How to Diagnose and Treat Diabetes in Pregnancy

All women who had been pregnant went through the hardships, unwanted symptoms and possible complications brought by pregnancy. During this period, simple cautions play a big factor in preventing serious difficulties. Based on study, 18% of pregnancies suffer from gestational diabetes which can both be harmful to the mother and the baby but given proper instructions and discipline on diet, we can cut off the cause.

[wp_ad_camp_4]Gestational diabetes is a condition wherein a pregnant lady’s body is unable to make use of her insulin resulting to high sugar level. Glucose loses its ability to leave the blood and convert it to energy. There are no obvious symptoms for gestational diabetes since frequent urination, increase thirst and tiredness are usual in pregnancy. However, there are routine blood tests that can track its presence.

1) Glucose Challenge Test

First option is a screening glucose challenge test which requires the pregnant lady to drink a sugary beverage and have her blood drawn after 50-60 minutes for evaluation. If it is not within the normal range, an oral glucose challenge test can be done. They will get your baseline sugar level then will be calculated again after 1, 2 and 3 hours from the time you finish drinking the sugary beverage.

2) Glycated Hemoglobin

Glycated hemoglobin is another test for diabetes. This time, they will get a blood sample to analyze and monitor your average glucose level for the past months.

Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes can still undergo safe delivery given proper care and close monitoring. However, if left untreated, chances are high wherein the baby might also catch high levels of glucose and other complications. These include the following:

• Large fetus
• High risks for jaundice and respiratory distress syndrome which can lead do death before or after birth.
• If gestational diabetes is present during early stages of pregnancy, there are also increased chances of miscarriages, birth defects and diabetes even after delivery.
• Preeclampsia is another complication of GDM, a condition wherein the patient has high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Because of this, most of them have to go through Caesarian Section for delivery due to big babies.

[wp_ad_camp_2]The solution and treatment for gestational diabetes is discipline. Keeping a close track of your glucose level is a must and the goal is to maintain a low level until time of delivery. You need to follow a healthy meal plan with low calorie along with working out. These are important points in dealing with GDM. Above all, have regular check-ups as the treatment may change. There are still chances of having a normal delivery if your body is responding well to diet and exercise.

When you feel tired of following the rules, always remind yourself that it will not only benefit you but more importantly, it will prevent your baby from catching complications. The greatest reward to a hard work is seeing your baby very healthy.