There are only two main types of Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. However, there is also a smaller, less commonly known type of Diabetes called Gestational Diabetes, and this type can appear in pregnant women. However, Gestational Diabetes usually leaves the body after the baby has been born.
Around 4 percent of pregnant women have Gestational Diabetes, and it is caused when the woman’s blood sugar levels get too high during pregnancy. It starts when the body isn’t producing enough insulin anymore, and a pregnant woman can need up to three times more insulin than usual during pregnancy.
Gestational Diabetes usually starts to affect the mother during the last part of the pregnancy, when the baby is already developed. While the baby is still growing, it will not be born with any birth defects.
However, if Gestational Diabetes is not treated or looked after properly, this disease can hurt your baby by causing it to become obese, even in the womb! This can cause damage to the baby’s shoulders during birth as well.
Fortunately, this temporary disease is very treatable. Treatments are usually keeping the blood sugar down, healthy eating plans, and regular exercise. Unfortunately, two out of three women will have Gestational Diabetes return during future pregnancies, and many women will go on to develop Type 2 Diabetes after pregnancy. It is unknown right now whether this is a result of Gestational Diabetes, or if the Type 2 Diabetes had started during pregnancy.
If you are a pregnant woman with Diabetes, it doesn’t have to be a scary process. Just see your doctor regularly, listen to his or her instructions carefully, and take good care of yourself. Diabetes doesn’t necessarily have to be harmful to you or your baby. As long as you do things right, you do not have to worry.