gestational diabetes

The Complications Of Gestational Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition where the person has problems regarding production of insulin or absorption of insulin in the tissues. In some cases, a pregnant woman who does not have diabetes might find herself exhibiting symptoms of the condition. This is known as gestational diabetes. This limited type of diabetes actually lasts as long as the pregnancy and is resolved a few weeks or days after the woman gives birth.

This type of diabetes can be detected through blood testing when the mother-to-be is around her fourth to sixth month. There is actually no other way of finding out if you have gestational diabetes except for blood testing. The symptoms of this type of diabetes can be mistaken as monthly pregnancy symptoms and the condition may be overlooked because of this.

Symptoms Of Gestational Diabetes

The symptoms of gestational diabetes are the same as the early signs of diabetes but they seldom progress to the more serious stage because the pregnancy only last nine months. Some of the symptoms include feeling excessively thirsty, frequent urination, drinking lots of fluids. Other symptoms of gestational diabetes are fatigue, nausea, yeast and bladder infections and sometimes blurry vision.

The Risk Of Gestational Diabetes

There are risks of complications when a soon-to-be mother has gestational diabetes. The complications usually involve the unborn child. These complications are chemical imbalance after the birth of the child and some growth abnormalities. A risk of having a low level of blood glucose may also occur in babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes as well as jaundice, low blood calcium and high red blood cell mass. The child may also be larger or smaller than the average newborns. Having a large child can lead to caesarean section birth or the use of instruments to extract the infant.

Women who have experienced gestational diabetes are more susceptible to diabetes later on. They may also experience a repeat of gestational diabetes with their other succeeding pregnancies. Treating this type of diabetes can be as easy as controlling your diet or taking medication prescribed by your medical practitioner. The medications available in the market today for gestational diabetes are safe for the unborn child and the soon to be mother.

The key to managing this type of diabetes is early detection and controlling the kinds of foods you eat. There is actually no great sacrifice to be done since this condition usually lasts until a few weeks after the mother has given birth. These precautions are for the safety of the mother and the unborn child.