Does High Blood Sugar Affect Fetal Movement

Gestational Diabetes (gd)

What is gestational diabetes? Gestational diabetes (GD) happens when you have too much sugar (glucose) in your blood during pregnancy. Your blood sugar levels can go up when your body isn’t producing enough of a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps: the cells in your body to get energy from blood sugar your body to store any blood sugar that isn’t needed During pregnancy, hormones make it harder for your body to use insulin efficiently. So your body has to make extra insulin, especially from mid-pregnancy onwards. If your body can't make enough extra insulin, your blood sugar levels will rise and you may develop GD. Having too much sugar in your blood can cause problems for you and your baby, so you’ll have extra care during your pregnancy. On average, GD affects one mum-to-be in 20. GD goes away after your baby is born, because it's a condition that's only caused by pregnancy. The other types of diabetes, which are not caused by pregnancy, are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Some women have diabetes, without realising it, before they become pregnant. If this happens to you, it will be diagnosed as GD during your pregnancy. What are the symptoms of gestational diabetes? You probably won't notice any symptoms if you have GD. That's why you'll be monitored by your midwife, and offered a test if she thinks you're at risk. GD symptoms are like normal pregnancy symptoms, and easy to miss. By the time you have clear symptoms, your blood sugar levels may be worryingly high (hyperglycaemia) . Symptoms of hyperglycaemia include: feeling more thirsty needing to wee more often than usual having a dry mouth feeling more tired getting recurring infections, such as thrush, and UTIs having blurred vision If you have any of these symptoms, tell your midwife or doctor straig Continue reading >>

Diabetes Mellitus And Pregnancy

Practice Essentials Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as glucose intolerance of variable degree with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. A study by Stuebe et al found this condition to be associated with persistent metabolic dysfunction in women at 3 years after delivery, separate from other clinical risk factors. [1] Infants of mothers with preexisting diabetes mellitus experience double the risk of serious injury at birth, triple the likelihood of cesarean delivery, and quadruple the incidence of newborn intensive care unit (NICU) admission. Gestational diabetes mellitus accounts for 90% of cases of diabetes mellitus in pregnancy, while preexisting type 2 diabetes accounts for 8% of such cases. Screening for diabetes mellitus during pregnancy Gestational diabetes The following 2-step screening system for gestational diabetes is currently recommended in the United States: Alternatively, for high-risk women or in areas in which the prevalence of insulin resistance is 5% or higher (eg, the southwestern and southeastern United States), a 1-step approach can be used by proceeding directly to the 100-g, 3-hour OGTT. The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening for gestational diabetes mellitus after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The recommendation applies to asymptomatic women with no previous diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus. [2, 3] The recommendation does not specify whether the 1-step or 2-step screening approach would be preferable. Type 1 diabetes The disease is typically diagnosed during an episode of hyperglycemia, ketosis, and dehydration It is most commonly diagnosed in childhood or adolescence; the disease is rarely diagnosed during pregnancy Patients diagnosed during pregnancy most often present with unexpected Continue reading >>

Gestational Diabetes - Treatment Overview

Most women who have gestational diabetes give birth to healthy babies. You are the most important person in promoting a healthy pregnancy. Treatment for gestational diabetes involves making healthy choices. Most women who make changes in the way that they eat and how often they exercise are able to keep their blood sugar level within a target range. Controlling your blood sugar is the key to preventing problems during pregnancy or birth. You, your doctor, and other health professionals will work together to develop a treatment plan just for you. You do not need to eat strange or special foods. But you may need to change what, when, and how much you eat. And walking several times a week can really help your blood sugar. The lifestyle changes you make now will help you have a healthy pregnancy and prevent diabetes in the future. As you start making these changes, you will learn more about your body and how it reacts to food and exercise. You may also notice that you feel better and have more energy. During pregnancy Treatment for gestational diabetes during pregnancy includes: Eating balanced meals. After you find out that you have gestational diabetes, you will meet with a registered dietitian to create a healthy eating plan. You will learn how to limit the amount of carbohydrate you eat as a way to control your blood sugar. You may also be asked to write down everything you eat and to keep track of your weight. You will learn more about the range of weight gain that is good for you and your baby. Going on a diet during pregnancy is NOT recommended. Getting regular exercise. Try to do at least 2½ hours a week of moderate exercise.3, 4 One way to do this is to be active 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. It's fine to be active in blocks of 10 minutes or more throu Continue reading >>

