Last Updated on December 11, 2024
According to news outlet U.S. News, the current rate of gestational diabetes in first-time mothers has jumped by 30% in the last decade. Although experts have yet to pinpoint any definitive cause for the sudden spike in the disease, those trying to conceive or who are already expecting are advised to read up on the condition.
What is Gestational Diabetes?
Like other forms of diabetes, gestational diabetes affects how the body converts food into energy. What sets gestational diabetes apart, though, is that it only occurs in women who are expecting and who have never had diabetes before their pregnancy. Although there is no specific cause for a woman to develop gestational diabetes, some researchers believe it has to do with drastic hormonal changes. During pregnancy, the body’s cells tend not to use insulin as effectively. This insulin resistance is perceived as one of the biggest factors for women developing gestational diabetes. Typically, gestational diabetes develops in the 2nd trimester. That said, it cannot carry over post-natal, and most women’s blood sugar normalizes after they give birth.
Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes:
Unfortunately, it is very rare for women to experience any specific gestational diabetes symptoms. This is why gynecologists and obstetricians are vigilant with regularly screening blood sugar levels in pregnant women. If any symptoms do manifest, they are usually mistaken as normal issues women tend to content with while being pregnant. For instance, this was the case for actress Salma Hayek who told Parents Magazine that for the majority of her pregnancy, she thought her gestational diabetes was just nausea. Normal pregnancy symptoms which may be a sign of gestational diabetes include:
— Blurred vision
— Excessive urination
— Fatigue
— Snoring
Who is at Risk of Developing This?
While all women can develop gestational diabetes, some factors can increase a woman’s risk factor:
— Being over 25 years of age
— Having a body mass index (BMI) over 24
— Being part of the following ethnicities: African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and Pacific Islanders
— Having a family history of diabetes
Effects of this Disease:
If left untreated, gestational diabetes keeps pregnant mothers’ blood sugar levels dangerously high. As per SymptomFind, normal blood sugar levels should be around 80-99 mg/dL (milligrams of glucose per deciliter) between meals, and not exceed 140 mg/dL after eating. Conversely, someone with gestational diabetes will record blood sugar levels of around 190 mg/dL.
Over time, this extremely high blood sugar level can cause a slew of complications that may affect you even after delivery, when your glucose regulates again. Here are some examples:
May make delivery more difficult
When a mother’s blood sugar levels are too high, her baby is essentially being “overfed”. This can result in an abnormally large baby that may prove too big for a natural birth. This is why many women resort to getting a cesarean section (C-section) instead. Although much more efficient in getting out an extra-large baby, C-sections require a longer recovery time for mothers.
Can cause complications for your baby’s health
Gestational diabetes can seriously affect babies, too. As a consequence of being much larger than usual (over 9lbs), babies may experience nerve damage from the increased pressure necessary for their delivery. They may also be born with breathing problems and low blood sugar. As they grow older, babies born to moms who had gestational diabetes are also at a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes themselves.
It may put you at higher risk for Type 2 diabetes
It is estimated that about 50% of women who have experienced gestational diabetes may go on to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life. With this type of diabetes, your body is still creating insulin but isn’t using it efficiently. Type 2 diabetes can create a domino effect where chronic health problems like heart disease and kidney disease arise. This is why even life insurance underwriters take gestational diabetes as a factor for potential policy holders, as previously explained by Diabetes365 co-founder Matt Schmidt.
How to Treat It:
The good news is that gestational diabetes is treatable. Depending on a woman’s specific circumstances, her medical team may recommend simple lifestyle changes or insulin assistance. Many women will not need to continue taking medication after child birth.
Improved pregnancy diet
In most cases, gestational diabetes is managed with a healthier diet. For starters, your doctor will want to make sure your blood sugar neither drops nor spikes. This means spacing out carb-heavy foods, introducing more healthy fats, and eating every two hours. This helps your body stay fueled for longer, even without insulin injections.
Regular exercise
Staying active is also considered both a great deterrent and treatment for gestational diabetes. Not only does exercise help you stay at a healthier weight. It also helps you regulate your blood sugar, stay more positive, and make labor a little easier. Exercises like strength training and low-impact cardio help strengthen you and your baby. Plus, a study featured on the New York Times even highlighted how a pregnant woman’s exercise habits can contribute to their future child’s wellbeing.
Managing medicine
In the event that your blood sugar regulation needs extra help, your doctor may prescribe insulin injections. Take note, though, that only about 20% of pregnant women with gestational diabetes need these shots. Should you be recommended insulin injections, you’ll typically have to administer them yourself or with the help of a partner. Insulin shots are fairly straightforward to execute, although you do have to follow the doctor’s instructions in terms of time, frequency, and recording your blood sugar before and after.
Having gestational diabetes can be a scary experience, especially for first-time mothers. But by proactively maintaining a healthy lifestyle and understanding the implications that come with gestational diabetes, your health team can protect yourself and your baby from long-term harm.
For more on diabetes prevention and management, check out Diabetes365.
