Are Those Pregnancy Symptoms Or Warning Signs Of Gestational Diabetes

Despite the joys of pregnancy and having a baby, this can also be a time filled with anxiety and worry. Fears of gestational diabetes can significantly add to your concerns. This is essentially a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy and is usually temporary. Your body stops producing or responding to insulin effectively, resulting in a rise in blood sugar levels. This can cause symptoms of diabetes and if left untreated, it can also pose health risks to both mother and child. To ease your concerns and at the same time take appropriate precautions, it is important to recognize and not confuse pregnancy and gestational diabetes symptoms.

Pregnancy And Gestational Diabetes Symptoms

During pregnancy, gestational diabetes is concerning as it affects an estimated 14% of pregnancies in India. However, it’s not uncommon for fears to be unfounded as the symptoms of gestational diabetes can be very similar to normal pregnancy symptoms. In many cases, gestational diabetes may present no symptoms at all. Nevertheless, here are some warning signs of gestational diabetes that you can look out for:

Increased fatigue and weakness

Increased frequency of urination particularly at night

Increased thirst

Unintentional and sudden weight loss

Blurring of vision

Increased occurrence of urinary, vaginal, or skin infections, especially yeast infections

As many pregnancy symptoms overlap with those of gestational diabetes, simply make it a point to inform your doctor if you notice any sudden change or unusual symptoms. 

Pregnancy And Gestational Diabetes – Know Your Risk

Although gestational diabetes can affect any pregnancy, some women are at a higher risk. Risk factors include:

Previous diagnosis of prediabetes or elevated blood sugar levels

Family history or past experience of gestational diabetes

Presence of hypertension or hormonal conditions like PCOS

Family history of diabetes

Obesity, overweight, or excessive weight gain during pregnancy

Past delivery of a baby with a weight of at least 9 pounds or with birth defects

Past experience of miscarriage or stillbirth

All women who are expecting should undergo regular prenatal testing because of the risk that gestational diabetes poses during pregnancy and because of its insidious nature, often presenting no visible symptoms. However, screening for gestational diabetes is even more important for women at risk of gestational diabetes. 

Gestational Diabetes Testing During Pregnancy

Screening tests for diabetes are part of routine health checks during pregnancy, highlighting the importance of prenatal testing. To begin with, a urine sample is collected and the presence of sugar is measured. In case of high presence of sugar, blood tests will be recommended to diagnose gestational diabetes. These tests include:

Initial Glucose Challenge Test

During the test, you will first be asked to consume a syrup-like substance containing glucose. Blood sugar levels are then tested in an hour and if the results are higher than normal, a follow up test will be recommended. 

Follow-up glucose tolerance testing

You will need to undergo an overnight fast before this test and will be administered a glucose mixture before testing in the morning. Blood sugar levels are then checked thrice at regular intervals during the following three hours. A diagnosis of gestational diabetes is confirmed if two out of the three readings are higher than normal. 

Outlook For Gestational Diabetes

Typically, gestational diabetes is a temporary condition and blood sugar levels return to normal after delivery. However, developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy increases the risk of a recurrence during future pregnancies and such women are also at risk of developing type-2 diabetes later in life. On the upside, this risk can be easily mitigated with healthy lifestyle changes including the adoption of a diabetes diet, active lifestyle, and regular health checks. 

Reference Links:

1. https://www.ijcm.org.in/article.asp?issn=0970-0218;year=2019;volume=44;issue=2;spage=142;epage=146;aulast=Chudasama
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4653418/
3. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes/gestational/tests-diagnosis
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4360417/