A pregnant women’s body is a whirlwind of hormones, glucose, and blood with a baby developing in the eye of the storm. It is also an amazing example of difficult biological engineering.

Diabetes is a well-known medical problem during pregnancy affecting 3.3% of all live births.

Regardless of what type of diabetes you have, there are steps that you and your doctor can take to have a good and healthy pregnancy.

Gestational Diabetes is a certain type of diabetes that occurs the first time a woman is pregnant.

Gestational diabetes happens when there is a change in the way a woman reacts to the hormone insulin in her body during her pregnancy.

The change in the hormone insulin can cause high blood sugar, which is also known as blood glucose.

18 percent of women during pregnancy suffer from gestational diabetes. It is imperative to diagnose gestational diabetes as soon as possible so you can get the treatment you need and avoid health complications for you and your baby.

Risks factors: Gestational Diabetes

The risk factors that are most likely associated with an increased chance of developing Gestational Diabetes are:

• Having gestational diabetes during your past pregnancies.
• If you are overweight or obese.
• Being older than 25 years old.
• Having a family member that has diabetes (especially within your immediate family).
• If you had a baby weighing more than 9 pounds.
• If you have glucose in your urine.
• Being Hispanic, Asian or African-American.
• Being prediabetic which is also known as impaired glucose tolerance.

When you are at a high risk for gestational diabetes, your doctor will most likely check your blood glucose level on your next prenatal visit.

The American Diabetes Association suggests screening for all women for Gestational diabetes during their first prenatal visit for women who have risk factors.

If your blood sugar shows a normal reading, your blood sugar levels will be checked again during the 24th to 28th weeks of your pregnancy.

All pregnant women should be screened for Gestational diabetes during that time.

Gestational diabetes can cause women to sometimes deliver a baby weighing more than 9 pounds, which will increase the need for a cesarean section.

Hypertension and preeclampsia often occur more commonly in women with gestational diabetes.

On the other hand, managing and treating your gestational diabetes can have an impact on reducing the likelihood of having these complications.

Treating Gestational Diabetes

Usually, gestational diabetes is treated and maintained through monitoring your glucose on a daily basis and by changing your diet and taking blood control supplements to help manage your blood glucose levels and keep it within a normal range.