Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. As with other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes affects the functioning of the cell to glucose (the body needs for energy), resulting in high blood sugar levels, which may lead to the baby in the womb or the mother alone. Any complications in pregnancy requires special attention. For gestational diabetes, pregnant women can control it by means eating nutritious foods, exercise and if necessary with treatment. By considering diir alone can ensure a healthy pregnancy and a healthy start to the baby in the womb.
On gestational diabetes, blood sugar usually returns to normal shortly after delivery. But if you have had gestational diabetes, then the mother at risk for type 2 diabetes later in life.
Gestational diabetes symptoms
In most women, gestational diabetes have no symptoms or who appear to look real. But for some cases, gestational diabetes can cause extremely thirst or increased urination frequency.
Causes of Gestational diabetes
Researchers still do not know exactly why some women can develop gestational diabetes. By knowing how the occurrence of gestational diabetes, is also expected to understand how pregnancy affects the normal way the body to process glucose.
The body will digest the food consumed to produce the glucose that goes through the blood circulation. In response to this, the pancreas (the gland that is behind the stomach) to produce insulin. Insulin itself is a hormone, which helps to move glucose from the blood into body cells, for use as an energy source.
During pregnancy, the placenta that connects the fetus in the womb with maternal blood circulation, also produces various kinds of other hormones. Where virtually all influence of insulin in the body cells, thereby increasing blood sugar levels. However the increase in blood sugar that is in the blood after meals, it is normal during pregnancy.
Along with the growth of the fetus, the placenta will produce more hormones that block insulin. On gestational diabetes, placental hormones can cause blood sugar levels rise to levels that can affect the growth and health of infants. Gestational diabetes usually occurs paa second half of pregnancy, sometimes at 20 weeks gestation but usually at a more advanced gestational age anymore.
Complications from gestational diabetes
Most women with gestational diabetes can give birth to healthy babies. However, gestational diabetes is not properly monitor blood sugar levels can lead to uncontrolled and will cause health problems in the mother and her baby's future, including the possibility to give birth by cesarean section. Here are some risks that can occur due to gestational diabetes:
Gestational diabetes complications for the baby
In addition, uncontrolled gestational diabetes can cause death in infants, either before birth or shortly after birth.
Gestational Diabetes Treatment
It's important to always control their blood sugar levels, so that the baby stay healthy and avoid complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Moreover, even after delivery of blood sugar levels should also be under control. Handling can be done for gestational diabetes are:
If approved by your doctor, do actively exercise several days a week. If not previously active in sports, do it slowly and then increase in intensity. A good exercise for pregnant women, such as walking, cycling and swimming, but other than that daily activities such as doing housework or gardening is also good to do
In most women, gestational diabetes have no symptoms or who appear to look real. But for some cases, gestational diabetes can cause extremely thirst or increased urination frequency.
Causes of Gestational diabetes
Researchers still do not know exactly why some women can develop gestational diabetes. By knowing how the occurrence of gestational diabetes, is also expected to understand how pregnancy affects the normal way the body to process glucose.
The body will digest the food consumed to produce the glucose that goes through the blood circulation. In response to this, the pancreas (the gland that is behind the stomach) to produce insulin. Insulin itself is a hormone, which helps to move glucose from the blood into body cells, for use as an energy source.
During pregnancy, the placenta that connects the fetus in the womb with maternal blood circulation, also produces various kinds of other hormones. Where virtually all influence of insulin in the body cells, thereby increasing blood sugar levels. However the increase in blood sugar that is in the blood after meals, it is normal during pregnancy.
Along with the growth of the fetus, the placenta will produce more hormones that block insulin. On gestational diabetes, placental hormones can cause blood sugar levels rise to levels that can affect the growth and health of infants. Gestational diabetes usually occurs paa second half of pregnancy, sometimes at 20 weeks gestation but usually at a more advanced gestational age anymore.
Complications from gestational diabetes
Most women with gestational diabetes can give birth to healthy babies. However, gestational diabetes is not properly monitor blood sugar levels can lead to uncontrolled and will cause health problems in the mother and her baby's future, including the possibility to give birth by cesarean section. Here are some risks that can occur due to gestational diabetes:
Gestational diabetes complications for the baby
- Most women with gestational diabetes can give birth to healthy babies. However, gestational diabetes is not properly monitor blood sugar levels can lead to uncontrolled and will cause health problems in the mother and her baby's future, including the possibility to give birth by cesarean section. Here are some risks that can occur due to gestational diabetes
- Babies born with excess weight. Excess glucose in the blood can cross the placenta, causing the pancreas to produce insulin excess baby. This can cause the baby to grow too large (macrosomia). Babies that are too large can cause pinched as it passes through the birth canal, the risk for injury at birth or the need for cesarean birth.
- Syndrome are born too early and difficult to breathe. Mothers with high blood sugar levels can increase the risk of giving birth prematurely. Or the doctor may also suggest that, because the baby growing too large. Babies born prematurely can experience the syndrome is difficult to breathe. Infants with the syndrome need help breathing until his lungs were perfect. Babies whose mothers had gestational diabetes can also experience the syndrome is difficult to breathe despite being born on time.
