Women who are pregnant often worry about all kinds of things. They think about what color to paint the nursery, what clothes and essentials the baby will need, the safety of their crib or car seat, and what sort of safety features they should install throughout the house. But top of their minds is usually concern for their baby’s health. So it stands to reason that many pregnant women are concerned about developing gestational diabetes mellitus and what sort of diabetes treatment program will be safe for them during pregnancy.
Why do pregnant women become concerned about this condition? The reason is that gestational diabetes mellitus can happen to women with no previous history of diabetes. And the symptoms are hard to notice, because they’re so similar to the effects of pregnancy itself. But the most worrisome thing is that it can seriously harm both the pregnant woman and the baby. Fortunately, though, gestational diabetes mellitus can be effectively kept under control, and it typically disappears once the baby is born.
Gestational diabetes mellitus is similar to other forms of the condition, in that the blood sugar levels become elevated. It’s not known exactly what causes the condition, although there are some theories. Some experts think that hormones in the placenta that facilitate your baby’s growth can prevent the mother’s body from utilizing insulin properly. That means your blood sugar levels become unstable which, if left untreated, can result in damaging health issues for both the expectant mother and the baby.
The symptoms of gestational diabetes are typically quite mild and are frequently believed to be normal signs of the actual pregnancy. Weight gain can be easily explained. Excessive hunger and thirst can also be a result of the changes that pregnancy brings to your body. And most expectant moms urinate more frequently anyhow, so they don’t take it as a sign that something’s not right.
Many pregnant women having gestational diabetes mellitus experience the symptoms of hypoglycemia, a condition that comes about if blood glucose is too low. Typical symptoms of hypoglycemia are headaches, shakiness, weakness, dizziness, confusion, and sweating. If you have any of these symptoms, you might have gestational diabetes mellitus and should consult with your physician right away.
The most effective way to manage gestational diabetes mellitus is to closely monitor your blood glucose levels. Check them four or five times each day using a portable device created for this purpose. Another important factor in treatment is paying attention to your diet. Adding or eliminating certain foods to your diet will play a big part in keeping your glucose levels under control.
Up to 10 percent of pregnant women will develop gestational diabetes mellitus. Fortunately, it’s not at all difficult to control, so if you have it, you don’t need to worry too much about it as long as you’re paying attention.