What is Gestational Diabetes and How Can it Affect Your Baby
Quite a few women are affected by gestational diabetes, and many women are not sure what this is until they encounter it.
Basically this condition is a type of diabetes that affects women who are pregnant.
If you have never had diabetes in the past and suddenly have blood sugar levels that are too high while pregnant, this is considered to be gestational diabetes.
What Causes it? No one is really sure what actually causes this condition to occur, but there are some ideas about what happens.
As the baby grows, the placenta is the support for the baby.
The hormones put out by the placenta aid in the development of the baby.
Unfortunately these hormones can block some of the insulin action in the mother's body, which is known as insulin resistance.
This makes it harder for the body to use the insulin and some women need more insulin than their body provides.
This condition of gestational diabetes usually occurs at the point where your body can't use or make the insulin that it needs while you are pregnant.
The lack of insulin keeps the glucose in the blood instead of making it into energy.
As it builds up, it cause the blood glucose levels to go up.
How it Affects Your Baby Although gestational diabetes usually doesn't cause birth defects to occur, your baby can be hurt if you have this condition and don't have it treated or you don't control it well.
Glucose can cross through the placenta, and the extra glucose that you have in your body can go to your child.
This causes the blood glucose levels of your baby to be too high.
The baby has to make more insulin, and since they have more energy than needed, they will store more fat.
This fat can turn into macrosomia, and this can bring with it some health problems to the baby.
Their shoulders could be damaged during the birthing process.
Also, since the baby is making more insulin, when they are born they may have blood glucose levels that are dangerously low.
Babies can also end up having more risk for breathing problems too.
If your baby has too much insulin, they can be at risk for developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood and are at risk for becoming obese children.
So, gestational diabetes can definitely affect your baby in a negative way.
Treatment for the Problem Diabetes nutrition is one of the best treatment options for women who are dealing with gestational diabetes.
It is important that you start treating this problem quickly so that you don't cause harm to your baby.
This can include eating very carefully, having regular exercise, and in some cases you may even need insulin injections to control your blood sugar.
Many moms are able to use diabetes nutrition and exercise alone, but in extreme cases the insulin injections can help moms keep better control of the condition.
Basically this condition is a type of diabetes that affects women who are pregnant.
If you have never had diabetes in the past and suddenly have blood sugar levels that are too high while pregnant, this is considered to be gestational diabetes.
What Causes it? No one is really sure what actually causes this condition to occur, but there are some ideas about what happens.
As the baby grows, the placenta is the support for the baby.
The hormones put out by the placenta aid in the development of the baby.
Unfortunately these hormones can block some of the insulin action in the mother's body, which is known as insulin resistance.
This makes it harder for the body to use the insulin and some women need more insulin than their body provides.
This condition of gestational diabetes usually occurs at the point where your body can't use or make the insulin that it needs while you are pregnant.
The lack of insulin keeps the glucose in the blood instead of making it into energy.
As it builds up, it cause the blood glucose levels to go up.
How it Affects Your Baby Although gestational diabetes usually doesn't cause birth defects to occur, your baby can be hurt if you have this condition and don't have it treated or you don't control it well.
Glucose can cross through the placenta, and the extra glucose that you have in your body can go to your child.
This causes the blood glucose levels of your baby to be too high.
The baby has to make more insulin, and since they have more energy than needed, they will store more fat.
This fat can turn into macrosomia, and this can bring with it some health problems to the baby.
Their shoulders could be damaged during the birthing process.
Also, since the baby is making more insulin, when they are born they may have blood glucose levels that are dangerously low.
Babies can also end up having more risk for breathing problems too.
If your baby has too much insulin, they can be at risk for developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood and are at risk for becoming obese children.
So, gestational diabetes can definitely affect your baby in a negative way.
Treatment for the Problem Diabetes nutrition is one of the best treatment options for women who are dealing with gestational diabetes.
It is important that you start treating this problem quickly so that you don't cause harm to your baby.
This can include eating very carefully, having regular exercise, and in some cases you may even need insulin injections to control your blood sugar.
Many moms are able to use diabetes nutrition and exercise alone, but in extreme cases the insulin injections can help moms keep better control of the condition.