Based on the general information of the majority of the population, diabetes is recognized as a medical condition relating to excessive blood sugar due to the lack of insulin in the body. Almost 10.5% of the world suffers from diabetes. Diabetes can fall into several categories, one of which is gestational diabetes, which affects pregnant women. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that is diagnosed unexpectedly during pregnancy, while the pregnant mother might not have had diabetes before her birth cycle. We will guide you thoroughly about the causes, risk factors, and treatments for gestational diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes Definition
The word “Gestational” relates to the process of fetal development inside the womb. Therefore, Gestational diabetes is one of the relatively common problems during pregnancy, which is caused by the body’s inability to effectively use insulin. If this medical condition is not diagnosed and treated on time, complications can seriously affect the health of the mother and the fetus.
Gestational Diabetes Definition
Some pregnant women experience symptoms similar to the symptoms of diabetes in normal men and women after being afflicted with gestational diabetes. However, in some cases, mothers do not show any symptoms, while the condition may be diagnosed at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. It is important for pregnant women to be aware of the blood sugar chart during pregnancy because they can identify the normal and dangerous levels.
Gestational Diabetes Types
Generally, gestational diabetes is divided into 2 categories:
- Class A1 is used to describe gestational diabetes that can be controlled through diet alone
- Class A2 is a type of gestational diabetes in which insulin or other oral medications are used to control the disease
If you have acquired gestational diabetes, you must see an endocrinologist or a gynecologist immediately.
Gestational Diabetes Causes
Before checking the blood sugar table during pregnancy and comparing its normal or abnormal level, it is best to learn about the causes of gestational diabetes beforehand.
Currently, the definite cause of increased blood sugar during pregnancy is unknown, but hormones play an important role in this condition. Hormones that are produced in high amounts during pregnancy help maintain pregnancy by affecting the placenta.
What is the main cause of gestational diabetes? The insulin hormone helps to transfer glucose from the blood to the cells and provides energy.
Gestational Diabetes Causes
During pregnancy, the body naturally becomes slightly insulin resistant so that more glucose is available in the bloodstream for transport to the fetus. But if insulin resistance becomes too much, the mother’s blood glucose level will increase abnormally and prepare the ground for gestational diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes Symptoms
What are the warning signs of gestational diabetes? The symptoms of gestational diabetes usually do not appear in the first trimester, and this condition is often diagnosed with a blood sugar test at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy and checking based on the blood sugar table in pregnancy.
Therefore, it is very important for the doctor to carefully check the symptoms of diabetes during periodic examinations before delivery. However, some women in the second and third trimesters may experience symptoms similar to the symptoms of diabetes in young women, which include the following:
- Exhaustion
- Nausea
- Dry mouth
- Blurred vision
- Excessive thirst
- Frequent urination
- Vaginal, bladder, and skin infections
Gestational Diabetes Diagnosis
Timely diagnosis of gestational diabetes is very important because, with timely diagnosis, you can reduce the risk of high blood sugar in pregnancy, such as high birth weight (macrosomia), miscarriage, stillbirth, and pregnancy poisoning (pre-eclampsia). To diagnose gestational diabetes, a doctor tests blood sugar during pregnancy. Performing this test may include two steps:
Glucose Challenge Test (GCT)
This test can be done in non-fasting conditions and at any hour of the day. In this test, the patient will drink a sweetened liquid called glucola containing 50 grams of glucose. About an hour later, a blood test is done to check the blood sugar level.
Gestational Diabetes Symptoms
If the blood sugar is high by the end of this step (above 140 mg), the doctor will perform a glucose tolerance test to diagnose diabetes in pregnancy. Note that a positive result of this test does not mean that you have diabetes.
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
If the glucose tolerance test results are abnormal, an oral glucose tolerance test is conducted to diagnose gestational diabetes. To perform the tolerance test, you must fast and not eat for at least eight hours. Before drinking the sweetened liquid containing 100 grams of glucose, the doctor will take your blood 3 times at intervals of one, two, and three hours after drinking the liquid. Tolerance tests can confirm the diagnosis of high blood sugar in pregnancy. In normal mode:
- Fasting blood sugar should be 95 mg/dL or less.
- 1-hour blood sugar should be 180 mg/dL or less.