Understanding Gestational Diabetes

Introduction Approximately 3 to 5 percent of all pregnant women in the United States are diagnosed as having gestational diabetes. These women and their families have many questions about this disorder. Some of the most frequently asked questions are: What is gestational diabetes and how did I get it? How does it differ from other kinds of diabetes? Will it hurt my baby? Will my baby have diabetes? What can I do to control gestational diabetes? Will I need a special diet? Will gestational diabetes change the way or the time my baby is delivered? Will I have diabetes in the future? This brochure will address these and many other questions about diet, exercise, measurement of blood sugar levels, and general medical and obstetric care of women with gestational diabetes. It must be emphasized that these are general guidelines and only your health care professional(s) can tailor a program specific to your needs. You should feel free to discuss any concerns you have with your doctor or other health care provider, as no one knows more about you and the condition of your pregnancy. What is gestational diabetes and what causes it? Diabetes (actual name is diabetes mellitus) of any kind is a disorder that prevents the body from using food properly. Normally, the body gets its major source of energy from glucose, a simple sugar that comes from foods high in simple carbohydrates (e.g., table sugar or other sweeteners such as honey, molasses, jams, and jellies, soft drinks, and cookies), or from the breakdown of complex carbohydrates such as starches (e.g., bread, potatoes, and pasta). After sugars and starches are digested in the stomach, they enter the blood stream in the form of glucose. The glucose in the blood stream becomes a potential source of energy for the entire body, sim Continue reading >>

Gestational Diabetes

Topic Overview What is gestational diabetes? If your blood sugar level first becomes too high when you are pregnant, you have gestational diabetes. It usually goes back to normal after the baby is born. High blood sugar can cause problems for you and your baby. Your baby may grow too large, which can cause problems during delivery. Your baby may also be born with low blood sugar. But with treatment, most women who have gestational diabetes are able to control their blood sugar and give birth to healthy babies. Women who have had gestational diabetes are more likely than other women to develop type 2 diabetes later on. You may be able to prevent or reduce the severity of type 2 diabetes by staying at a healthy weight, eating healthy foods, and increasing your physical activity. What causes gestational diabetes? The pancreas makes a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps your body properly use and store the sugar from the food you eat. This keeps your blood sugar level in a target range. When you are pregnant, the placenta makes hormones that can make it harder for insulin to work. This is called insulin resistance. A pregnant woman can get diabetes when her pancreas cannot make enough insulin to keep her blood sugar levels within a target range. What are the symptoms? Because gestational diabetes may not cause symptoms, it is important for you to be tested for gestational diabetes. Sometimes a pregnant woman who has symptoms has been living with another type of diabetes without knowing it. If you have symptoms from another type of diabetes, they may include: Increased thirst. Increased urination. Increased hunger. Blurred vision. Pregnancy causes most women to urinate more often and to feel more hungry. So having these symptoms doesn't always mean that a woman has diabete Continue reading >>

Baby Obesity Research: No Need To Panic

Babies are to be “treated in the womb for obesity”, according to the Daily Mail. The newspaper said that overweight mothers-to-be will be given a diabetes pill “to cut the risk of having a fat child”. The news is based on an ongoing study to find out if giving the diabetes drug metformin to obese pregnant women can reduce the risk of their babies being born overweight. This is of interest as obese women tend to have poorer control of their blood sugar, a problem that metformin can help regulate in people with diabetes. If exposed to excess blood sugar in the womb, growing babies may be born with excess birth weight, which has been linked to difficulties during birth and illness in later life. While the Mail’s front-page presentation of this research might make this research seem frightening or frivolous, it should be noted that metformin is already used to help some pregnant women control their blood sugar and prevent complications. The study has also gone through various safety checks to ensure it does not pose any significant risks to either mother or baby and that it could be of potential medical benefit. This research is neither new nor finished yet, and it is unclear why the Daily Mail has chosen to cover it. This study began in 2010 and will run until 2014, when its results will be revealed. Only then will we be able to see if the research is truly newsworthy. What is metformin? Metformin is currently used by patients with type 2 diabetes to control their blood sugar levels. It is commonly the first choice of medication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, particularly in overweight and obese patients. In type 2 diabetes, patients build up too much glucose (sugar) in their blood, which can make them very ill. This happens either because they do not make Continue reading >>

