Diagnosed With Gestational Diabetes? A Warning Sign for Pregnant Women
Hearing that you have gestational diabetes can be quite alarming, as you will most likely be thinking about your child first. You may be wondering whether you did something to cause it, what your diet should be while you are pregnant, whether you would need to take medication, and how it may affect your delivery.
It is important to keep in mind that gestational diabetes does not directly lead to your pregnancy failure, nor does it mean that a woman can’t give birth to healthy babies. Unfortunately, what it signifies about your body is that it fails to regulate blood glucose levels during pregnancy properly.
The good news is that gestational diabetes is manageable and not a serious condition with the help of a proper diet, exercise, blood glucose measurements, and medication when needed.
This article describes what happens after being diagnosed, how gestational diabetes affects your pregnancy, how you can manage it, and what you need to know after your delivery.
What Is Gestational Diabetes?
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) refers to diabetes that is discovered for the first time during pregnancy.
During pregnancy, hormones secreted by the placenta may make the cells of the body resistant to insulin. Insulin usually plays the role of moving glucose into the cells, where it serves its purpose of providing energy to them.
When insulin does not work effectively, it means that the pancreas has to produce more insulin in order to maintain normal blood sugar levels. If production is insufficient, the blood glucose levels go up, resulting in Gestational diabetes.
GDM is commonly known to manifest itself in the second or third trimester without showing any symptoms indicating its presence.
Importantly, having gestational diabetes does not necessarily mean you had diabetes before pregnancy.
Why Does Gestational Diabetes Happen?
There is no one single reason for this condition.
Pregnancy alters the body’s processing of glucose, and some women might become more/less resistant to insulin than others.
Significant risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) that may need consideration:
- History of previous GDM
- Prior family history of type 2 diabetes
- Being overweight
- Polycystic ovarian disease
- Ethnic groups with an elevated risk of diabetes
- Having given birth to bigger than average babies in the past
- Maternal age
Nonetheless, women without apparent risk factors can suffer from gestational diabetes.
So it cannot be concluded that the woman did something wrong or had a poor diet plan based on being diagnosed with gestational diabetes alone.
What Happens After a Gestational Diabetes Diagnosis?
Upon the diagnosis of gestational diabetes, a personalized treatment and management program follows. The intention is to keep the blood sugar levels within the parameters set by the physician while still ensuring proper nutrition for the pregnancy.
The treatment typically begins with lifestyle adjustments:
Blood glucose monitoring: You may be asked to take your blood glucose readings at certain times, including before meals and at various times throughout the day to observe how your body responds to food and exercise.
Changes in diet/Nutrition: Your doctor or dietitian will help you change your meal size, food preferences, carbohydrate intake, and meal timing. The objective of these changes is to balance nutrients while still consuming the right amount of carbohydrates.
Physical exercise: If suitable in the case of your pregnancy, regular appropriate exercises will help you improve insulin sensitivity and regulate blood sugar levels.
The healthcare team assigned will review your glucose readings and then determine whether these measures are effective in keeping your blood glucose within your prescribed target goals.
What If Lifestyle Changes Are Not Enough?
Certain women may still have elevated levels of blood glucose despite their adherence to dietary and exercise guidelines. In such situations, medication may be introduced into their treatment plan.
Insulin is commonly recommended during pregnancy as the treatment for women who require medication support. In addition to insulin, other glucose-lowering agents may be prescribed depending on the circumstances and recommendations from clinical specialists.
Furthermore, just because medication is required does not mean that patients have failed to manage gestational diabetes, as insulin resistance can develop during various stages of progressing pregnancy.
Do not start, stop, or change diabetes medication during pregnancy without guidance from your healthcare provider.
How Is Treatment Monitored?
Once you have a diet or medication, treatment doesn’t stop. The monitoring of your blood sugar levels, pregnancy developments, and other details will help your healthcare professionals assess if treatment is effective.
Your treatment plan may therefore vary as your pregnancy keeps progressing.
What Should You Eat With Gestational Diabetes?
Getting diagnosed with GDM does not restrict your diet too much or prevent you from including carbohydrates as a part of your diet.
On the contrary, your main focus should be to maintain a healthy & nutritional diet during pregnancy and manage blood sugar levels within the range of the healthcare provider’s expectations.
It is advisable to develop a balanced diet including the following components:
- Non-starchy vegetables
- Reasonable portions of whole grain and other carbohydrate foods
- Foods rich in protein
- Healthy sources of dietary fat
- Food rich in fiber
- Correct amounts of fruits
- Limiting consumption of foods and drinks containing added sugar
The timing of meals is also important. Some women realize that some food types, servings, and meals lead to higher glucose spikes in their system.
Keeping a record of everything you eat along with your glucose readings can help your healthcare specialists understand what happens in your body and utilize that information in producing a better personalized diet plan.
There is no universal meal that works identically for every pregnant woman dealing with Gestational Diabetes.
Understanding Your Blood Glucose Readings
If you are instructed to check your glucose levels at home, it may take time for you to get acquainted with the confusing routine checks.
Your doctor may suggest you check glucose readings:
- In the morning before breakfast
- Before every meal
- One hour following meals
- Two hours post-meal
- At any other time in accordance with your treatment plan
It is crucial to stay within the recommended glucose range because a continuously high blood glucose level may lead to complications during pregnancy.
However, avoid randomly selecting a target from the Internet. Your healthcare provider should provide you with a specific target and tell you when to test.
Normally, your doctor will be able to define whether your treatment is indeed ineffective based on multiple readings and not just one unusual reading showing the results are out of the recommended range.
If you find repeated sugar levels above the recommended range, inform your healthcare provider instead of making drastic changes to your diet or medication.