- 2-hour blood sugar should be 155 mg/dL or less.
- 3-hour blood sugar should be 140 mg/dL or less.
If you have gestational diabetes, your doctor may ask you to see a nutritionist who specializes in this field. During the consultation, you will describe your current diet, and later, it will be determined what changes you need to make.
Gestational Diabetes Risk Factors
If the following conditions exist, the mother is at risk of contracting gestational diabetes, and her sugar level should be checked regularly through the blood sugar table during pregnancy.
- History of gestational diabetes during previous deliveries
- Body mass index (BMI) above 30
- Multiple pregnancies
- Low levels of good cholesterol (HDL)
- High blood pressure and triglycerides
- Family history of diabetes
- A history of giving birth to a baby weighing more than four and a half kilograms (9 pounds)
- Mother’s age more than 30 years
- Women of Middle Eastern, African, and South Asian descent
Gestational Diabetes Risk Factors
Which Individuals are More Prone to Gestational Diabetes?
Any woman can acquire gestational diabetes, but there are factors that may increase the possibility of getting high blood sugar during pregnancy, including:
- Overweight and obesity before pregnancy
- Physical inactivity
- Personal or family history of high blood sugar during pregnancy
- Taking steroids such as glucocorticoids
- Prediabetes (history of blood sugar higher than normal)
- Multiple pregnancies
- polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Birth of a baby weighing 4 kg or more in previous pregnancies
- A history of high blood pressure and heart disease
Gestational Diabetes Treatments
If your doctor diagnoses you with gestational diabetes, you may need more periodic checkups during this time to have your blood sugar levels checked regularly. You may also need to monitor your blood sugar regularly at home with a device called a glucometer. How can you prevent gestational diabetes?
Diet and Regular Exercises
In most cases, home treatment of gestational diabetes is done with changes in diet and physical activity, and blood sugar levels are well controlled. To treat this condition, the doctor usually recommends following a healthy and balanced diet and regular physical activity. Doing regular exercise, such as walking for 30 minutes a day, helps to control the symptoms of silent diabetes and manage the mother’s blood sugar level during pregnancy.
Insulin Injection and Medication
However, if the mother’s blood sugar level is high after comparing with the blood sugar table during pregnancy, the fastest way to treat gestational diabetes is to prescribe metformin or insulin. For some pregnant women, blood sugar management is only possible with insulin injections. If you need insulin to control and treat gestational blood sugar, you must take it exactly as prescribed by your doctor. If gestational diabetes is not treated, the health of the mother and the fetus will be at risk.
Gestational Diabetes Treatments
Herbal Remedies
Home remedies can also help you to quickly lower blood sugar during pregnancy. But it should be noted that natural and traditional methods should be used with caution and after consulting a doctor so as not to harm the health of the mother and fetus. If you feel that your blood sugar level is higher compared to the blood sugar chart during pregnancy, you can use the following methods to reduce blood sugar:
- Consumption of cinnamon in moderation
- Drinking fenugreek juice
- Green tea and chamomile tea
- Consumption of walnut oil
Gestational Diabetes Diet
Diet can be an effective factor in diabetes in pregnant women, but diet itself does not cause this condition. As mentioned, the reason for gestational diabetes is that placental hormones interfere with the body’s ability to use insulin or produce it.
Insulin helps the body maintain the proper levels of glucose in the blood. When you acquire diabetes, you have too much sugar in your blood. You can help manage diabetes in pregnant women by eating healthy foods that do not raise blood sugar to unhealthy levels.
- Carbohydrates – Whole grains include brown rice, flour, and whole-grain bread. Legumes such as peas, beans, lentils, etc.
- Protein – Chicken, turkey, egg, legumes, unsalted nuts, meat, fish (avoid consuming canned fish)
- Fat – Healthy food sources containing fats such as omega-3, unsalted nuts, avocado, olive oil
Final Word
It is recommended that women with gestational diabetes perform the necessary tests to check blood sugar status 4 to 12 weeks after delivery. In 90-95% of cases of gestational diabetes, blood sugar returns to normal after delivery, and there is no need to continue treatment. However, some mothers may be prone to developing diabetes in the coming years, and it is necessary to be examined for diabetes every 3 years.