Gestational diabetes: medications, symptoms, causes, etc.

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What is gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs only in pregnant women. Diabetes tends to occur frequently in pregnant women in the second trimester, to be precise between the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy.

This condition occurs when a woman's body cannot produce enough insulin during the 9 months of pregnancy.

Insulin is a hormone that helps control blood sugar levels in the body.

If not treated properly, gestational diabetes can cause complications for both mother and baby.

Women who develop diabetes during pregnancy do not necessarily have a history of diabetes before pregnancy.

Prospective mothers who before their pregnancy program had normal sugar levels may only have them during pregnancy due to certain factors.

However, there are some women who may already have diabetes before pregnancy but don't know it.

Unlike other types, gestational diabetes is diabetes that can be cured. This diabetes can be cured and sugar levels return to normal after the mother gives birth.

However, if you cannot control your blood sugar levels properly, diabetes during pregnancy that you have previously experienced can develop into type 2 diabetes.

According to a 2010 study by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG), mothers who fail to control their weight after childbirth are at risk for developing diabetes during pregnancy "recurrence" in subsequent pregnancies.

In fact, the chance of recurrence of gestational diabetes in the next pregnancy can be up to 40 percent.

How common is diabetes in pregnant women?

Gestational diabetes is a condition that is common in pregnant women. Quoting the American Pregnancy page, it is known that around 2 to 5 percent of pregnant women experience this condition.

The risk increases to 7-9 percent for pregnant women if they have common risk factors, such as being overweight or being pregnant over the age of 30.

Diabetes in pregnant women can be prevented by reducing factors that increase the risk. Please discuss with your doctor for more information.

Signs and symptoms of gestational diabetes

Most women do not know that they have gestational diabetes because diabetes in pregnant women does not cause significant symptoms.

However, there are some who complain about the appearance of diabetes symptoms in pregnant women. The symptoms of gestational diabetes are:

• Feeling tired, weak and lethargic
• Often starve and want to eat more
• Frequent thirst
• Urinating frequently

In many cases, even pregnant women who do not have gestational diabetes may experience the symptoms mentioned above.

Therefore, immediately consult a doctor if you experience this and it has been going on for a long time.

There may be signs and symptoms of gestational diabetes not listed above.

If you have any concerns about certain symptoms, please consult your doctor.

Causes of gestational diabetes

The exact cause of gestational diabetes is unclear.

However, experts believe that diabetes in pregnant women occurs when your body can't make enough insulin during pregnancy.

Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas and is responsible for converting glucose into energy while controlling blood sugar levels in the body.

During pregnancy, the mother's placenta will produce various types of hormones to help the fetus develop.

Unfortunately, there are a number of hormones that can inhibit insulin from working in the mother's body.

As a result, cells in the mother's body become resistant to insulin. This causes the blood sugar level to spike, and the risk of diabetes also increases.

In fact, all pregnant women will develop insulin resistance during late pregnancy.

In some women, the beta cells in the pancreas may be able to produce enough insulin to overcome this resistance.

Unfortunately, some women can't produce enough insulin. Well, these women will experience gestational diabetes.

Factors that increase the risk of diabetes during pregnancy

Basically, this condition can be experienced in every woman. However, a number of women with certain conditions have a higher risk of developing diabetes in these pregnant women.

Some of the risk factors for diabetes in pregnant women are:

• History of diabetes before pregnancy
• Family history
• Being overweight (body mass index of 30 or more)
• Age over 25 years
• The condition of the previous baby's birth
• Have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Have high cholesterol and heart disease
• Bad lifestyle

Poor diet and laziness to move before or during pregnancy can increase the risk of diabetes in pregnant women.

Complications of gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes not only affects the health of pregnant women, but also the fetus in the womb.

If this condition is not treated properly, pregnant women are at risk of experiencing various complications.

Here are some of the effects of gestational diabetes on pregnant women:

• Preeclampsia (hypertension syndrome, swelling of the legs, and high protein in the urine)
• Giving birth by caesarean section because the babies are born tend to be large
• Preterm birth to avoid the risk of more serious complications
• Miscarriage
• Have diabetes again in the next pregnancy
• Experiencing type 2 diabetes mellitus after giving birth

Meanwhile, for the fetus, complications that may occur if the mother has gestational diabetes are:

• Babies born with very large body weight (macrosomnia)
• Lower blood sugar level (hypoglycemia) at birth
• Premature birth
• Still birth (babies born dead)
• Hypoglycemia (blood sugar level is too low)
• Temporary respiratory distress
• Jaundice (jaundice)
• Tachypnea (a respiratory disorder that slows down the development of the baby's lungs)
• Lack of iron
• Heart defects

In addition, babies of mothers who experience gestational diabetes during pregnancy are also at risk of developing obesity and diabetes as adults.

