Diabetes in Pregnancy (Gestational Diabetes)

Ten years ago, doctors used to tell late women with diabetes that it was not safe for them to get pregnant and advised them not to have children. The rapid advances in medicine have made it natural for young women with diabetes to give birth to healthy babies. During pregnancy, many hormones are produced in the womb, including estrogen. These hormones raise blood sugar levels. Because the pancreas cannot respond properly to this change in metabolism, diabetes develops. However, gestational diabetes goes away after the birth.
I have diabetes and want to get pregnant. What should I do?
First of all, the diabetic woman must prepare herself physically, emotionally and psychologically for the nine months of pregnancy, which can be very demanding. The full support of family and husband is very important at this point. Then she should consult an endocronologist, a specialist in hormone diseases, and normalize her blood sugar 3 months before conception. This approach reduces the likelihood of disability in the baby.
Risk factors for gestational diabetes
Risk factors include advanced age, overweight, a family history of diabetes or diabetes in a previous pregnancy. However, gestational diabetes can also occur in people with no risk factors.
How to diagnose gestational diabetes
Pregnant women are tested for diabetes from the sixth month of pregnancy. Those with a family history of diabetes, those who become pregnant at an advanced age and those who are overweight should be tested earlier. The pregnant woman is given 50 g of glucose and if the blood glucose level is below 140 mg/dl after one hour, there is no diabetes. If it is above 140 mg/dl, a 3-hour loading with 100 g of glucose is required. As a result of the 3-hour loading, it is clear whether gestational diabetes is present or not. The disease is usually tested in the 24-28th week of pregnancy and treatment is started.
Will my baby be born with diabetes
When the mother has gestational diabetes, there is no risk of congenital diabetes in the baby.
What are the consequences of gestational diabetes
There may be an increase in the baby’s birth weight (large size). Your doctor will recognize this problem and order an ultrasonographic examination. If it is determined that the baby is too big, a caesarean section may be necessary. The aim of treating gestational diabetes is to prevent the baby from getting bigger and to reduce the risks during delivery. Other serious problems that may occur in the baby after birth are low blood sugar, low calcium levels in the baby’s blood, breathing difficulties due to incomplete lung development and jaundice. Babies born to pregnant women whose blood sugar cannot be controlled may experience excessive weight gain during childhood. Mothers who develop gestational diabetes have a high rate of developing persistent diabetes after pregnancy.
How to treat gestational diabetes
When gestational diabetes is diagnosed, you need a special diet, blood glucose monitoring and, if necessary, insulin treatment, which will be administered by an endocronologist and dietitian. During pregnancy, the mother’s caloric requirement increases and the diet should be such that the mother’s blood sugar level is normalized but the baby is provided with all the nutrients, minerals and vitamins without interfering with its development. If diet therapy is inadequate, it is necessary to buy a glucometer, which we call a glucometer, measure blood sugar in fasting and satiety, and start insulin therapy.
Do I need an insulin injection?
Between 10% and 25% of women with gestational diabetes require insulin injections to lower blood glucose levels. Whether or not mothers need insulin cannot be determined at the time of diagnosis. Insulin treatment does not harm the baby.
What awaits me at the end of pregnancy
The healthy eating pattern we follow during pregnancy should be the basis for your future diet. A sugar loading test 12 weeks after delivery is recommended to prove that diabetes is only related to pregnancy.
Important notes
– Constipation : Constipation can be a problem during pregnancy. Your dietitian will advise you to eat carbohydrates containing fiber. Laxatives should be avoided. This is because they may contain large amounts of glucose.
– Meals : Towards the end of pregnancy, you may develop a tendency to go to bed early and get up late. This means that your meals are compressed into a short period of time. In terms of diabetes, it is very important to spread your meals as much as possible throughout the day so that your body is not overwhelmed with too much food in 8 hours and has to starve for 16 hours during the night. People with gestational diabetes should eat three main meals and three snacks.
– Sweeteners : You should pay attention to products labeled as “suitable for diabetics”, “no added sugar” or “natural”. Sweeteners should not be used during pregnancy.
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