Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that occurs during pregnancy. It is caused by the placenta making it difficult for the insulin to control the blood sugar. This leads to high blood sugar in the mother's blood, where enough insulin cannot be produced to keep the sugar in a healthy range. 

During pregnancy, the placenta makes hormones to support the fetus. Some of these hormones make it hard for insulin to do its job, which leads to the mother's body needing more insulin to control sugar levels. Due to this, the mother's body cannot make enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels in a safe range. 

Gestational diabetes may not casue symptoms. However, some women have symptoms such as

• Excessive thirst

• Blurred vision

• Excessive hunger

• Excessive urination

Gestational diabetes cannot be prevented as it is due to a hormone imbalance. 

Most women who have gestational diabetes give birth to healthy children. However, high blood sugar can cause problems during and after birth:

• The baby get be too large upon birth due to recieving too much sugar during gestation. This causes complications during vaginal birth leading to the baby being delivered through a cesarean section. 

• After birth, the baby's blood sugar may be too low. This leads to the baby developing type 1 diabetes. 

• The mother may have high blood pressure caused by pre-eclampsia.

Nonetheless, gestational diabetes will probably go away after birth. However, you are still at risk of gestational diabetes in future pregnancy and type 2 diabetes.