During pregnancy, some women experience elevated blood sugar levels. This is known as gestational diabetes (GD). A balanced diet and exercise may typically keep it under control, although insulin may sometimes be required to help you manage gestational diabetes. If left untreated, it can create health complications for both you and the fetus. If you face health complications during pregnancy, get expert legal advice today and determine your options.
What is gestational diabetes?
GD or gestational diabetes is a kind of diabetes that arises during pregnancy and is characterized by unusually high blood sugar levels. GD generally manifests between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.
Developing GD does not imply that you had diabetes before becoming pregnant. The disorder appears as a result of pregnancy. Regarding pregnancy, people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes have unique obstacles.
Is gestational diabetes during pregnancy common?
Gestational diabetes affects between 2% and 10% of pregnant women in the United States.
Causes of gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is caused by hormonal changes and how our bodies transform food into energy.
Insulin is a hormone that breaks down glucose (sugar) from meals and transports it to our cells. Insulin maintains a healthy level of glucose in our blood. However, if insulin does not operate properly or is insufficient, sugar builds up in the blood, leading to diabetes.
During pregnancy, hormones may mess with the way insulin works. It may fail to balance your blood sugar levels as it should, which can result in gestational diabetes. Genes and being overweight (BMI above 25) may also have an impact.
Who can get gestational diabetes?
Anyone can acquire gestational diabetes during pregnancy. People over the age of 25 of South and East Asian, Native American, Hispanic, or Pacific Islander heritage, on the other hand, are at a greater risk.
Other variables that may raise your risk of GD are:
- Inactivity.
- High blood pressure.
- Heart disease.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
- Personal or family history of GD.
- Obesity.
- Prediabetes (history of higher-than-normal blood glucose).
- Prior birth of a baby weighing at least nine pounds (lb).
Symptoms of gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is frequently asymptomatic. However, some people have:
- Thirst.
- Nausea.
- Frequent urination.
- Tiredness.
Warning signs of gestational diabetes
There are generally no symptoms of gestational diabetes. The symptoms are minor and generally go undiscovered until the second trimester of pregnancy when you are tested for diabetes.
Can diet cause gestational diabetes?
Diet can contribute to the development of gestational diabetes, but it does not cause diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs when the hormones your placenta produces interfere with your capacity to use or produce insulin. Insulin aids your body in maintaining the proper level of glucose in your blood. Diabetes causes an abnormally high level of sugar in the blood.
