Gestational Diabetes

What Is It?

Gestational Diabetes means you have a high blood sugar level that happens during pregnancy. The condition usually resolves itself after your baby is born.

Gestational Diabetes begins in your second trimester. If you develop diabets in pregancy it means that either your body isnt releasing enough insulin or your cells arnt responding to it. The result is that your blood sugar remains high, this can have a number of effects on you and your baby.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes are uncommon. This is because the condition is usually diagnosed from screening tests before symptoms develop. However, if diabetes isnt detected or treated you may have the following symptoms :

feeling thirsty more often than usual

needing to urinate more often

having infections which affect your urinary tract

 

These symptoms aren’t always caused by gestational diabetes. If you notice any of these symptoms, see your doctor.

CAUSES

There are a number of factors that can increase your risk of getting Gestational Diabetes. You are more at risk if you:

Are overweight or obese

Have given birth to a baby that wieghed 4.5KG or more

Had Gestational Diabetes in a previous pregnancy

Have a close relative with Diabetes

Have Polycystic overies syndriome

Your ethnic group may also increase your risk of it. The condition is more common in people with a South Asian, Black Carrabian, or a Middle Eastern background.

TREATMENT

If you’re diagnosed with diabetes, you should be offered an appointment with a joint diabetes and antenatal clinic. The doctors and nurses here will be experienced in looking after pregnant women with diabetes. You will have more frequent antenatal appointments than women who don't have gestational diabetes.

Your treatment will be aimed at keeping your blood sugar lowered enough to help prevent complications. You will need to regularly test your blood sugar