| Gestational diabetes can occur in some women | | | | levels. We were given a 15 to 20 year timeline |
| during pregnancy when the pancreas is not able | | | | that if the body continued to be abused, diabetes |
| to provide the body with enough insulin to keep | | | | was an option. Maintaining an appropriate weight |
| blood sugar levels stable. In general, doctors check | | | | and keeping active should keep potential diabetes |
| for gestational diabetes around the 6th month, or | | | | at bay. |
| 24 weeks gestation. If blood sugar levels are | | | | When you have gestational diabetes, one of the |
| above 90 fasting and above 130 after meals | | | | main concerns is how big the baby is going to |
| (these ranges vary from care provider to care | | | | grow. When you have high sugar levels, your |
| provider, but they are meant as a general | | | | baby has high sugar levels and will store this sugar |
| guideline), your OBGYN will tell you that you | | | | as fat. If you are pregnant and were diagnosed |
| currently have gestational diabetes. | | | | with gestational diabetes your practicioner will |
| Why, you ask, after the sleepless nights, the | | | | want to measure the baby often (about every |
| exploding belly size and morning sickness do you | | | | other week) and make sure that they baby is not |
| now have to worry about something like | | | | under stress by having you undergo a non-stress |
| gestational diabetes? Does this mean you are now | | | | test. A non-stress test consists of laying down on |
| a diabetic and will have to deal with fluctuating | | | | a comfortable (sure, sure) OBGYN table and |
| blood sugar levels the rest of your life? You are | | | | having a monitor strapped to your belly to |
| pregnant and just want to sit and eat a cupcake, | | | | measure the baby's heart beat. |
| not a fiber dense nutritional bar. | | | | A baby that is growing inside a mother with |
| Gestational diabetes occurs when your pancreas | | | | gestational diabetes may also have a larger than |
| is not able to produce enough insulin to keep blood | | | | normal belly due to the increase in weight and a |
| sugar levels in check. What is important to | | | | baby with too large a belly will be very difficult to |
| remember is that your blood volume may be up | | | | birth vaginally. |
| to three times that of when you are not | | | | If you have gestational diabetes, don't panic. Talk |
| pregnant and your pancreas is put to the test | | | | to your doctor, talk to your endocrinologist. Follow |
| during pregnancy. Once you are no longer | | | | the advice you are given but don't feel that you |
| pregnant and your blood volume returns to | | | | can't eat a thing. You and your baby will be fine if |
| normal, so should your blood sugar levels. | | | | you stick to a reasonable diet and if necessary, |
| Does having gestational diabetes mean you will | | | | you take insulin as prescribed. Many pregnant |
| become diabetic? The best answer our | | | | women are afraid to take insulin for fear they are |
| endocrinologist gave us was, "maybe". If you had | | | | hurting their baby, but insulin will help you keep |
| gestational diabetes, when push came to shove, | | | | blood sugar levels at appropriate ranges without |
| your pancreas had some trouble. This might mean | | | | you having the fear of putting any food in your |
| that "in the future", "if you are not careful", you | | | | mouth. |
| might have trouble as you age with blood sugar | | | | |