What is Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is a kind of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy. About 3-5% of pregnant women will have gestational diabetes. It is generally discovered by means of the one hour glucola (GTT) screening exam that you will have around the 24^th to 28^th week of your pregnancy.

Who can get Gestational Diabetes?

Any pregnant woman can get gestational diabetes. It seems to be found more in women who:

• are overweight
• are 25 years or older
• have a family member with diabetes
• had gestational diabetes in another pregnancy
• had a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
• had a stillbirth (a baby who died before being born)
• have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• are of Hispanic, Native American, Asian, or African American background

What can happen to me and my baby?

The word "gestational" means "in pregnancy," and the word "diabetes" means "having more sugar in your blood than your body needs or uses." The extra sugar in your blood goes to your baby and your baby stores that sugar as fat. This can cause your baby to grow very large.

• Large babies are at risk for having a rapid drop in their blood sugar after birth.
• Large babies are harder to carry.
• The larger-than-normal head and shoulders can cause the delivery of the baby to be difficult. Sometimes, birth injuries occur to both the mom and the baby. The baby's arm or shoulder could be broken during delivery, and nerve damage to the face and arms of the baby can also happen.
• With a very large baby, the mom can have vaginal injuries or need a large episiotomy.
• If your baby is very large, you may need a cesarean section (c-section) to avoid injuries to you and your baby. A c-section is delivery of your baby by surgery.

In addition, when blood sugars are too high in the mom, the baby gets less oxygen. The baby may have breathing problems at birth, or stillbirth can occur. That's why it's so important to keep your blood sugar in a safe range by following the recommendations of your health care provider.

What can I do to keep my blood sugar in a safe range?

You will meet with our Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and will be given an individualized plan to help you keep your blood sugar in a safe range. Your plan will be made just for you and will be based on the following Sweet Success Diabetes and Pregnancy Program guidelines:

• Meal planning guidelines:  Your meal plan will consist of three meals and three snacks every day. Your meal plan will give you advice on when to eat and what types of food choices to make at each meal. It is important to eat a small amount of food every two to three hours to avoid eating too much at one time. Eating too much at once can make your bloo dsugar go above the safe range for you and your baby. Eating small meals and snacks can also help prevent heartburn and upset stomach. It is also important not to eat sweets and sugary snacks. Even juices and fruit drinks can make your blood sugar go too high.
• Activity and exercise:  After making sure that your doctor says it's all right for you to be active and exercise, you will begin an exercise plan that is best for you. Activity and exercise is an important part of your gestational diabetes plan. It will help lower your blood sugar, control weight gain, reduce your stress, make your heart stronger, and help you prepare for labor and delivery.
• Checking your blood sugar:  You will learn how to check your blood sugar and record your results. You will check your blood sugar four times a day to find out how high it is at certain times of the day. It is important to keep your blood sugar within the normal range as much as possible. The target range for your blood sugar is:
• Fasting (when you first wake up in the morning) -- 60 to 100
• One hour after each meal -- 135 or less
• Take medication:  If your blood sugar cannot be kept in a safe range with meal planning and exercise, your doctor will prescribe insulin shots to help lower your blood sugar.

What should I do after I deliver?

All women with gestational diabetes should have a lab test done to check their blood sugar about 4-6 weeks after delivery. Some women will still have high blood sugar after their baby is born. Women who have gestational diabetes have a greater chance of having or developing type 2 diabetes, so it is important that you have your blood sugar checked after delivery and every year at your annual exam.

It is also important for you to space out your pregnancies. This spacing gives your body a chance to heal and be restored to health before you get pregnant again. High blood sugars in early pregnancy can cause birth defects and other health problems. That's why it is important that you not get pregnant before you get your blood sugar tested 4-6 weeks after you deliver.