Gestational Diabetes (GSD) typically affects women during pregnancy. Due to the many lifestyle issues we are facing, women are more prone to Gestational Diabetes now. Gestational Diabetes can often lead to type 2 diabetes in later stages of life for women. However, it is not necessary that one may become diabetic permanently. Once the baby is born, one may not have diabetes at all.
Even though Gestational Diabetes is not a permanent state, it is important to remember to stick to a healthy diet and regime as your baby might end up getting affected. Gestational Diabetes does not mean that you will have an unhealthy baby, however, it is necessary to keep your sugar levels in check. Similar to other types of diabetes, Gestational Diabetes affects how well your cells use sugar or glucose in your body.
GSD can cause a spike in your blood sugar levels and hence can affect your and your baby’s health. GSD occurs when your body cannot produce enough insulin to support you and your baby. Since during pregnancy the needs of your body increase, GSD is a common phenomenon which often subsides with a healthy regime after delivery.
If you do not take proper care during pregnancy, for example, eating outside foods and not exercising, GSD can lead to type 2 diabetes, a permanent state of your body insulin levels dropping frequently.Some studies suggest that if you had GSD in your first pregnancy, you are more likely to get it in your second pregnancy as well. Asian and middle-eastern women are most prone to this type of diabetes. However, if you lead a healthy lifestyle with proper diet and exercise, chances are you will not be affected with this kind of diabetes.If you feel thirsty too often or tired for prolonged periods of time, it is important for you to get yourself tested as a precautionary measure and not mistake these symptoms for pregnancy by-effects.
Gestational Diabetes Causes
– Even though Gestational Diabetes is not hereditary, it can affect pregnant women due to many reasons. The most common reason in recent times is lifestyle problems. This is because the lifestyle that we are leading now is full of stress, leaving less time for us to eat clean and stay healthy.
1. One of the foremost reasons of getting Gestational Diabetes is being overweight. Obese and overweight women are more prone to getting Gestational Diabetes than those who follow a healthy regime even before pregnancy. If your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or more, then you are advised to get yourself checked.
2. Secondly, if diabetes runs in your family, there are higher chances of you getting it during pregnancy. Diabetes is an issue which is common in the Indian sub-continent and hence should be looked out for especially if your mother or father is suffering from it.
3. Thirdly, even if you don’t have diabetes but suffer from high blood sugar levels, you are more prone to Gestational Diabetes as high blood sugar levels are bound to lead to GSD during pregnancy as your consumption of foods rich in protein doubles, and this may spike up your blood sugar level even more.
4. You are also most likely to be affected by Gestational Diabetes if you have had it in your previous pregnancy/pregnancies. According to a Mayo Clinic study, women who delivered a baby that weighed more than 4 kilograms are more likely to develop Gestational Diabetes.
5. Lastly, women conceiving after the age of 25 are prone to developing Gestational Diabetes. This has become true in recent times as more and more women are affected by PCOD (polycystic ovarian disease), and PCOD can result in high blood sugar levels. Therefore, if you have PCOD or PCOS, it is important to get screened once just to be on the safer side.
Gestational Diabetes Symptoms
Gestational Diabetes is a condition which is mostly picked up by tests done after the 24th week of your pregnancy. However, there are very few symptoms that would indicate Gestational Diabetes. Therefore, it is important to get yourself checked once you get to know you are pregnant as well.
1. Since the blood sugar levels are mostly in check during the first few months, if you experience signs like extreme tiredness or dry mouth, it is important to get yourself checked once. Do not mistake these signs for after-effects of pregnancy as a healthy pregnancy does not include tiredness or dry mouth in its list.
2. Other than this, if you experience the need to pee more than you usually do, inform your doctor once. Many a times, women mistake peeing a lot with pregnancy after-effects. However, this may be a subtle hint of Gestational Diabetes. It is also important to remember to hydrate yourself enough if you are going through a phase like this as frequent thirst can be another symptom.
3. Other than this, if you see an unusual spike in your blood sugar levels very frequently, consulting your doctor should be on top of your list. Blood sugar levels are bound to rise since the addition of life within requires you to consume food more than you usually do, but if this rise in blood sugar level leads to fatigue, excessive thirst or increased urination, as mentioned above, chances are you’re on the radar of Gestational Diabetes.
4. Gestational Diabetes can occur due to many reasons and the symptoms of this kind of diabetes are very mild, therefore it is important for you to keep a check on all the after-effects of pregnancy and reporting them to your doctor to be on the safer side.
The first and the foremost thing to do when diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes is to consult a clinical nutritionist who can help you with your diet chart. One should not even think about looking online for diet chart consultation during pregnancy as every body and every pregnancy is different and should be dealt with that way.Preventing Gestational Diabetes has become difficult in recent times as our markets are loaded with pesticide and fertilized processed foods which are harmful to us. These may end up increasing our blood sugar levels even if we follow a healthy active lifestyle.
However, following are the ways through which one can prevent Gestational Diabetes:
1. Following a proper diet and exercise regime even after you are tested positive for pregnancy. Many women stop exercising and start hogging on unhealthy foods and often end up getting Gestational Diabetes in their 24th week of pregnancy.
3. Including whole grains, rich fiber foods, and protein loaded foods will help you maintain your blood sugar levels. Do not forget to manage your diet with your exercise. This means do not over exert yourself or follow an extreme diet plan which shakes up your body’s fitness level.
4. If you have been obese before pregnancy, do not try to lose weight in an unhealthy manner as it can affect your baby. Always consult your gynaecologist and nutritionist about the same as weight loss during pregnancy is not considered good and help must be taken if you wish to keep Gestational Diabetes at bay.
Disclaimer: All information, data and material has been sourced from multiple authors and is for general information and educational purposes only and are not intended to replace the advice of your treating doctor.
The views and nutritional advice expressed are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.
