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Diabetes Gestational Diabetes

All You Should Know About Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes affects women alone. This type of diabetes occurs when you are expecting a newborn. It might not show in the first trimester of the pregnancy, but between 24 – 28 weeks of a pregnancy, it will begin to exhibit concrete signs and symptoms. This happens when the body produces excess glucose. This have a great effect on your pregnancy as well as general health of the baby.

No woman would like to have complications when expecting a child. Women who are at the risk of gestational diabetes could prevent and control this disease by eating healthy, balanced meals, doing regular exercises, and taking recommended medication for the disease.

Signs and Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes

Though there could be no direct signs and symptoms of diabetes during pregnancy, it could be identified with regular exams carried out during your pregnancy period. These signs will exhibit when glucose levels are abnormally high. In this case, general symptoms of diabetes will show out. They include:

  • High frequency of urination
  • Increased and continuous thirst
  • Increased, Non-stop hunger

These symptoms gradually decrease after birth of the baby. Your glucose levels get back to normal levels. On rare cases, glucose levels do not get back to normal, and thus have to take diabetes medication to maintain it.

Complications Associated with Gestational Diabetes

Most women who have gestational diabetes have healthy babies. However, if the disease was not controlled early enough, it could lead to a number of complications to both the mother and the newborn.

  • Excess Weight: When blood sugar or glucose shoots to high levels, it could lead to more production of insulin. As a result, the baby becomes overly large, a condition known as Macrosomia. This could lead to difficult deliveries or sometimes C-Section delivery.
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome and premature birth: When glucose levels goes too high, the baby may become too big. The doctor may recommend an early delivery. Consequently, pre-term infants have difficulty breathing, a condition known as RDS (Respiratory Distress Syndrome)
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There are other problems related to gestational diabetes. However, sticking to a healthy lifestyle is one choice that will keep you off the disease. Additionally, taking regular diabetic checks during pregnancy could prevent long-term effects.