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What Is Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is a condition that is diagnosed when a higher than normal blood sugar level occurs with pregnancy. Overall, 4 to 8 per cent of pregnancies are affected by gestational diabetes.

Usually gestational diabetes develops in the third trimester (if you are at risk, a screening test will be prescribed in your first antenatal visit) and it disappears after delivery. But women who are diagnosed with gestational diabetes are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

What Are the Complications of Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational diabetes affects your baby at every stage, but if you develop gestational diabetes in the early stages of your pregnancy, it may lead to birth defects or miscarriage. Diabetes in the first trimester can affect your baby’s heart and brain, too.

Gestational diabetes in the third trimester results in excessive baby growth and is probably the reason you hear about planned or emergency Caesareans. Even in the case of a normal delivery, gestational diabetes raises the risk that a baby will suffer serious trauma during the birth. Additionally, a baby born to a mother whose gestational diabetes is not controlled can have very low blood sugar levels, which is in turn very risky for the baby.

Gestational Diabetes in Pakistan

There are no recent studies that have determined how many Pakistani women are affected by gestational diabetes. The situation in Pakistan is more alarming than in other developed countries because women are not regularly offered any tests that would diagnose gestational diabetes. According to a study that was conducted in Karachi in 2005, 72 out of 405 pregnant women were diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

Our team interviewed ten gynaecologists in Lahore, and none of them provided their patients with a glucose screening test unless requested by the pregnant woman herself. Doctors were of the view that patients generally don’t want many tests due to their cost.

Ask your doctor about your risk of developing gestational diabetes if you are over 30, if you have a family history of type 2 diabetes, and particularly if you developed gestational diabetes in your previous pregnancies. Ask your doctor to prescribe a glucose screening test after the 24th week of pregnancy.

How to Manage Gestational Diabetes in Pakistan

If the news of your gestational diabetes is leaked to extended family and friends with little knowledge of this type of diabetes, they will start visiting or calling to sympathise with you. Some women will come and say, ‘bohat afsos hua itnee  chotee umer (young age) main sugar ho gayee.Allah raham karay‘. There is a great possibility that these women might have had gestational diabetes themselves without knowing it.

If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, instead of getting worried, take time to manage it. Check your blood sugar regularly and manage your diet accordingly. The bad news is that you will have to greatly check your carbohydrate intake. Make your diet schedule with the help of your doctor and give birth to a healthy baby.

http://www.pakparenting.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Gestational-Diabetes.jpghttp://www.pakparenting.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Gestational-Diabetes-150x150.jpgPak Parenting TeamPregnancyPregnancy ProblemsGestational Diabetes,Pregnancy,pregnancy-problemsWhat Is Gestational Diabetes? Gestational diabetes is a condition that is diagnosed when a higher than normal blood sugar level occurs with pregnancy. Overall, 4 to 8 per cent of pregnancies are affected by gestational diabetes. Usually gestational diabetes develops in the third trimester (if you are at risk, a screening...Be  Smart Parents