You’re pregnant and feel dizzy. You have blurred vision, dry mouth, fatigue, and frequent infections. Are you being thirsty and urinating more than usual? Maybe it’s time to see a doctor who will check you for gestational diabetes that’s first diagnosed during pregnancy.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy. CDM is considered a quite common pregnancy complication that can affect a pregnancy and a baby’s health. 2 out of 10 women are going to develop gestational diabetes, usually after the second trimester of pregnancy.

Who is at risk of gestational diabetes?

  • Age above 35 years
  • Obesity
  • Excessive weight gain during pregnancy
  • History of gestational diabetes in previous pregnancy
  • Family history of diabetes
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome
  • Multiple gestation

Diagnosis

Normally, you’ll have a screening test for CDM during the second trimester, between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. If you are at high risk, your doctor may test for CDM during your first prenatal visit using blood tests.

These tests show how your body uses glucose. You may have the glucose challenge test first. A blood sugar level below 140 mg/dL If it exceeds 140 or more, you may need to return for an oral glucose tolerance test while fasting. A blood sugar level of 190 mg/dL means you have CDM.

Treatment

Treatment for CDM includes:

  • Healthy diet
  • Regular physical activity
  • Blood sugar monitoring
  • Medicines
  • Watching your baby closely with ultrasounds or other tests
  • Follow-up after delivery

Complications of gestational diabetes may affect

The mother

  • High blood pressure
  • Increased risk of preeclampsia
  • Possible emergency C-section or labor complications

The baby

  • Risk of fetal macrosomia; high birth weight >4 kg
  • Early birth
  • Trouble breathing
  • Low blood sugar
  • Obesity

If you’ve had GDM, you and your baby are both at risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Childbirth

If everything has gone well and the diabetes is properly controlled, labor will occur naturally between the 38th and 40th week in the way the couple has chosen, always in consultation with their doctors.

And after childbirth, what?

First of all, let’s say that women with GDM can breastfeed normally after delivery!

If the diabetes was indeed gestational, after 2-3 days of a free diet, we check blood sugar levels. At 6 weeks, a glucose tolerance test follows for 6 months. Then, every 1-3 years, we repeat the test to ensure that there is no risk of the mother developing type 2 diabetes. A child born to a mother with GDM would do well to watch their weight and exercise, as they may develop obesity in adolescence or impaired glucose tolerance.

Και μετά τον τοκετό, τι;

Καταρχήν να πούμε ότι οι γυναίκες με Σακχαρώδη Διαβήτη Κύησης (ΣΔΚ) μπορούν να θηλάσουν κανονικά μετά τον τοκετό!

Αν όντως ο Διαβήτης ήταν περιστασιακός μετά από 2-3 μέρες ελεύθερης διατροφής ελέγχουμε το ζάχαρο, και επαναλαμβάνουμε με καμπύλη σακχάρου σε 6 εβδομάδες και ανά 6 μήνες, και μετά, κάθε 1-3 χρόνια για την επόμενη δεκαετία (σε συνδυασμό με την παρακολούθηση του σωματικού βάρους και συστηματική άσκηση) για να βεβαιωθούμε πως επρόκειτο όντως για κάτι περαστικό και δεν υπάρχει κίνδυνος εμφάνισης διαβήτη τύπου ΙΙ στη μητέρα. Το παιδί που γεννήθηκε από μητέρα με (ΣΔΚ) καλό θα ήταν να προσέχει κι αυτό το βάρος του και να γυμνάζεται, γιατί ενδεχομένως να παρουσιάσει παχυσαρκία στην εφηβεία ή διαταραγμένη ανοχή στη γλυκόζη.