Can Gestational Diabetes Affect the Baby?
When blood sugar levels are high in a pregnant woman, excess glucose produced ends up crossing the placenta. In response to this increased concentration of glucose in the body of a fetus, the baby’s pancreas produces more insulin and contributes to a higher level of fetal growth.
Poorly controlled Gestational diabetes mellitus may result in complications, such as:
- Higher growth rate of the fetus
- Difficulties during delivery
- Low blood sugar level in newborns
- Breathing complications after delivery
- Pregnancy and newborn complications
However, this does not mean that the baby is bound to be affected.
The most important objective of thorough blood glucose monitoring is to avoid these complications so as to safely progress the pregnancy.
Will Gestational Diabetes Change Your Delivery?
Yes, it can, but what is more important is the individual personal health of the woman.
Your healthcare provider may take into account multiple things, including:
- Control over blood glucose
- Need for medication
- Growth of baby
- Progression of pregnancy
- General state of the mother’s body
- Any other issues concerning the health of the mother or baby
While some women with normal gestational diabetes may not see any changes in their delivery plans, others may need extra monitoring or a different delivery approach.
It can be said that pregnancy delivery plans should depend on your condition and not on the other patient’s case of gestational diabetes.
What Happens After Your Baby Is Born?
In most cases, gestational diabetes disappears shortly after delivery, as the hormonal changes related to the pregnancy begin to lessen.
However, your path to better health doesn’t stop there.
Having had gestational diabetes places you at an increased risk later in life of developing Type 2 diabetes and again having gestational diabetes in another pregnancy.
This is why postpartum follow-up is so significant.
You may be advised by your healthcare provider to undergo glucose tests after your pregnancy and have regular screening for diabetes throughout your life.
Ensuring you eat a balanced diet, engage in physical activity, and reach an ideal weight can help guarantee a good health outcome in the long run.
In case of another pregnancy, inform your healthcare provider about your previous history of gestational diabetes, if any.
Does Gestational Diabetes Go Away After Delivery?
Gestational diabetes typically resolves post-delivery given that the hormonal effects of pregnancy have already faded away. However, just because the baby is born does not mean that blood sugar levels have reverted to normal.
The placenta is a major contributor to insulin resistance during pregnancy. Once it is delivered, the hormonal effects are relieved, resulting in the improvement of blood sugar levels.
Thus, treatment solutions may differ for some patients who needed insulin or other means of reducing glucose levels during pregnancy. Any medication changes should be made according to their healthcare provider’s instructions.
What Happens to Your Blood Sugar After Birth?
Your medical team might check your blood glucose around the time of delivery and suggest getting a diabetes test after childbirth, 4 to 12 weeks later. This is done to know whether your blood glucose has returned to normal or you need further testing.
A normal postpartum test result is quite reassuring, but does not eliminate your history of having gestational diabetes. Women with gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the long run, so they should be regularly tested for it even if they feel fine.
What If Gestational Diabetes Doesn’t Go Away?
If your blood glucose level is still high after childbirth, your doctor might consider whether you have prediabetes or diabetes rather than diagnosing you with gestational diabetes.
Can It Happen Again In Future Pregnancies?
Yes. The fact that you had gestational diabetes once means that you might encounter it again in a possible future pregnancy. In such a situation, make sure to inform your doctor about your previous GDM.
Gestational Diabetes: Questions Pregnant Women Commonly Ask
Did I cause my gestational diabetes by eating too much sugar?
No. Gestational diabetes is linked to pregnancy-induced insulin resistance and the capacity of the body to produce enough insulin. The idea that eating sugar can solely explain the development of GDM is an oversimplification.
Can I eat fruit if I have gestational diabetes?
In most cases, yes. Fruits are a source of necessary nutrients and fiber. However, you should manage serving sizes and timings regarding your carbohydrate intake level. The guidance of your healthcare team should be followed here.
Does having gestational diabetes mean I will need insulin?
Not necessarily. Some women manage blood glucose levels with diet and exercise while others require medication because their blood sugar levels do not fall under the recommended target range.
Does insulin mean my gestational diabetes is severe?
No. Some women need more insulin during their pregnancy due to naturally developed physiological insulin resistance. The need for medication does not indicate failure in managing the disease.
Can I still have a vaginal birth?
Yes, gestational diabetes does not automatically indicate that a cesarean delivery is in order. Your healthcare team will assess your individual pregnancy condition along with your baby’s condition to determine the best course of action.
Will my baby be born with diabetes?
No. Having gestational diabetes does not mean that your newborn baby has diabetes. However, babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes may need extra monitoring for complications like low blood sugars.
When Should You Speak With Your Healthcare Provider?
Contact your pregnancy healthcare team if your glucose readings remain outside the targets that were implemented in your treatment plan, you are frequently having low glucose readings, having difficulty sticking to your meal plan, or if you have questions regarding the medicines you are taking or physical activity.
Also, ensure you follow the urgent care instructions given by your maternity team in case of any pregnancy-related symptoms that need immediate care and attention.
The Most Important Thing to Remember!
Receiving a diagnosis of gestational diabetes would modify the way your current management plan for the remaining part of your pregnancy. But it should be understood that it does not determine your chances of being a healthy mother.
You might have to monitor your blood glucose level, change your meal plan, remain active, attend more regular appointments, or take medications. What is important is to collaborate with your healthcare team and to know how to respond to your body in every situation.
Gestational diabetes is a manageable condition, so don’t make it a reason to blame yourself.
With prompt treatment, monitoring, and prenatal care, there is a good chance that this condition will not affect your health and your baby’s health adversely.
