Gestational Diabetes

I have not blogged all week because I have been working on my Master's paper pretty much non-stop all week. I am writing about diabetes in pregnancy......while it is fresh on my brain....I wanted to share some facts that are important to know:

• If you have gestational diabetes it is very important to control your blood sugar to help increase your chances of having a healthy baby and an uncomplicated delivery.
• Poorly controlled blood sugar during pregnancy allows the baby to grow too big. This is partially because of the extra blood sugar (glucose) sent to baby. The other reason is that the baby will produce extra insulin to deal with this blood sugar and insulin acts as a growth hormone.
• If you had gestational diabetes when you were pregnant, you must have a check up 6-12 weeks after delivery to make sure your diabetes is gone. 
• If you had gestational diabetes (GDM) you ALSO need your doctor to check you for diabetes at least every 3 years for the rest of your life, because having GDM increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. 

Hope you find this information helpful for you or your family & friends. 

Stay well!