Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar (glucose) that develops during pregnancy and usually disappears after giving birth.
It can happen at any stage of pregnancy, but is more common in the second or third trimester.
It happens when your body cannot produce enough insulin, a hormone that helps control blood sugar levels to meet your extra needs in pregnancy.
Symptoms of gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes does not usually cause any symptoms according to NHS.
Most cases are only discovered when your blood sugar levels are tested during screening for gestational diabetes.
Some women may develop symptoms if their blood sugar levels gets too high (hyperglycaemia), such as:
1. increased thirst
2. needing to pee more often than usual
3. a dry mouth
4. tiredness
5. blurred eyesight
6. genital itching or thrush.
But some of these symptoms are common during pregnancy and are not necessarily a sign of gestational diabetes. Speak to your midwife or doctor if you're worried about any symptoms you're experiencing.
How gestational diabetes can affect your pregnancy
Most women with gestational diabetes have otherwise normal pregnancies with healthy babies.
However, gestational diabetes can cause problems such as:
1. your baby growing larger than usual, this may lead to difficulties during the delivery and increases the likelihood of needing induced labour or a caesarean section
3. polyhydramnios, too much amniotic fluid (the fluid that surrounds the baby) in the womb, which can cause premature labour or problems at delivery
4. please birth, giving birth before the 37th week of pregnancy
5. pre-eclampsia, a condition that causes high blood pressure during pregnancy and can lead to pregnancy complications if not treated
6. your baby developing low blood sugar or yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice) after he or she is born, which may require treatment in hospital
7. the loss of your baby (stillbirth), though this is rare.
Having gestational diabetes also means you're at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future.
Content created and supplied by: Kwajaffa (via Opera News )
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