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Sometimes, babies of mothers with gestational diabetes have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) after birth, because the levels of insulin in the body are high. Severe hypoglycemia experienced by the infant, can cause seizures in infants. Nutrition quickly and sometimes also by administering glucose intravenous fluids to restore blood sugar levels return to normal infants.
- Baby yellow (jaundice). Yellowish color of the skin and the whites of the eyes may occur if the baby's liver does not work perfectly to break down a substance called bilirubin, which normally forms when the body recycles old red blood cells or damaged. Although jaundice is not cause for concern, but overall control is still needed.
- Type 2 diabetes later in life. Infants of mothers with gestational diabetes have a greater risk of suffering from obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life.
In addition, uncontrolled gestational diabetes can cause death in infants, either before birth or shortly after birth.
- High blood pressure, preeclampsia and eclampsia. Gestational diabetes increases the risk of mother to have high blood pressure during pregnancy. It will also increase the risk of exposure to maternal preeclampsia and eclampsia, which is 2 pieces of serious complications of pregnancy that cause elevated blood pressure and other symptoms, which can harm the mother or the baby.
- Diabetes later in life. If you have gestational diabetes, it will most likely have returned in subsequent pregnancies. In addition, mothers are also at risk for type 2 diabetes later in life. However, by setting lifestyle such as eating nutritious foods and exercising can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes later on. For women with a history of gestational diabetes, which been able to lose weight after giving birth to the ideal, the risk for developing type 2 diabetes is less than 1 per 4 women.
Gestational Diabetes Treatment
It's important to always control their blood sugar levels, so that the baby stay healthy and avoid complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Moreover, even after delivery of blood sugar levels should also be under control. Handling can be done for gestational diabetes are:
- Monitor blood sugar levels. During pregnancy, your doctor will advise the mother to check blood sugar levels 4-5 times a day, usually in the morning and after meals, to ensure blood sugar levels under conditions that should be. This may be difficult and cause discomfort, but when done will be used frequently. To check blood sugar levels can use their own blood sugar tests at home, which is available on the market.
- During childbirth, the doctors will also monitor and maintain the mother's blood sugar levels. If blood sugar levels rise, then the baby's body will release insulin to high levels, the risk of causing the baby's blood sugar levels become Besides checking blood sugar levels up is also required. Because after having gestational diabetes, women at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. By keeping the lifestyle to stay healthy, can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.
If approved by your doctor, do actively exercise several days a week. If not previously active in sports, do it slowly and then increase in intensity. A good exercise for pregnant women, such as walking, cycling and swimming, but other than that daily activities such as doing housework or gardening is also good to do
- A healthy diet. Eating nutritious foods in appropriate amounts is the best way to keep blood sugar levels. Doctors would not recommend to lose weight during pregnancy, because the body is working hard to keep the baby's growth. But the doctor will help to regulate body weight is balanced, based on body weight before pregnancy. By eating a healthy diet can prevent excessive weight gain, because excess weight increases the risk of complications. Healthy foods, primarily fruits, vegetables and whole grains, namely foods high in nutrients and fiber, but low in fat and calories. In addition, the limit also consume refined carbohydrates, including sweets. Nothing is the best diet for everyone, therefore you should consult with a dietitian or diabetes educator for setting the appropriate menu based on current weight, desired weight during pregnancy, blood sugar levels, exercise habits are made, the choice of food and allocation biayany
- Sports. Regular physical activity is key to the health of women, both before and during pregnancy or after childbirth. Exercise will lower blood sugar levels by stimulating the body to move glucose into cells, for use as an energy source. Exercise also increases the sensitivity of cells to insulin, so the body will produce insulin in much smaller amounts for sugar transport. And in addition, regular exercise will also help eliminate some of the discomfort that often occurs during pregnancy, such as back pain, muscle cramps, swelling, constipation and difficulty sleeping. Exercise also can help the body prepare for childbirth later time.
- Treatment. If the pattern of food and not enough exercise, so pregnant women need suntkan insulin to lower blood sugar levels. Approximately 10-20% of women with gestational diabetes require insulin to achieve the desired blood sugar levels. There are doctors who recommend their patients to take oral diabetes medications, but there are also doctors who feel the need for further research to confirm that the safety and effectiveness of oral diabetes medications such as insulin suntkan to control gestational diabetes.
- Monitoring of the fetus in the womb. One important part of treatment of gestational diabetes is attached to the supervision of the fetus in the womb. Your doctor will monitor the progress and growth of the fetus with an ultrasound several times or by other tests. If you find pregnant women giving birth at the time had not expected, a doctor will provide induction to stimulate the birthing process. It is necessary, because of the longer delivery time estimate may increase the risk of complications for the mother or the baby.
- Breastfeeding. If the mother gives milk to the baby, can help achieve the desired weight and avoid type 2 diabetes later in life. Benefits of breastfeeding can also help babies avoid obesity and type 2 diabetes.
