How To Deal With Gestational Diabetes

Pregnancy Complications During Gestational Diabetes

Even when gestational diabetes doesnt directly influence the long-term risks of type 2 diabetes, women who develop it may have had a risk of type 2 diabetes all along. According to Dr. Lorrain Lipscombe from the Centre for Integrated Diabetes Care, the occurrence of GDM is like early symptom, indicating abnormalities in the way of insulin secretion. It is certainly an early sign that can lead to type 2 diabetes later in life.

The main cause of GDM is, in fact, the abnormal insulin secretion, which spikes up the blood sugar in the body. There are many complications that may occur for both the pregnant mother and the baby. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the following problems may arise.

Preeclampsia

Visible symptoms of Preeclampsia in a pregnant woman are the presence of protein in her urine, excessive swelling in the toes and fingers along with high blood pressure. This is a grave health condition that has to be monitored and controlled by a doctor before it gets out of hand.

High blood pressure is extremely dangerous to both the mother and the fetus. It can lead to premature births and may even cause a stroke or a seizure during both labor and delivery. Women who already have diabetes have a higher risk of higher BP than those who dont have diabetes. Increase Fetal Weight

Cesarean Section

Hypoglycemia

How To Deal With Gestational Diabetes For A Healthier Pregnancy

Gestational diabetes affects 10% of pregnant women in the United States. It can go unnoticed for many months, and although it is relatively harmless, it can cause disorders if not treated effectively. The good news about all of this is that, there are many changes in your lifestyle that can greatly help you manage, improve and even help you avoid gestational diabetes from the beginning. If you are pregnant, this article will be very useful to you. Ready? Lets begin.

What is gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are high, and your body is unable to process that sugar.

In the normal functioning of the body there are two hormones that regulate the amount of glucose in the blood. These two hormones are produced in the pancreas.

Insulin is the hormone that is produced when after eating food, glucose levels rise, insulin is the one that helps that glucose get into the different cells of the body to be used as an energy source. In some cases, this glucose is stored as glycogen to be used as energy between meals.

The second hormone is glucagon. This last hormone is release when receptors alert the brain that blood glucose levels are low. Glucagon releases the glucose into the blood from the reservoirs to be used as an energy source.

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that develops in some women during pregnancy.

Symptoms of gestational diabetes.

Do Exercise To Improve Blood Sugar

Appropriate regular physical activity is often recommended during pregnancy, even without diabetes. But if you have gestational diabetes, being active is a must. Regular exercise is also beneficial to overall health and may help to improve glucose metabolism, advises Heard. Respect your pregnant status and choose exercises that wont put you at risk. For example, swimming, water aerobics, and walking are all great choices, while high-impact aerobics or activities such as basketball, which could lead to impacts or falls, should be sidelined for a while.

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Do Eat Carbohydrates On Your Gestational Diabetes Meal Plan

Brace yourself: Carbohydrates are an important part of your gestational diabetes diet. They are fuel for your body and for your growing baby. The average person needs 135 grams of carbohydrates daily, but if you have gestational diabetes, that increases to 175 grams a day, says registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator Meredith Nguyen, RD, who is a member of the diabetes self-management program staff at Methodist Charlton Medical Center in Dallas. Pregnancy hormones can make it hard to control morning blood sugar, says Nguyen, so you might be spreading carbs more through lunch and dinner. Eating a wide variety of foods, including whole grains, fruits , vegetables, and dairy products, will give you the carbs you need. High-fiber or low-glycemic foods will help keep your blood sugar more even and help you feel full longer as well.

What Is And How To Deal With Gestational Diabetes

High blood sugars times start happening at or after 24-week of pregnancy is called gestational diabetes. So, what is gestational diabetes? Gestation means pregnancy. As a result, gestational diabetes means diabetes during pregnancy. The reason we give a special name is that diabetes is temporary and specific to pregnancy. A diagnosis of gestational diabetes can develop in a woman without a prior history of diabetes. Its imperative to abide by your doctors advice after diagnosis to keep blood sugar under control. . If you wish to learn about our online diabetes doctors and our telehealth diabetes care center, contact us after you finish reading the article and remember to share with other people who may benefit from the information.

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How Is Gestational Diabetes Managed

If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, its important to follow your doctors advice. Managing the condition and keeping your blood glucose levels under control helps avoid complications for both you and your baby.

You may be referred to an obstetrician and dietitian and may need more frequent antenatal appointments and regular monitoring of your blood sugar levels.

What Are The Warning Signs Of Gestational Diabetes

You probably wont know you have gestational d. because there usually arent noticeable symptoms.

Thats why screening for gestational d. between your second to third trimester is so important.

In some rare cases, patients with extremely high blood sugar may feel tired, thirsty and need to urinate more than usual.