Type 2 Diabetes During Pregnancy

There’s lots of good news these days for pregnant women with type 2 diabetes (a condition in which the body doesn’t respond as it should to insulin). In fact, with the right medical help and diligent self-care, you have about the same excellent chances of having a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby as any other expectant mom. The key to managing type 2 diabetes during pregnancy? Achieving normal blood glucose levels six months before conception and maintaining those levels throughout the nine months following it. So if you’ve been on top of keeping your diabetes under control, it’s more important than ever to continue your routine now that there are two of you on board. Here's what to think about if you're heading into pregnancy with type 2 diabetes: Your care team How does diabetes affect babies during pregnancy? If you have type 2 diabetes, you already have higher levels of glucose circulating in your blood; issues can come up if your blood sugar levels aren’t well monitored and managed. That’s because extra sugar can be transferred to baby while you're expecting — and a fetus that’s served too much glucose reacts by producing an increased supply of insulin (which can result in a too-large baby and other complications). READ MORE: Gestational Diabetes Finding your pregnancy and diabetes care team Be prepared: You’ll have a lot more prenatal visits than other expectant moms and will probably be given more doctors’ orders to follow (all for a good cause). So it’s a good idea to get your medical team in place as soon as you think you might want to get pregnant. The OB or midwife who supervises your pregnancy should have plenty of experience caring for diabetic moms-to-be, and he or she should work together with the doctor who has been in charge Continue reading >>

Gestational Diabetes: What Happens When Pregnancy Affects Your Blood Sugar?

One of the many changes women experience during pregnancy is how their bodies process insulin. Pregnancy causes your body to become more insulin resistant. This isn’t a problem for most expectant mothers. Exercise and a healthy diet reduce your risk of developing gestational diabetes, but some women experience high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. “The main risk of gestational diabetes is having a larger than normal baby,” said Dr. Gregory Tyler, a Marshfield Clinic OB-GYN physician. “That can lead to a more complicated delivery and increase the likelihood you’ll need a C-section. Sometimes there are abnormal changes in the baby’s blood glucose levels after delivery.” It’s important to manage gestational diabetes for the safety of the baby and expectant mother. Testing takes place in the second trimester Pregnant women are tested for gestational diabetes at 26-28 weeks. Your doctor may test you early if you have risk factors like previous history of the condition, family history of Type 2 diabetes or elevated body mass index. The test, called the glucose challenge, involves drinking a sugary solution and having your blood sugar checked an hour later. You’ll need more testing if your results are above normal. Lifestyle changes are the first choice treatment If you’re diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you’ll immediately get connected with nutrition counseling to help you find ways to lower blood sugar levels through diet,” Tyler said. Diet and exercise are enough to keep most women in a safe range without medication. Your doctor will prescribe pills to lower your blood sugar if lifestyle changes don’t work. The next step is insulin injections in the most challenging cases. You’ll need to check your blood sugar levels while fasting and tw Continue reading >>

What Might Go Wrong In The Third Trimester?

Weeks 28 through 40 bring the arrival of the third trimester. This exciting time is definitely the home stretch for expectant mothers, but it also presents a time where complications can occur. Just as each trimester can bring its own challenges, so can the third trimester. Prenatal care is especially important in the third trimester because the types of complications that can arise at this time are more easily managed if detected early. You’ll likely start visiting your obstetrician every other week from 28 to 36 weeks, then once per week until your little one arrives. According to the American Diabetes Association, as many as 9.2 percent of pregnant women have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs because the hormonal changes of pregnancy make it more difficult for your body to effectively use insulin. When insulin cannot do its job of lowering blood sugar to normal levels, the result is abnormally high glucose (blood sugar) levels. Most women have no symptoms. While this condition is usually not dangerous for the mother, it poses several problems for the fetus. Specifically, macrosomia (excessive growth) of the fetus can increase the likelihood of cesarean delivery and the risk of birth injuries. When glucose levels are well-controlled, macrosomia is less likely. At the beginning of the third trimester (between weeks 24 and 28), all women should get tested for gestational diabetes. During the glucose tolerance test (also known as the screening glucose challenge test), you will consume a drink that contains a certain amount of glucose (sugar) and at a specified time later your doctor will test your blood sugar levels. For the oral glucose tolerance test, your blood sugar levels are checked after you have fasted for at least eight hours and you’ve drank Continue reading >>

