i am 30 weeks pregnant. i have had a rough pregnancy so far. rough meaning low progestrone level in the beginning, high blood pressure going into the pregnancy, being put on bed rest since january, and now high sugar levels. i did my one hour glucose tolerance test and my sugar levels came back high. i went in the other day for the three hour gloucse test and got my results back today. sugar levels still high. im being sent to a dietician. my doctor doesnt think ill need to be put on insulin since i dont have too much longer to go. my doctor thinks that with a change in diet will work. does this mean that i have gestational diabetes? Does this also mean that my baby will have diabetes? Gestational diabetes is common. Good that you don't have to take insulin -- who wants to take a shot every day? But if you follow your doctor's advice and do some online research to learn more about foods and how they effect your body, you should be fine.
Gestational diabetes doesn't mean your children will be diabetic I mean they might be, but they may also have blue eyes or dark hair.
Don't worry, you'll be fine. Two things to consider to stay on track is to monitor your sugar and blood pressure. If you know where you stand, you have a better chance of taking corrective action early on.
Congratulations on your pregnancy. Health and happiness to you and your family. Your baby won't be diabetic. Although your baby will probably be heavier then he normally would of been. The larger the baby the more difficult the delilvery for mom and baby.
You are also at risk for high blood pressure which results in Toxemia. See the site listed below.
Your bodies first job is to protect the baby and often at the cost of your health. That is why it is best to be in good shape when you get pregnant and take good care of yourself.
Take good care of yourself. You will have a beautiful child. My daughter had two children and had gestational diabetes twice.
After deliver, the diabetes vanished, and the babies are just fine.
Follow his instructions, you'll be just fine.
Boy or girl?? I had gestational diabetes 33 years ago. my child is healthy and is not a diabetic, how ever I am. having gestational diabetes pre disposed me to type II diabetes now. Keep your weight down watch what you eat, exercise. being in control of the diabetes/not letting it control you is the key. make sure you follow the advice of the dietitian, even after delivery. good luck. Ah,Gestational diabetes.
It's those midnight chocolate pudding and hamburger cravings that get you,more often than not. ^_-
Watch your diet. Eat like a 'rabbit' (not necessarily vegetarian,but if you're eating at McDonald's...STOP IT! :p ). Keep a food journal and learn what you're supposed to eat,daily,from the dietician. If you end up going over? Well,that's part of your problem. Figure out what you can do to stop going over your allotments.
'Free' foods (things you practically burn up the calories eating or are low in sugar naturally,etc) are lettuce,celery,strawberries,grapes and a few other veggies and fruits. If you're just -starving- and you're already over your limit,grab a couple handfuls of strawberries. ^^ Here is all i know about...Gestational diabetes...hope the information helps...
Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes found in pregnant women. There is no known specific cause but it is believed the hormones of pregnancy reduce a woman's receptivity to insulin resulting in high blood sugar. Gestational diabetes affects an estimated two to three percent of pregnant women.
Risk factors
Risk factors for gestational diabetes include:
* a family history of type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes
* maternal age - a woman's risk factor increases the older she is
* ethnic background (those with higher risk factors include African-Americans, North American native peoples and Hispanics)
* obesity
* gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy
* a previous pregnancy that resulted in a child with a birth weight of 9 pounds or more
* smoking doubles the risk of gestational diabetes[1]
Presentation
Frequently women with gestational diabetes exhibit no symptoms. However, possible symptoms include increased thirst, increased urination, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, bladder and yeast infection, and blurred vision.
Testing and treatment
Generally a test for gestational diabetes is carried out between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy.
Often, gestational diabetes can be managed through a combination of diet and exercise. If that is not possible, it is treated with insulin, in a similar manner to diabetes mellitus.
Diagnosis
A health care team will check the affected person's blood glucose level. Depending on the mother's risk and her test results, she may have one or more of the following tests.
* Fasting blood glucose or random blood glucose test
* Screening glucose challenge test
* Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
Screening glucose challenge test
There are several tests intended to identify gestational diabetes in pregnant women. The first, called the Screening glucose challenge test, is a preliminary screening test performed between 26-28 weeks. If a woman tests positive during this screening test, the second test, called the Glucose Tolerance Test, may be performed. This test will diagnose whether diabetes exists or not by indicating whether or not the body is using glucose (a type of sugar) effectively. The Glucose Challenge Screening is now considered to be a standard test performed during the second trimester of pregnancy.
