The Major Signs of Gestational Diabetes

The major signs of gestational diabetes in the majority of people, except of course people that have type 1 diabetes, have no obvious symptoms at all in the early stages of diabetes. Your doctor will get a blood test done for gestational diabetes at 24 to 28 weeks into your pregnancy.

If gestational diabetes is not found or treated correctly, it can place your baby at risk of growing too large in your womb, which of course will make the birth of your child more difficult. The baby can also have an increased risk of developing other complications like heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Gestational diabetes can develop during pregnancy, and if managed effectively, you can increase your chances of not developing type 2 diabetes. When you are pregnant your insulin requirements are two to three times more than normal and if you are overweight it is much worse. If your body cannot produce the proper amounts of insulin so that you avoid insulin resistance, your blood glucose levels can increase way above normal.

In the majority of cases, once the baby is born, the body’s blood glucose returns to normal and hence the gestational diabetes disappears. This will only happen if you manage and monitor your diet very closely. You can be at great risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life if you do not take care of yourself properly.

Following is a list of the major signs that you need to be aware of:

Having blurred vision

Constantly tired

An increase in thirst

An increase in your urine output

Unexplained weight loss

Feeling hungry all the time

Cramps in your legs

Skin infections, itching and wounds that won’t heal

It is vital that you eat foods that contain the nutrients that your body needs. If you have a healthy nutritious diet before your pregnancy, you need to ensure that you continue with this throughout your pregnancy, it will be of great benefit to you in the long term. You may however need some supplements like folate or iron.

Following are a few guidelines that may help you to achieve this:

Ensure that you eat a variety of nutritional foods

Avoid all fatty foods

Avoid foods that are high in saturated fat

Avoid alcohol

Reduce the amount of foods and drinks that contain lots of added or refined sugars

These major signs of gestational diabetes can be managed effectively if you take control of what foods you eat and drink. By following these simple guidelines, you will be able to avoid developing type 2 diabetes later in life.