Diagnosis and management of gestational diabetes are essential
Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy, typically developing around 24 weeks. Diagnosing and managing diabetes during pregnancy are essential to the health of both the mother and the baby.
Identifying diabetes during pregnancy
Insulin is used by the body to regulate blood sugar. During pregnancy, women use insulin less efficiently. Most women can produce and use insulin well enough to overcome insulin resistance, but when their body cannot, their blood sugar can become too high, resulting in gestational diabetes.
Women who have developed diabetes while pregnant often don’t show any symptoms. If present, symptoms may only include feeling thirstier or needing to urinate more than usual. The lack of symptoms makes testing critical.
Testing the mother’s blood sugar levels
Testing includes the glucose challenge test and oral glucose tolerance test. In both tests, a woman drinks a sugary drink, followed by a blood test.
Testing occurs for all women between 24 and 28 weeks, but if a woman has an increased risk, her doctor may test earlier in the pregnancy.
What are the risk factors for gestational diabetes?
Several factors are associated with an increased risk of a woman developing diabetes during pregnancy.
- Overweight
- Gestational diabetes with a previous pregnancy
- Prediabetic
- A close relative with type 2 diabetes
- PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)
- African American, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic or Latino, Alaska Native, or Pacific Islander American
Women with these risk factors have a greater likelihood of developing diabetes while pregnant, and our OBGYNs will consider that in their prenatal care.
Diabetes can cause complications for pregnant women
Monitoring and treatment during pregnancy are necessary because diabetes can cause complications for the baby, including premature birth, breathing problems and low blood sugar.
Potential complications for the mother include preeclampsia, which is a life-threatening complication, and increased risk of Cesarean section. Gestational diabetes also increases the risk of a woman developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Controlling blood sugar is the goal
The goal of treatment is to bring a woman’s blood sugar level into the normal range. Healthy eating and physical activity are the first two steps to managing a woman’s blood sugar. Women should follow their doctors’ advice for the right amount of exercise.
If diet and exercise modifications are insufficient, the doctor may add a medication, such as insulin. Safe for your baby, this medicine is used regularly to manage diabetes during pregnancy.
Your doctor may have you check your blood sugar regularly at home using a blood glucose meter to ensure it is within normal range.
Keys to prevention
If you are not yet pregnant, but have risk factors for developing gestational diabetes, you can decrease your risk level by making healthy lifestyle changes before becoming pregnant. Losing weight and increasing physical activity are two significant steps toward a healthy pregnancy.
Our San Antonio OBGYNs can help you have a healthy pregnancy and baby. Contact Legacy Women’s Health for an appointment.
