Gestational diabetes is diabetes that develops during pregnancy. It’s usually diagnosed from a blood test between 24 to 28 weeks into the pregnancy.
In the UK, approximately 16 out of every 100 women will develop gestational diabetes.
Women with gestational diabetes don’t have diabetes before their pregnancy – and it usually goes away after giving birth.
But, in some women, diabetes may be diagnosed in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, which is called the first trimester. If this is the case, they probably had diabetes before they became pregnant and it won’t go away after giving birth.
Affected population
- Pregnant Women who:-
- are overweight or obese
- have had gestational diabetes before
- have had a very large baby in a previous pregnancy – 4.5kg or 10lb or more
- have a family history of diabetes – parent or sibling
- have a South Asian, Black or African Caribbean or Middle Eastern background.
Symptoms
- Sugar in urine
- Unusual thirst
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
- Vaginal, bladder and skin infections
What can happen with continuous high blood sugar levels when pregnant?
- Induced labour
- Caesarean section
- A larger than normal baby, which could make for a more painful birth and possible stress for the baby
- Your newborn having low blood sugar levels
- Your baby having a higher risk of being overweight or obese and developing diabetes type 2 in later life. As your child grows, managing their weight, eating healthily and being physically active will reduce this risk
Diagnosis
HbA1C Test (Insulin Resistance Levels) where the condition is determined following a mmol/mol blood test result:
- 26 to 41 Normal (Not Diabetic)
- 42 to 47 Pre Diabetic
- 48+ Diabetic
How Can We Help?
The We Can't Spell Success Without You PowePlan Helps to Prevent or Escape This Condition by aiding the following:
- The habits will decrease weight and provide the body with better nutrition that replaces a recommended traditional diet. These habits also encourage a reduction of carbohydrates in a meal by home cooking or changing your familiar food to a lower calorie and carbohydrate brand allowing you to eat normally. These habits also encourage you to keep yourself well hydrated by making sure you drink plenty of water or sugar-free drinks. This results in making healthier food choices to prevent personal complications
- The instant exercise plan will provide easy physical exercise that increases the amount of blood flow through the brain while simultaneously causing the growth of brain cells known as neurogenesis. This improves and ethicises the importance of daily physical activity during pregnancy
