Gestational Diabetes – Risks for Moms during Pregnancy

Even though in most cases gestational diabetes is temporary and is rectified after your
baby is born, it is still serious and needs to be managed properly.  You will have the
support of your doctor and most likely an endocrinologist and a dietician but the actual
work of eating properly and exercising falls into your lap.  There are risks for your baby
if you don’t and risks for yourself too.

For moms, the knowledge that having gestational diabetes can cause complications for
their unborn child is incentive enough to stick to the diet and exercise even when they are
too tired to do so.  But, it needs to be done for you too.

One of the complications that is associated with gestational diabetes is high-blood
pressure that can lead to preeclampsia in pregnancy – dangerous to both mom and baby.
When a baby becomes bigger than average due to mismanaged diabetes during
pregnancy, the large size is not good for the mother.  It can lead to a more complicated
delivery where the baby could be hurt or the mother can have a third or fourth degree tear
due to the baby’s size.  If a baby is considered macrosomic (a term that means obese) it
increases the chances that the mother is going to have to have a caesarian section.
Having a caesarian section is major surgery and comes with all the risks associated with
that including infection.

Having gestational diabetes with one pregnancy significantly increases the chances that
you will have it again with subsequent pregnancies.  It is wise to be tested for the disease
as soon as you fall pregnant to ensure the healthiest pregnancy for both you and your
baby.  It is best to follow the diabetic diet you were given from your first pregnancy as
soon as you know or even before you become pregnant again.

Gestational Diabetes – Risks for Moms after Pregnancy

After your baby is born it is going to be a relief to not have to take insulin injections
anymore or to watch every single thing you put in your mouth.  But not so fast, you still
need to be careful and mindful of the increased risks that you now face as a mom who has
had gestational diabetes.  Even though your health choices do not directly affect your
baby as they did when you were pregnant (unless you are nursing), your health is still just
as important to take care of for the sake of your baby.

The biggest risk for moms who have had gestational diabetes is a significantly increased
chance of contracting type 2 diabetes down the road.  It is highly advisable to have a
blood screening done six months after the birth of your baby to ensure glucose levels are
still being managed properly and that the pancreas is producing enough insulin.  After the
initial six month screening, an annual test should be conducting to watch for diabetes or a
condition known as pre-diabetes.

Women who have had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy should consult with
their doctor prior to becoming pregnant again.  A blood test can be ordered to ensure
blood glucose levels are in the normal range which is important in the crucial first weeks
of pregnancy.

After giving birth, breastfeeding is the best thing for you and your baby.  In addition to
the myriad of other benefits that will be derived from breastfeeding it can reduce the
chances of your baby developing diabetes later in life.

Taking good care yourself while pregnant can help you reduce the risks associated with
diabetes in pregnancy.  Continue to eat sensibly and exercise regularly to maintain a
healthy body weight – this is crucial to preventing and managing diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes Risks for Baby

When you first discover that you have gestational diabetes most likely you are going to
be upset and worried about your baby.  There are risks to the baby when a mother has
gestational diabetes but with careful monitoring and strict control of diet and blood
glucose levels these risks can be minimized.

The most frequent complication associated with babies whose mothers have had
gestational diabetes is how big they become.  The extra glucose in the mother’s system is
also shared by the baby and the baby creates extra insulin which in turn produces
unneeded fat stores – this is not healthy for the baby and the baby’s size can become
dangerous.  A large baby (known as macrosomia) can make labor and delivery more
difficult.  The baby can get injured during delivery (shoulder injuries are common) and a
higher percentage of moms with gestational diabetes having a caesarian section.

If your diabetes is poorly controlled while you are pregnant your baby will be born
producing more insulin than it should.  Once the baby is born and is no longer exposed to
your high glucose levels, he or she will still be producing insulin at the same rate they
were in the womb.  This can cause your baby’s own blood sugar level to drop
dangerously low, this condition is called hypoglycemia.

When a baby is born with high insulin levels the affects are long-lasting.  The baby will
grow up and be at a higher than normal risk of developing type 2 diabetes for the rest of
its life.  These same babies may also suffer from childhood obesity because of the
additional fat stores that were creating during pregnancy.  These risks give moms the
incentive and drive to stick with the diabetic diet and exercise regime – it is the way to
give your baby the best start.