The glucose values used to detect gestational diabetes were first determined by O'Sullivan and Mahan (1964) in a retrospective study designed to detect risk of developing type II diabetes in the future. The values were set using whole blood and required two values reaching or exceeding the value to be positive. [2] Subsequent information has led to alteration in O'Sullivan's criteria. For example: when methods for blood glucose determination changed from the use of whole blood to venous plasma samples, the criteria for GDM were also changed once whole blood glucose values are lower than plasma levels due to glucose uptake by hemoglobin (NDDG,1979).
The diagnostic criteria from the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) have been used most often, but some centers rely on the Carpenter and Coustan criteria, which set the cutoff for normal at lower values. Compared with the NDDG criteria, the Carpenter and Coustan criteria lead to a diagnosis of gestational diabetes in 54 percent more pregnant women, with an increased cost and no compelling evidence of improved perinatal outcomes. [3]
Oral glucose tolerance test
Women who are considered at risk for gestational diabetes are given a screening test called a 50 gram glucose challenge between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy (those with two or more risk factors may be tested earlier). The glucose challenge is performed by giving 50 grams of a glucose drink and then drawing a blood sample one hour later and measuring the level of blood glucose present. Women with a blood sugar level greater than 140 mg/dl may have gestational diabetes, and require a follow up test called a 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). [4]
The test should be done in the morning after an overnight fast of between 8 and 14 h and after at least 3 days of unrestricted diet (>=150 g carbohydrate per day) and unlimited physical activity. The subject should remain seated and should not smoke throughout the test. The American Diabetes Association sets the following guidelines for results from the OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test)
Fasting blood glucose or random blood glucose test
A fasting plasma glucose level >126 mg/dl (7.0 mmol/l) or a casual plasma glucose >200 mg/dl (11.1 mmol/l) meets the threshold for the diagnosis of diabetes, if confirmed on a subsequent day, and precludes the need for any glucose challenge. In the absence of this degree of hyperglycemia, evaluation for GDM in women with average or high-risk characteristics should follow one of two approaches: [5]
* One-step approach
* Two-step approach
The following are the values that the American Diabetes Association considers to be abnormal during the Glucose Tolerance Test:
* Fasting Blood Glucose Level=95 mg/dl (5.33 mmol/L)
* 1 Hour Blood Glucose Level=180 mg/dl (10 mmol/L)
* 2 Hour Blood Glucose Level=155 mg/dl (8.6 mmol/L)
* 3 Hour Blood Glucose Level=140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L)
Associated conditions
Some information in this article or section has not been verified and may not be reliable.
Please check for inaccuracies, and modify and cite sources as needed.
Poorly controlled gestational diabetes can lead to the growth of a macrosomic or large baby. This in turns increases the need for instrumental deliveries (eg forceps, vacuum and caesarean section). These babies often need specialized care in the post partum period.
In the future the mother is at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Treatment
Specific treatment will be determined by the physician(s) based on:
* age, overall health, and medical history
* extent of the disease
* tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
* expectations for the course of the disease
* opinion or preference [6]
Treatment for gestational diabetes focuses on keeping blood glucose levels in the normal range. Treatment may include:
* special diet
* exercise
* daily blood glucose monitoring
* insulin injections
Complications
Unlike type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes generally does not cause birth defects. Birth defects usually originate sometime during the first trimester (before the 13th week) of pregnancy.
Infants of mothers with gestational diabetes are vulnerable to several chemical imbalances, such as low serum calcium and low serum magnesium levels, but in general, there are two major problems of gestational diabetes: macrosomia and hypoglycemia.[6]
For Mother
* Hypertension
* Preeclampsia
* Increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes
For Baby
* Macrosomia
* Hypoglycemia
* Jaundice
* Low calcium and magnesium
* Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
* Increased risk for childhood and adult obesity
* Increased risk of type 2 diabetes later in life
Prognosis
Gestational diabetes generally clears up once the baby is born. However, women diagnosed with gestational diabetes have an increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus in the future. Women requiring insulin to manage gestational diabetes have a 50% risk of developing diabetes within the next five years. |
