What is the main cause of gestational diabetes?

What is the main cause of gestational diabetes?

During pregnancy, your placenta makes hormones that cause glucose to build up in your blood. Usually, your pancreas can send out enough insulin to handle it. But if your body can’t make enough insulin or stops using insulin as it should, your blood sugar levels rise, and you get gestational diabetes.

What are the warning signs of gestational diabetes?

Warning Signs of Gestational Diabetes

• Sugar in the urine.
• Unusual thirst.
• Frequent urination.
• Fatigue.
• Nausea.
• Blurred vision.
• Vaginal, bladder and skin infections.

Can gestational diabetes hurt the baby?

If untreated, gestational diabetes can cause problems for your baby, like premature birth and stillbirth. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after you have your baby; but if you have it, you’re more likely to develop diabetes later in life.

Can I get rid of my gestational diabetes?

Unlike other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes usually goes away on its own and soon after delivery blood sugar levels return to normal, says Dr. Tania Esakoff, clinical director of the Prenatal Diagnosis Center. “There is no need for gestational diabetes to take away from the joys of pregnancy.”

Is gestational diabetes my fault?

IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT! This is due to the hormones released from the placenta. Those who are not diabetic are able to increase insulin production sufficiently enough. Those who cannot increase insulin production enough, or cannot use the insulin that is there effectively enough, are diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

What happens if you test positive for gestational diabetes?

In fact, only about a third of women who test positive on the glucose screening test actually have the condition. If you test positive, you’ll need to take the glucose tolerance test (GTT) – a longer, more definitive test that tells you for sure whether you have gestational diabetes.

What happens to baby when mom has gestational diabetes?

Babies of mothers who have gestational diabetes have a higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life. Stillbirth. Untreated gestational diabetes can result in a baby’s death either before or shortly after birth.

Can you have a normal size baby with gestational diabetes?

The research involved 202 women who were controlling their gestational diabetes with diet, and found their babies on average were slightly smaller compared to healthy pregnant women in the control group.

Does drinking a lot of water help with gestational diabetes?

As water contains no carbohydrate or calories, it is the perfect drink for pregnant women. Studies have also shown that drinking water could help control glucose levels. Drink a large glass of water with every meal and another glass in between meals. “Water was key to keeping my glucose levels stable.

Can a skinny person get gestational diabetes?

You don’t have to be overweight to have gestational diabetes or other fertility problems, like PCOS. Doctor Orr says, “What people need to realise is skinny people can have gestational diabetes too. It isn’t about the weight necessarily, and what some people think is healthy, may not be healthy at all.

Is gestational diabetes serious?

Gestational diabetes raises your risk of high blood pressure, as well as preeclampsia — a serious complication of pregnancy that causes high blood pressure and other symptoms that can threaten the lives of both mother and baby.

Can you have a small baby with gestational diabetes?

But, in rare cases, if gestational diabetes comes on early and is not controlled, placental issues can lead to a smaller-than-average baby and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

What to do if you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes?

If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, lifestyle changes can help you control it. You will need to follow a diet suggested by your doctor, exercise regularly, and have frequent blood tests to check your blood sugar level. Doing these things may not be enough to keep your blood sugar at a normal level.

What happens if I am diagnosed with gestational diabetes?

Women with gestational diabetes are typically considered to have high-risk pregnancies as soon as they are diagnosed, and doctors normally do everything they can to ensure that the remainder of the pregnancy, labor, and delivery go as smoothly as possible. The most common of the effects of gestational diabetes on the baby is large birth weight.

What is gestational diabetes and why does it occur?

Gestational diabetes occurs when your body can’t make enough insulin during your pregnancy. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into the cells in your body for use as energy. During pregnancy, your body makes more hormones and goes through other changes, such as weight gain.

What do I need to know about gestational diabetes?

What is Gestational Diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that occurs in pregnant women who have not previously been diagnosed as diabetic. Symptoms of gestational diabetes typically appear during the middle of pregnancy, and OB/GYNs will routinely administer a glucose tolerance test at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy.