Lowering Risk of Gestational Diabetes with a Healthy Diet and Normal Weight

Complications

There is risk associated with gestational diabetes and affect both the mother and the child. The risks for babies include preterm birth, excessive birth weight, Hypoglycemia, respiratory distress syndrome and future type 2 diabetes. Mothers can develop type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and preeclampsia.

Symptoms and causes

Usually, Gestational diabetes doesn’t have symptoms, and when symptoms show, they might be mild like being thirstier than usual or urinating more often.

When the body doesn’t produce extra insulin during pregnancy, gestational diabetes occurs. Insulin is made in the pancreas and helps a body use glucose and help in controlling blood glucose level. During pregnancy, special hormones are made and go through some changes like weight gain. This condition is called insulin resistance. These changes lead to cell failing to use insulin as expected. During late pregnancy, all pregnant women have insulin resistance. Most women have enough insulin to fight off insulin resistance, but some don’t. Those that don’t develop gestational diabetes.

Being obese or overweight has been linked to gestational diabetes. Those who are obese or overweight might develop insulin resistance even before pregnancy.