gestational diabetes
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Diagnosis of gestational diabetes
This type of pathology produces no symptoms. The diagnosis is made in 2 steps. For the screening in our country, the O`Sullivan test is carried out on all pregnant women. The time to do it depends on whether you belong to the group of pregnant women with high or low probability of developing it.
If one hour later to perform the O'Sullivan test, your blood sugar level exceeds 140mg / dl 1 hour the result is abnormal and a definitive diagnostic test will be done. For this test a diet rich in carbohydrates must be met the previous three days and go on an empty stomach. For the test you will have to drink 100 grams of glucose and your blood glucose will be determined in fasting, at the time, at two hours and at three hours. If two or more of these values are altered it will mean that you have gestational diabetes.
Acting against gestational diabetes
First, you must make a diet appropriate to your weight, divided into 6 meals and controlling carbohydrates. It is also advisable to practice moderate exercise and avoid gaining much weight. You will also have to learn how to get glucose checks with a fingertip prick (fasting and after meals). There are cases in which the diet is not enough to keep the sugar figures within the objectives. Then it will be necessary to start an insulin treatment. The monitoring will be done throughout the pregnancy.
After delivery
Once you have had your baby it is not necessary to continue with sugar diets and controls. Also, if you started a treatment with insulin you can stop it. After 6 to 8 weeks after delivery, a control test should be done to analyze how you have evolved. It is a reality that, once you have developed gestational diabetes, the risk of developing the disease in later pregnancies is higher. They also increase the chances of developing type 2 diabetes throughout your life so you have to be careful with your weight and your lifestyle habits while avoiding overweight.
