Oct 07 2008
Gestational Diabetes Symptoms and Diet
It is not possible to determine whether you are susceptible to or experiencing early gestational diabetes symptoms before your first pregnancy until the condition becomes apparent – which is most likely to happen at about 28 weeks.
A growing baby and the hormones your body produces increase the demand for insulin, and if your body is unable to meet this need, your blood glucose level will rise above normal. You will need a laboratory blood test to accurately diagnose your gestational diabetes symptoms and specialist antenatal care if you are found to have the condition.
Gestational diabetes usually disappears once your baby is born, but occasionally you may develop permanent Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes while you are pregnant. If you develop gestational diabetes symptoms, you have an increased risk of gestational diabetes in future pregnancies and of developing permanent Type 2 diabetes in later years. You can reduce the likelihood of this happening by taking regular physical activity, following a healthy low sugar gestational diabetes diet and keeping your weight in the recommended range.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The first sign of gestational diabetes symptoms is often a positive urine test for glucose. However, because it is common for pregnant women to have glucose in their urine, you will need to have one of two laboratory blood tests – a fasting or a random blood glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test to confirm your diagnosis. If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you will receive the same antenatal care as any other woman with diabetes who is pregnant, to limit the risks to yourself and your baby.
Depending on your blood glucose level at diagnosis, the stage of your pregnancy and what type of gestational diabetes diet you may have been following, your initial treatment may involve adjusting your food intake. If you have been eating a lot of high-sugar foods, large meals containing lots of carbohydrate, or having sugary drinks, limiting these can make a big difference immediately to your blood glucose level.
A healthy gestational diabetes diet means you should aim to keep your pre-meal blood glucose level between 4-6 millimoles per liter and 2 hours after meals at 4-7 millimoles per liter. Your health professional will show you how to test your own blood glucose level to reveal how effective any changes to your eating habits have been.
If your healthy diet for gestational diabetes is not enough to keep your blood glucose level in the recommended range, you will be offered a diabetes treatment like insulin injections. Tablets used to treat diabetes cannot be taken during pregnancy because there is a risk that they may harm your baby, whereas insulin is perfectly safe to use. You may need up to four injections each day to maintain tight control of your blood glucose level.
Birth and Postnatal Care
Because there is a possibility that your baby will need to be delivered by Caesarean section or require care in a special unit once he or she is born, you will probably be advised to have your baby in hospital. During labor, you may also need a glucose drip and an insulin infusion and more frequent monitoring of your blood pressure and your baby’s movements and progress.
As soon as your baby is born, your body’s need for insulin will reduce dramatically, so your gestational diabetes symptoms may very well subside and you will probably no longer require insulin treatment or need to check your blood glucose level. However, because there is a small risk of developing permanent Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes when you are pregnant, you will either have a continuing need for insulin treatment or have an oral glucose tolerance test six weeks after the birth of your baby to check that your body is still able to use glucose properly. For this reason, you may wish to continue to check your blood glucose level yourself for the few weeks before your formal glucose test, and continue to follow your gestational diabetes diet for a few weeks after getting home.
Whatever you do, you should be aware of all the gestational diabetes symptoms and see your health professional as soon as possible if you experience any of them.
Once you have had gestational diabetes, it is likely to recur in future pregnancies. You are also much more likely to develop Type 1 diabetes later in life. If you are overweight, if other family members have Type 2 diabetes, or if your family comes from South Asia, Africa, or the Caribbean, your risk is even greater.
Once you have had gestational diabetes, you will need a fasting blood glucose test or oral glucose tolerance test at least every three years to check for Type 2 diabetes.
You can delay or even prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes by keeping your weight in the recommended range for your height, keeping to a healthy gestational diabetes diet and making sure you get some regular physical activity and exercise. If you experience any symptoms of diabetes, see your health professional.