to find some info on how to prevent it.

Best wishes,
Michael

As you may have heard, EVERY pregnancy is different. Some women have awesome first pregnancies with no problems and then get pregnant again and have morning sickness every day! As to your question, the gestational diabetes may get worse with your second pregnancy or may be the same. And yes, gestational diabetes is a precursor to diabetes (Type 2). There are steps that you can take which include a diet lower in carbs. Diabetes type 2 comes from insulin resistance. When you eat a food high in sugar, your body releases insulin to help to use the sugar. The South Beach diet is a perfect example. It is low in carbs and fat, but not as extreme as say Atkins. When you eat lower carbs and sugar, you won't release as much insulin, helping to stabilize the level of sugar that is in your bloodstream. See your doctor for yearly check-ups and if you are over-weight, try to drop those pounds with exercise.

Some very thorough information was given, but I have to add my 2 cents. USUALLY Gestational Diabetes is a precursor to Type 2 diabetes....but....

Do you have a family history of Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is NOT related to weight, poor diet, or any of the typical risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. There is no known way to prevent Type 1 diabetes, and lifestyle/diet changes will not prevent it.

I mention this because a small portion of women with the genetics for autoimmune Type 1 diabetes go on to develop it after pregnancy. For these women, their "gestational diabetes' is really early stage Type 1 diabetes.

The reasons for this are unclear, but it looks like the stress on the pancreas during pregnancy causes the autoimmune destruction of the islet cells to increase, and/or the hormones involved with pregnancy and other such factors seem to play a role in triggering the disease.

Pregnancy is a known speculated trigger in many autoimmune diseases.

That said, some families just have a very high genetic disposition to insulin resistance/Type 2 diabetes, even if they are thin.

A familial and genetic form of diabetes in young thin people is called MODY. It is different from both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Futher testing with your doctor can help you figure out which type of diabetes you may be prone to.

If it's Type 2 diabetes, then watching your diet (avoid processed foods, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, high glycemic carbs) and getting at least 1 hour of exercise 5x per week may help delay it's onset. Some studies have shown the drug Metformin to help.

It sounds like you need to do some more talking with your doctor.

Good luck!