Understanding Gestational Diabetes: Glucose Monitoring

Fetal Monitoring, Gestational Diabetes, Integrative Medicine, Pregnancy and Birth, Weight Management What is self blood glucose monitoring? Once you are diagnosed as having gestational diabetes, you and your health care providers will want to know more about your day-to-day blood sugar levels. It is important to know how your exercise habits and eating patterns affect your blood sugars. Also, as your pregnancy progresses, the placenta will release more of the hormones that work against insulin. Testing your blood sugar level at important times during the day will help determine if proper diet and weight gain have kept blood sugar levels normal or if extra insulin is needed to help keep the fetus protected. Self blood glucose monitoring is done by using a special device to obtain a drop of your blood and test it for your blood sugar level. Your doctor or other health care provider will explain the procedure to you. Make sure that you are shown how to do the testing before attempting it on your own. Some items you may use to monitor your blood sugar levels are: Lancet–a disposable, sharp needle-like sticker for pricking the finger to obtain a drop of blood. Lancet device–a springloaded finger sticking device. Test strip–a chemically treated strip to which a drop of blood is applied. Color chart–a chart used to compare against the color on the test strip for blood sugar level. Glucose meter–a device which “reads” the test strip and gives you a digital number value. Your health care provider can advise you where to obtain the self-monitoring equipment in your area. You may want to inquire if any places rent or loan glucose meters, since it is likely you won't be needing it after your baby is born. How often and when should I test? You may need to test your blo Continue reading >>

Complications: Diabetes And Pregnancy

When a woman becomes pregnant, the placenta produces hormones. These hormones may change the way that insulin works. As a result, glucose levels in the bloodstream are too high, which can lead to gestational diabetes. If you are already a diabetic before pregnancy, your blood sugar may be harder to control while you are pregnant. What is diabetes? Diabetes is a condition that causes high levels of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream. Your body uses glucose from food for energy. This energy is supplied to the body when insulin, a hormone, changes the glucose into energy. When your body does not make enough insulin, or your body doesn’t use the insulin properly, the glucose levels in the bloodstream become too high, resulting in a condition called hyperglycemia. For most women diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it goes away after the baby is born. You should have a repeat glucose tolerance test 6 to 12 weeks after your baby is born to make sure that your glucose levels have returned to normal. Over half of women who had gestational diabetes will develop diabetes within 20 years. Based on this risk, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that women who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes be tested every three years for diabetes.1 Testing for, and diagnosis of, gestational diabetes Screening for gestational diabetes is usually part of the routine prenatal care that you receive during pregnancy. It is important to tell your physician, or midwife, if you were diagnosed with gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy. If this is your first pregnancy, or if the doctor or midwife has reason to believe that you might be at risk, you’ll be tested. The test involves drinking a special sugary solution, then having blood drawn to test th Continue reading >>

What Are The Risks Of Gestational Diabetes?

A risk means there is a chance that something might happen. With every pregnancy there are some risks, but if you have gestational diabetes your risks of some things will be increased. Managing your blood sugar level brings these risks right down again though and most women with gestational diabetes have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. These things are very unlikely to happen to you, but understanding the risks may help you see why it is important that you follow your healthcare team’s advice. The risks linked to gestational diabetes are caused by blood glucose levels being too high. If you can keep your blood glucose as close as possible to the ideal level, your risks will be reduced. Risk of having a large baby (macrosomia) If your blood glucose level is high, it can cause high blood glucose levels in your baby. Your baby will produce more insulin in response, just like you do. This can make your baby grow larger than normal. This is called macrosomia. Babies weighing more than 4kg (8lb 8oz) at birth are called macrosomic. Macrosomia increases the risk of: Birth trauma - either the mother or baby can be affected when it is difficult for the baby to be born. Trauma may include physical symptoms, such as bone fractures or nerve damage for the baby, or tearing and severe bleeding for the mother as well as psychological distress. Shoulder dystocia - where the baby’s shoulder is stuck in your pelvis once the head has been born. This can squash the umbilical cord, so the team need to use additional interventions to deliver the baby quickly and safely. It means you may have labour induced early or to have a caesarean section so that your baby is born safely. Your baby's weight will be monitored carefully in pregnancy to see whether these interventions are needed. Continue reading >>