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Do Learn More About A Gestational Diabetes Diet

Learning that you have gestational diabetes means you also must learn fairly quickly about the diabetes management skills that all people with diabetes must know. Meeting with a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator can help you get started. A CDE can teach you when and how to check your blood sugar, how to adjust your gestational diabetes diet plan and exercise habits to keep your blood sugar under control, and how to take any medications you might have been prescribed to help control your gestational diabetes.

Know Your Blood Sugar Level

To control your blood sugar, you will need to test it regularly, up to four times per day:

• First thing in the morning before you eat
• One to two hours after breakfast
• One to two hours after lunch
• One to two hours after dinner

Many patients keep track of their blood sugar levels in a journal, including information about diet, exercise, and sleep, so they can determine how certain foods or activities affect them.

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Checking Your Blood Sugar

You can see how well you are doing by testing your blood sugar level at home. Your provider may ask you to check your blood sugar several times each day.

The most common way to check is by pricking your finger and drawing a drop of blood. Then, you place the blood drop in a monitor that measures your blood glucose. If the result is too high or too low, you will need to closely monitor your blood sugar level.

Your providers will follow your blood sugar level with you. Make sure you know what your blood sugar level should be.

Managing your blood sugar can seem like a lot of work. But many women are motivated by their desire to make sure both they and their baby have the best possible outcome.

Testing For Gestational Diabetes

Its important to be tested for gestational diabetes so you can begin treatment to protect your health and your babys health.

Gestational diabetes usually develops around the 24th week of pregnancy, so youll probably be tested between 24 and 28 weeks.

If youre at higher risk for gestational diabetes, your doctor may test you earlier. Blood sugar thats higher than normal early in your pregnancy may indicate you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes rather than gestational diabetes.

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Do Take Gestational Diabetes Medication As Prescribed

Some women with gestational diabetes will need to take medication to help control their blood sugar. Insulin is one gestational diabetes treatment option. Research thats looked at the fears and concerns of women with gestational diabetes has established that even though about 1 in 3 pregnant women with gestational diabetes might need insulin as part of their gestational diabetes treatment, women worry about the safety of insulin during pregnancy. Research published in Diabetes Care supports that even newer, long-acting insulin is thought to be safe during pregnancy.

Tips On How To Treat Gestational Diabetes Naturally 7 Best Treatments:

In pregnancy, the babies grow and develop thanks to placenta which produces hormones. The action of mothers insulin is decreased by these hormones. So the demand for using insulin in pregnancy is 2 or 3 times higher than normal. If the mothers body cannot produce more insulin to response her needs, gestational diabetes increases. About three to eight percent of women pregnancy gets gestational diabetes. These women who:

• Are over 30 years old.
• Are overweight or obese .
• Have type 2 diabetes in her history family.
• Have previously had a greater than 4.5 kg baby.
• Take antipsychotic or steroid treatments.
• Have had diabetes in pregnancy before.
• Have sugar in their urine.

However, some pregnant women without any factors above also get risk of developing gestational diabetes. You need to begin treatment gestational diabetes immediately because it can hurt you and your baby and even lead to several complications. Here are some tips on how to treat gestational diabetes naturally at home that will help pregnant mothers deal with this disease:

7. Using Astragalus

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Eating A Healthy Diet

Because eating the right diet is central to controlling diabetes, you should not try to “wing it” or create a diet on our own. Instead, work with your healthcare provider to ensure that it is tailored to your specific condition and health.

This includes getting the right balance of carbohydrates to give you the energy and glucose you need but not so much that it throws your blood sugar off balance. This may require you to count your carbs every day and plan your meals around that, making sure you have just the right amount of starches, fruits, vegetables, proteins, milk, and fats.

How We Diagnose Gestational Diabetes

We typically test for gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, but we might check earlier in pregnancy if patients have risk factors. The most common technique we use to diagnose gestational diabetes is the glucose challenge test, which involves women drinking a small bottle of sugar solution and having their blood sugar checked an hour later.

If the glucose challenge test shows high blood sugar levels, women typically undergo a three-hour glucose tolerance test, which is more intense and requires that participants fast beforehand. If the test shows high blood sugar levels, we diagnose the patient with gestational diabetes.

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How To Deal With Gestational Diabetes

If your healthcare provider has told you that you have gestational diabetes during your pregnancy, there are some things you need to do after youve had your baby in order to stay healthy.

Continue the diet and lifestyle changes made during your pregnancy. If youve had GDM with one or more pregnancies, you are likely to get GDM if you get pregnant again. Even if you never have another baby, you are at risk of developing diabetes. The lifestyle changes you made in pregnancy can delay or stop the development of diabetes, including healthy eating, breastfeeding, being active, reducing stress, and getting regular healthcare.

