Sugar is a sweetener with a complicated reputation. In the form of glucose, it’s essential to fueling your body and keeping you functioning, but too much of it can lead to illnesses that can be fatal.
Diabetes is a group of diseases due to too much sugar in the blood. It’s a worldwide problem and a leading cause of death in America, with nearly 400,000 people dying from it as recently as 2021.
November is National Diabetes Awareness month, and today we’re going to look at a type of this chronic illness that can affect pregnant women: gestational diabetes.
Pregnant women in the Lake Mary, Florida, area looking for help with conditions during pregnancy like gestational diabetes can find help at the office of Dr. Christopher Quinsey and our medical team.
To understand the disease and what you can do to avoid it, let’s look at what it is, what increases your chances of getting it, and what you can do to prevent it during your pregnancy.
Hyperglycemia is the term for the high glucose levels in your blood that cause diabetes. With pregnant women, this can result from the hormones from your placenta blocking the production of insulin, which is a hormone produced by the pancreas.
Insulin is vital in regulating the amount of glucose in your bloodstream. Having hyperglycemia during pregnancy can lead to hypertension during pregnancy (preeclampsia) or an enlarged fetus that may require a C-section.
Pregnant women with gestational diabetes have a greater risk of their child dealing with increased birth weight, breathing issues after being born, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), obesity, or premature birth. They may also develop Type 2 diabetes as they get older.
The placental hormone (human placental lactogen, or hPL) or other hormones produced during pregnancy can create problems for insulin production. The factors that can lead to it include:
If you’ve had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy, your chances are also greater.
Signs of this illness are generally mild and include blurred vision, fatigue, yeast infections, a strong urge to urinate, and excessive thirst.
Here are the some steps you can take to reduce your risk of gestational diabetes:
Reducing blood glucose is about getting your body to use more energy, and becoming more active is a key way to help. Do exercises that suit your trimester and physical abilities.
Appetites do change in different ways during pregnancy, but the focus should be on eating foods that are good for you. This means more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and unsweetened foods.
Since obesity is a factor in developing this illness, losing weight before getting pregnant is a helpful way to reduce your risks. Weight loss is not generally recommended while carrying a child, but there are circumstances when we may feel it necessary if excess weight endangers your health.
To prevent gestational diabetes, prepare by incorporating these healthy habits before you get pregnant. And if you’ve had this illness before, we can test for risk factors and manage treatment options before you have another baby.
To reduce your risk for gestational diabetes, make as many healthy changes before and during pregnancy as possible. If you’re having a baby and have concerns about this or other possible problems, make an appointment with Dr. Quinsey and our team today.
