Gestational Diabetes

.. Alright. It's been a while since I posted something.
I've had to write 2 articles, one on gestational diabetes and the other on Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli. Such fun.. But I'm back! Sort of..

Either way, everyone probably knows what diabetes is - it's a condition in which too much glucose travels around in our blood, either because the hormone insulin is not working, or because it's gone missing.

We women have a tendency to crave weird foods at times. Especially during pregnancy. Sugary foods might suddenly become very interesting, but we should still limit our intake.

Yummy..

There are 3 kinds of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, shortened to gestational diabetes.

Type 1: Generally (always?) inherited kind of diabetes. The Islets of Langerhans (located in the pancreas) produce insulin, among others. For people with Type 1 diabetes, the body attacks the cells responsible for producing insulin. So far, I've only heard about people getting it during their childhood years. People with Type 1 are insulin-dependent.
Type 2: In Type 2 diabetes, people actually do produce insulin, but their bodies don't respond to it as they should. Bad lifestyle (read: eating too much food, bad food, no exercise, etc)  seems to contribute to Type 2, and you can get it at any time.
Gestational Diabetes: A temporary kind of diabetes showing only in carrying ladies. It's comparable to Type 2. Although it is unclear as to why a lot of women get it, it is mainly assumed that some pregnancy hormones block out insulin, causing GDM.

Ladies for which one or more of the following statements is/are true, should get themselves checked during pregnancy.
- I'm obese overweight. (Don't lie. A healthy BMI is <24-25)
- I've had GDM before.
- My family tree is riddled with diabetes patients.
- I've had a 'big' baby.
- One of my babies mysteriously died prematurely in the womb.
- I suffer from high blood pressure.
- I'm older than 35.
- I smoke cigarettes/cigars/god-knows-what

Sorry. It's the sore truth. Living like a sucker will get you a sucky condition.

If you are developing any sort of diabetes, the most common symptoms will be..
- Increased thirst
- More frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- More bladder infections
- More yeast infections
- Blurry vision
- High glucose levels in your blood, obviously

It's risky for both the mother and the child.
There's a chance of the mother getting diabetes type 2 if she's had GDM before.
Having GDM generally also makes for big babies if untreated. This is both dangerous for the mom and the kid during childbirth.
Strangely, babies born from mothers with well-managed GDM are generally a bit smaller at childbirth.
If left untreated, the baby might die prematurely, hence the unexplained premature death-in-uteri statement.

Women with GDM generally don't need extra insulin. Eating the right foods and exercising will go a long way. Anything with simple, easy-to-go sugars should be avoided. Think about sugar cubes, candy, chocolate and sugary drinks. That stuff.
Instead, eating complex sugars like pasta, whole-grains and potatoes is a much better alternative.

Take care~!