Infant Of Diabetic Mother

How does Diabetes in the mother affect the baby before birth? When a mother has diabetes, her body does not control blood sugar normally. Blood sugar is controlled mainly by insulin. Normally, blood sugar rises after meals. The body responds by putting insulin into the blood stream. The insulin helps the sugar get into the body's cells that use the sugar for energy and growth. With diabetes, there is not enough insulin released by the body causing the blood sugar rise abnormally high. When a mother's blood sugar is high, so is her baby's inside her because sugar travels across the placenta to the baby. The baby's body can and does make insulin. If the blood sugar is high, the baby makes extra insulin to keep its own blood sugar normal. Diabetes may be present before pregnancy, or it may appear during pregnancy. Diabetes which occurs only during pregnancy is called "gestational diabetes" and appears after the first few months of pregnancy. In gestational diabetes, diet alone often controls the blood sugar level, but sometimes the body needs extra insulin. Diabetes which exists before pregnancy usually requires insulin and often gets worse during pregnancy. Keeping blood sugar in the normal range is very important in pregnancy. If a woman has diabetes for several years, the blood vessels in her body may be more narrow or show changes of aging. These same changes can occur in the blood vessels to the placenta. Problems of the developing baby can include: Large size. The high sugar and high insulin together may make the baby grow larger than normal. Small size. Usually when the mother has had diabetes for several years and has changes in her blood vessels. Increased risk for malformations or birth defects. This is more common when diabetes started before pregnancy and/or wh Continue reading >>

37 Weeks Pregnant With Gestational Diabetes

By week 37 of pregnancy, a woman has likely been managing her gestational diabetes for about nine weeks. Blood tests for the condition are performed at the beginning of the third trimester, around 28 weeks. Although gestational diabetes does place women in a higher pregnancy risk category, the condition can be managed with careful vigilance. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that between two and 10 percent of women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes annually. The ACOG defines gestational diabetes as excess levels of glucose in the blood. Excess glucose occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin to convert glucose into energy. The condition comes and goes with pregnancy. Women who develop gestational diabetes with one pregnancy are more likely to develop it in subsequent pregnancies. The ACOG says that up to one half of them will develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Diet, exercise and, occasionally, medication are key to gestational diabetes control. Patients need to avoid refined carbohydrates, sugar and caffeine and maintain a regimen of either swimming, walking or prenatal yoga. Insulin shots are sometimes necessary. If gestational diabetes is not controlled, serious complications may occur. They include premature birth; preeclampsia, or abnormally high maternal blood pressure; respiratory distress syndrome, or difficulties with baby’s breathing at birth; birth defects; and macrosomia, or an extremely large baby. According to Midwifery Today, the baby can go into diabetic shock and die during birth in cases of improper disease management. By 37 weeks, women with gestational diabetes will be checked weekly. Because of the risks of preeclampsia and macrosomia, these women have a slightly higher chance of delivering their ba Continue reading >>

Gestational Diabetes

Topic Overview What is gestational diabetes? If your blood sugar level first becomes too high when you are pregnant, you have gestational diabetes. It usually goes back to normal after the baby is born. High blood sugar can cause problems for you and your baby. Your baby may grow too large, which can cause problems during delivery. Your baby may also be born with low blood sugar. But with treatment, most women who have gestational diabetes are able to control their blood sugar and give birth to healthy babies. Women who have had gestational diabetes are more likely than other women to develop type 2 diabetes later on. You may be able to prevent or reduce the severity of type 2 diabetes by staying at a healthy weight, eating healthy foods, and increasing your physical activity. What causes gestational diabetes? The pancreas makes a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps your body properly use and store the sugar from the food you eat. This keeps your blood sugar level in a target range. When you are pregnant, the placenta makes hormones that can make it harder for insulin to work. This is called insulin resistance. A pregnant woman can get diabetes when her pancreas cannot make enough insulin to keep her blood sugar levels within a target range. What are the symptoms? Because gestational diabetes may not cause symptoms, it is important for you to be tested for gestational diabetes. Sometimes a pregnant woman who has symptoms has been living with another type of diabetes without knowing it. If you have symptoms from another type of diabetes, they may include: Increased thirst. Increased urination. Increased hunger. Blurred vision. Pregnancy causes most women to urinate more often and to feel more hungry. So having these symptoms doesn't always mean that a woman has diabete Continue reading >>