Diagnosis of gestational diabetes

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

When you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, your doctor will recommend tests such as:

Initial glucose check

In pregnant women who are at risk of gestational diabetes, you need to do a fasting blood glucose check at the first pregnancy visit.

If the results of fasting blood glucose> 126 mg / DL and temporary blood glucose> 200 mg / DL, you are said to have gestational diabetes.

Meanwhile, if you do not have risk factors for gestational diabetes, you need to do further blood glucose tests, namely the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (TTGO) at week 24-28 of pregnancy.

Follow-up glucose tests

When you need to undergo further glucosan testing, pregnant women will be asked to fast overnight while measuring the sugar levels in the body.

Then, you will be asked to drink another sweet solution that is higher in glucose.

The sugar level will be checked every hour within three hours. If the blood sugar test is higher than normal twice, then you will get a positive diagnosis of gestational diabetes.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (TTGO)

Referring to the Ministry of Health's website, in this test, the doctor will ask pregnant women to perform an examination in the following steps:

• Eat a carbohydrate meal for three days.
• Fasting for 8-12 hours before the examination.
• Examination of fasting blood glucose levels from the veins in the morning.
• Followed by giving 75 grams of glucose dissolved in 200 ml of water and drunk immediately.
• After that, continue checking blood glucose levels for the next one to two hours.

If the results of the TTGO examination one hour later <180 milligrams per deciliter (mg / DL) or the results of blood glucose 2 hours later 153-199 mg / DL, the level is considered normal.

If your blood sugar level is higher than normal, it means that you have a higher risk of being diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

If you have problems controlling blood sugar, your doctor will usually prescribe insulin.

When you get a diagnosis of gestational diabetes and have other pregnancy complications, you may need additional tests.

This test is done to evaluate the health of the baby in the womb. Usually the tests performed include testing of placenta function.

The placenta is the organ that supplies oxygen and nutrients to the baby through blood.

If this disorder is difficult to control, it usually affects the placenta and threatens the supply of oxygen and nutrients to your baby.

Treatment of gestational diabetes

Treating gestational diabetes with drugs is the way you should try it the first time.

The reason is that when you are pregnant, you are not allowed to try various treatments that risk harming the fetus.

Here are some ways to treat gestational diabetes with medical treatment, quoted by the NHS:

Insulin

If the body does not respond to insulin, you may need insulin injections as a way to treat gestational diabetes to lower blood glucose levels.

Insulin must be given by injection through certain points in the body.

When consulting with your doctor, you will be told about ways to treat gestational diabetes with insulin, such as:

• How and when to inject yourself.
• How to store insulin and dispose of your needles properly.
• Low blood sugar signs and symptoms.
• Insulin is available in several forms.

The following prescriptions may be given by your doctor as a way to treat gestational diabetes:

• A fast-acting insulin analogue, usually injected before or after a meal. It works fast, but doesn't last long.
• Basal insulin, usually injected at bedtime or waking up.

Always follow your doctor's recommendations when using insulin during pregnancy.

If you are on insulin, you need to check the following:

• Fasting blood glucose (after you haven't eaten for about 8 hours - usually first thing in the morning).
• Blood glucose at 1 or 2 hours after each meal.
• Blood glucose at other times (for example, if you feel unwell or have had a period of hypoglycemia - low blood glucose).

If your blood glucose falls too low, you may develop hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemic drinking medication

The next way to treat gestational diabetes is the use of oral drugs.

In some cases, you may be prescribed a hypoglycemic oral medication called metformin.

This is a medicine that is taken by mouth to lower the level of sugar in your blood. The choice of metformin drug is usually done when blood sugar can be controlled.

Although taking this drug is a way to treat gestational diabetes, metformin can cause side effects, such as:

• Nausea (stomach pain)
• Gag
• Stomach cramps and diarrhea (loose stools)

Whatever medicine you take, it must all be prescribed by a doctor.

Routinely check blood sugar

During pregnancy, your doctor will usually ask you to regularly check your blood sugar 4-5 times per day.

The first time it is recommended to check sugar in the morning when you wake up and after breakfast. This is done to ensure blood sugar is within normal limits.

Apart from being in the hospital or laboratory, you can also check your blood sugar yourself at home.

Currently there are many special tools for checking blood sugar that are widely sold in the market. Before using, make sure you read the manual carefully.

Don't hesitate to ask your doctor or other medical personnel directly if you are confused about using the blood sugar check tool.

Home remedies for gestational diabetes

Some of the lifestyle changes you can make to help treat gestational diabetes are:

• Routinely check with the gynecologist.
• Follow the doctor's instructions, do not use drugs without a prescription or stop medication without the doctor's permission.
• Expand to eat healthy foods. Like eating more fruits and vegetables.
• Avoid foods that are fatty or high in sugar.
• Limit starchy foods like bread, noodles, rice and potatoes.
• Get more exercise such as pregnancy exercise or prenatal yoga.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.