Diabetes is a medical condition wherein the body does not produce sufficient quantities of insulin to allow for the efficient transportation and use of sugars within the body. The body uses these sugars as a source of energy. The hormone insulin acts as a delivery agent, ensuring that the glucose (sugars) can enter and be used by the muscles and organs of the body. When insulin levels are low, the glucose cannot be delivered to the cells of the body and instead build up in the blood stream, starving the cells of the energy they need to work properly.
When diabetes occurs as a direct result of pregnancy it is termed gestational diabetes and is a temporary condition, which normally dissipates shortly after delivery. Nonetheless it is a very serious condition and needs to be treated by a doctor. Women who suffer from gestational diabetes have a high incidence of acquiring diabetes later in life.
Women with gestational diabetes normally have very high levels of insulin, however other hormones produced during the pregnancy inhibit the insulin from working effectively.
Testing for Diabetes:
The Council on Diabetes in Pregnancy of the American Diabetes Association recommends that all women be tested for gestational diabetes. This is especially important if:
You have a family history of diabetes
You are obese
You're over the age of 25
The Test
The initial test used to detect gestational diabetes is a glucose tolerance test.
At the doctor's office you are given a glass of glucose to drink.
You wait one hour, then blood is drawn and your blood sugar level is measured.
If your blood sugar level is very high, you will need to come back for a three-hour glucose tolerance test.
For the three-hour glucose tolerance test, you must fast the night before, unlike the one-hour test where you are allowed to eat normally. For three days, preceding the test, you will also need to a specific diet.
When you get to the doctors office blood is drawn and your blood sugar level measured.
You drink a glass of glucose, and every hour for the next three, blood will be drawn.
If two or more of these tests indicate high sugar levels, you will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
Effects upon the baby:
Gestational diabetes can cause the baby to grow very large, which can result in a difficulty delivery.
Gestational diabetes can also cause the baby to be born with a low sugar level, but this is treatable.
The main complications that can arise are due to the mother already having diabetes, not gestation diabetes. Diabetes, if untreated, can cause serious complications for the mother and it puts the baby at risk of developing malformations or being stillborn.
Control:
Gestational diabetes can often be controlled by diet alone. Some cases, however, require the administration of insulin.
You will be given a diet to follow to help control the diabetes.
You will need to check your blood sugar on a regular basis. This can easily be done at home with a home testing kit.
If your doctor puts you on insulin, you will need to make a biweekly visit to the doctors for so that your progress can be monitored.
Your baby's development will also need to be monitored, and there are a variety of tests which will be used.
Moderate exercise is also recommended.
Delivery:
In most instances, a woman with gestational diabetes will have a normal delivery, although a cesarean may be recommended if the baby is very large.
In rare instances a mother may suddenly develop preeclampsia (high blood pressure). Consequently, premature labor may be induced.
Recurrence:
Once the baby has been delivered, hormone and insulin levels should return to normal. If your insulin levels do not return to normal within a few days after delivery, you may have already been suffering from diabetes before the pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes is a sign that a woman is at risk of developing diabetes later in life and that she should take steps now to reduce her risk by exercising and eating a balanced diet.
Women who have had diabetes during on pregnancy are likely to develop it again in all subsequent pregnancies and should be monitored for its development.
