Early Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes

Symptoms

• Symptoms do not appear in all women that have gestational diabetes, which is why testing is performed in the second trimester. Excessive weight gain, thirst, and urination are the most common early indicators. Women with a history of previous gestational diabetes, pregnancy with high blood pressure, or urinary tract infections, or women who previously gave birth to a large baby, are at risk to develop gestational diabetes in their current pregnancy.

Causes

• The exact cause of gestational diabetes, which affects a small portion of pregnant women, is not known. Associated causes include obesity, a diabetic family history, a high level of amniotic fluid, high blood pressure, or gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy. Having a previous delivery where the baby was over 9 lbs. in size, stillborn, or born with a birth defect also affect how the body reacts to the current pregnancy.

Diagnosis

• Gestational diabetes is diagnosed through a glucose tolerance test given in the second trimester between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. Women at a high risk may be given the test in the first trimester, at approximately 13 weeks of pregnancy. The test involves drinking a high glucose beverage, followed by a blood test one hour later to evaluate how the body reacts to the excess glucose. Failing the first glucose test will result in a more comprehensive three-hour test to further evaluate the glucose tolerance.

Diabetic Treatment

• Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes requires a diet change in the pregnant mother, and possibly blood sugar monitoring. The diet changes include reducing sugar and fat intake along with eating complex carbohydrates and fiber rich foods. A snack at bedtime that consists of protein and carbohydrates will maintain sugar levels through the night. Not all gestational diabetic mothers need blood sugar monitoring, but those who do endure the same procedure as other diabetics--a finger prick to obtain a drop of blood for testing.

Complications

• Gestational diabetes is more dangerous to the developing baby than to the mother. If left untreated, the baby may develop low blood sugar, have an excessive size at birth, develop jaundice or yellowing of the skin, or have breathing difficulties. In some cases, the baby may be stillborn after 28 weeks of pregnancy or die early in infancy.