What Is Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus is a condition in which a hormone made by the placenta prevents the body from using insulin effectively. Glucose builds up in the blood instead of being absorbed by the cells.

Unlike type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes is not caused by a lack of insulin, but by other hormones produced during pregnancy that can make insulin less effective, a condition referred to as insulin resistance. Gestational diabetic symptoms disappear following delivery.

Approximately 3 to 8 percent of all pregnant women in the United States are diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

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What Causes Gestational Diabetes

When you are pregnant, your placenta produces hormones to help the baby grow. These hormones also block the action of insulin in your body . Women need 2 to 3 times more insulin when they are pregnant.

If you already have insulin resistance, your body may not be able to cope with this extra demand for insulin. That will lead to blood glucose levels being too high.

You are at higher risk of developing gestational diabetes if you:

• are above the healthy weight range or gaining too much weight in the first half of pregnancy
• are over the age of 35 years
• have a family history of type 2 diabetes
• come from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or some Asian backgrounds
• have had gestational diabetes before
• have had a large baby before
• are taking some types of anti-psychotic or steroid medications

Ways To Manage Gestational Diabetes

Every year, up to 10% of pregnancies in the United States are affected by gestational diabetes. The same hormones that are necessary for your body to nurture a child also make it harder for your body to regulate its blood sugar .

While gestational diabetes can lead to complications such as early birth, the condition is manageable, and most women with gestational diabetes have a healthy pregnancy.

To achieve that healthy pregnancy, though, you must be attentive to your bodys needs. At Arlington Family Practice in Arlington, Massachusetts, our team is experienced at guiding mothers-to-be through gestational diabetes.

Here are five of the best methods weve found for managing the condition.

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What Can Happen Without Gestational Diabetes Treatment

When women with gestational diabetes dont get the care they need, they can expose themselves and their babies to health risks. For example, women with gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of:

Developing diabetes later in life

Preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy

Babies whose mothers have gestational diabetes during pregnancy are at increased risk of:

Birth trauma: The most common birth trauma is nerve injury from shoulder dystocia, or when the babys head delivers but the shoulders remain lodged behind the mothers pubic bone

Jaundice: An excess of bilirubin in the babys blood

Neonatal hypoglycemia: Low blood sugar at birth

When women manage gestational diabetes with a healthy diet and medication , they typically deliver their babies with no setbacks. Make sure to speak to your doctor if you have any questions pertaining to these management options.

To find out whether you or a loved one might benefit from our management methods for gestational diabetes, call or request an appointment online.

Usual Treatments For Gestational Diabetes Include:

A careful diet plan. Its important not to lose weight when you are pregnant. But an experienced dietician can help you find the best way to control your blood sugar levels and get all the nutrients you need. Medication, such as insulin. Depending on your blood sugar levels, your doctor may prescribe insulin injections or other meds. Regular ultrasounds. Sometimes induced birth is the best option for you and the baby.

A good gynecologist will recognize the warning signs, and offer information and help.

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How Can I Get Rid Of Gestational Diabetes

You cant get rid of diabetes during pregnancy, so the best way to lessen its effects is to work closely with your doctor and stick to your treatment plan.

Controlling gestational diabetes depends on:

• Making diet modifications
• Carefully monitoring your blood sugar levels throughout your pregnancy

Follow the recommended weight gain set out by your doctor.

This varies, but generally, the higher your weight is before pregnancy, the less weight you should gain during pregnancy.

Gestational d. that cant be managed through diet and exercise alone requires medications, such as insulin.

The good news is that gestational diabetes often goes away after giving birth.

Eat A Healthy Balanced Diet

Eating a healthy diet is an important part of a treatment plan for gestational diabetes. A healthy diet includes a balance of foods from all the food groups, giving you the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals you need for a healthy pregnancy. For women with gestational diabetes, eating a balanced diet also helps to keep blood sugar levels in the healthy target range. Following a meal plan and eating a healthy diet is a key part of managing gestational diabetes. It is essential that you work with your health care provider to create a plan for your healthy diet. The information in this booklet is for women who have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. These guidelines are not appropriate for all pregnant women.

Carbohydrates

Balancing your diet

• All foods contain some combination of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Fat and protein affect your blood glucose over many hours, but carbohydrate affects it much faster. For this reason, you will need to regulate your intake of foods that are rich in carbohydrate . Your healthcare provider will show you how and your meal plan will help you stay on track.
• It is important to make healthy food choices. Nutritious foods support your babys growth and development, help control your gestational diabetes, and keep you feeling well.
• Controlling your gestational diabetes requires controlling the pattern of your eating. Your meal plan gives you targets for when to eat and how much to eat.

Steps to get started

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