Gestational Diabetes Diet and Symptoms Guide

Gestational diabetes, also known as gestational diabetes mellitus, occurs during pregnancy and only occurs for pregnant women whom never had diabetes. About 3 to 5 percent of all pregnant women in the United States are diagnosed with having gestational diabetes. Most women have an average risk between the ages of 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.

To test for gestational diabetes, doctors will request a blood test to measure your blood sugar after consuming an oral glucose drink that many women have described as very sweet and distasteful. It’s recommended to fast at least 8 hours prior to the blood test.

If you have shown high levels of blood sugar on your first gestational diabetes glucose test, another will be ordered. You will need to fast the night before and drink the same glucose drink but your blood will be drawn 3 to 4 times over 3 hours to get a better reading. If the lab technician doesn’t switch arms when drawing blood, request that they do so. It’ll give your arms a rest between blood draws.

Will Gestational Diabetes Affect My Baby?

Most women with gestational diabetes will go on to have healthy babies, especially when they take control of their blood sugar, exercise lightly and eat a healthy balanced diet.

In some cases, gestational diabetes can affect the pregnancy and your baby. Some potential risks include:

-The baby body is bigger than average, which is also known as macrosomia. A large baby may need to be delivered by C-section instead of naturally through the vagina.
-The baby’s blood sugar may be too low at birth, which is also known as hypoglycemia. It will be important to start breastfeeding right away to get glucose to the baby.
-The baby’s may suffer jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the baby’s eyes may change color. This condition is easily treated and not serious if treated.
-The baby may have trouble breathing and may need assistance with oxygen or other help – this is also known as Respiratory Distress Syndrome.
-The baby may have low mineral levels in the blood and may cause muscle twitching or cramping but can be treated by giving the baby additional minerals.

How Is Gestational Diabetes Treated?

Many women who have had successful and healthy pregnancies and healthy babies follow a dietary treatment plan provided by their health care provider. Every woman should have a specific plan designed to you and your baby’s needs so that you both stay healthy with gestational diabetes.

Here are some general ways to stay healthy:
Know your blood sugar and keep track of it several times a day. Make sure to keep it under control.
Eat a healthy diet by limiting the amount of carbohydrates consumed, since carbs affect the blood sugar.
Get regular to moderate physical exercise, depending on what are right for you and your baby.
Watch and keep track of your weight gain. The amount of weight gained must be within a healthy range and depends on how much you weighed prior to getting pregnant.
Keep daily records of your diet, activity and blood sugar level to see if their treatment is working and what or if anything, needs to be changed.

Some women may need to take insulin to help manage their diabetes. The additional insulin will help their blood sugar level.

Gestational Diabetes Diet Plan

Your health care provider will be able to provide a customized plan to fit you and your baby needs. Here are a few sample plans to check out:

Sample Diets for Gestational Diabetes

What happens after the baby is born?

For many women their blood sugar levels will return to normal quickly after the baby is born. You should get your blood tested six weeks after the baby is born. The test will also check for your risk of developing diabetes in the future. If you plan on getting pregnant again, make sure to have your blood sugar tested 3 months prior to becoming pregnant to make sure your blood sugar has returned to normal.

Children who have been born to mothers with gestational diabetes will have a higher risk for obesity, diabetes or abnormal glucose tolerance.

Women who have had gestational diabetes are at a higher risk for obesity later in their lifetime and obtaining type 2 diabetes. Making lifestyle changes now will minimize the risk of getting type 2 diabetes and gain control of your future health.

Gestational diabetes will typically leave after the birth but there is a now a higher risk for you to developing gestational diabetes in future pregnancies (2 in 3 chance). In a few women, pregnancy will uncover type 1 or type 2 diabetes and it’s hard to tell if they had diabetes prior to conceiving or just started showing their diabetes during pregnancy. For these women, they will need to continue diabetes treatment after pregnancy.

For many women, gestational diabetes will leave but they may develop type 2 diabetes later in life as there is a strong link between the tendency to have gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes later in life. Both conditions involve insulin resistance.

Making chances in your lifestyle can help prevent diabetes after gestational diabetes.

• Lose weight – If you are more than 20% over your ideal body weight you will be at higher risk of becoming diabetic.  Losing a few extra pounds will help you avoid developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
• Choosing Healthy Foods – Eat a variety of food including fresh fruits and vegetables, watch your portions and limit fat intake to less than 30% or less of daily calories.  Healthy eating habits can go a long way in preventing diabetes.
• Exercise – Regular exercise will allow your body to use glucose without needing extra insulin.  It can help combat insulin resistance but make sure to check with your doctor before starting an exercise regime.

Gestational diabetes is a cause of concern, but the good news is that you can lower your high blood glucose levels.  With the help of your doctor and health team, you can turn your concerns into making a healthy pregnancy for you and your baby.

Many women rightfully want to know if diabetes will persist after the baby is born.  It probably will not.  Only a small percentage of women with gestational diabetes will continue to have it after delivery, but many experts suspect these women had diabetes before conceiving.  To be sure that your condition has improved, a glucose test will be ordered about 6 to 12 weeks after delivery which will need an overnight fast.

Getting gestational diabetes will increase chances of getting diabetes later in life.  About two-thirds of women who had the condition will have it in future pregnancies and about 50 percent of women get gestational diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years after delivery.

You’re considered high risk if you meet the following:

• If you’re considered obese
• You had high blood sugar levels during pregnancy that required insulin
• Your diabetes was diagnosed early in the pregnancy
• The postpartum glucose test results were borderline -  high but not high enough to be considered diabetic

Your doctor will instruct you on how often your blood sugar will need to be tested which may be one to three years if the postpartum tests return normal.  Keeping your weight down, exercising regularly and making good food choices can ward off the disease.  You also may want to avoid using the progestin-only Pill for contraception after you’ve had the baby as it may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes if you’re someone who recently had gestational diabetes.

Your child may have a higher risk of developing child or adult obesity or even developing diabetes.  It’s important for your children to eat a good diet, stay physically active and keep up a healthy weight for their age group.  You will want your child’s health care doctor to know about your gestational diabetes.

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Sending a reminder note to all new mothers with gestational diabetes may just be the right way to get mothers back to the doctor’s office for diabetes screening after pregnancy.  Even though gestational diabetes typically ends after pregnancy, there is still a higher risk of developing another type of diabetes later.

Some hospitals have started a reminder system to send letters to new mothers and their doctors about 3 months after birth.  Since less family physicians are delivering babies, it greatly helps to have information regarding the mother’s gestational diabetes history sent to the family physician.

The goal of retesting is to identity the women who are at greatest risk and make early changes to their diet and lifestyle to prevent the future onset of diabetes.  Close monitoring of the children are important as well, as they will be at greater risk of obesity and adult-onset diabetes.