Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that affects women during pregnancy. Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood.
Normally, the amount of glucose in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin. However, during pregnancy, some women have higher than normal levels of glucose in their blood and their body cannot produce enough insulin to transport it all into the cells. This means that the level of glucose in the blood rises. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/gestational-diabetes/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Like all pregnant ladies I was tested for gestational diabetes at 28 weeks. I hate needles and during this blood test I nearly fainted 3 times! It was soo embarrassing!!! I had to keep laying down and then I'd feel ok so would sit back up and then go all faint again so would have to lay back down again. All I kept thinking was.. I was wearing the most uncomfortable bra, that needed to come off coz it would make me feel better. (I managed to take the bra off when the midwife went to get me a glass of water but it didnt make me feel any better hehe) Luckily I was the last person to be seen that day because what was supposed to be a quick blood test and chat went on for ages.
So yeah. After that horrific, dramatic blood test I received a letter telling me my blood sugar levels were high and I needed to go to the hospital to have a "Glucose screening test."
This test basically means you go to the hospital and have your blood taken, your then given a large glass of lucozade to drink and then sent away.
After 2 hours (on the dot) you come back to the hospital and have another lot of blood taken.
The next day after my glucose screen test I received a phone call telling me I had Gestational Diabetes.
Around this time I had just split from my baby's dad and I had also been diagnosed with anemia. So, It was just another problem to add to the list! Another lot of stress!!
Anyway, I had to go back to the hospital the following week with a completed food diary of everything I'd eaten that week and to learn about gestational diabetes and how to use a machine to test my blood.
To keep this post short and sweet I shall tell you the basics..
So.. Basically I struggled controlling my blood sugar levels. They were so erratic. Firstly, we tried to control them by food and diet. But I got so obsessed with what I ate the doctors told me "I was starving myself" and that obviously wasn't good for baby. So I was told I can eat whatever I want in moderation and I was put on Metphormin tablets. Lastly I was put on the insulin injection. This was so scary as I hate injections (even though I was used to needles, having to test my blood myself 3 times a day) but luckily it depended on my morning blood reading if I had to inject myself and this only happened 3 time.
Having Gestational diabetes lead me to being induced at 38 weeks pregnant.
I was told that women with diabetes in pregnancy are supposed to have big babies. That is why many women are induced early. This wasn't the case for me as my baby boy was born weighing 6lb 3oz.
Also, as soon as Blake was born my diabetes went away. I did have to go back for another glucose screen test to make sure but all my results came back normal :)
Luckily having diabetes didn't effect my baby and the day after he was born his blood was tested and was perfect. But if diabetes is not detected or not controlled during pregnancy it can cause problems for mummy and baby.
Gestational diabetes may increase the risk of:
- placental abruption – the placenta (the organ that links the pregnant woman’s blood supply to her unborn baby’s) starts to come away from the wall of the womb (uterus). This may cause vaginal bleeding and/or constant abdominal pain
- needing to induce labour – when medication is used to start labour artificially (read about inducing labour for more information)
- premature birth
- macrosomia (Large babies for their gestational age)
- trauma during the birth – to yourself and your baby
- neonatal hypoglycaemia – your newborn baby has low blood glucose, which can cause poor feeding, blue-tinged skin and irritability
- perinatal death – the death of your baby around the time of the birth
- development of obesity and/or diabetes later in the baby's life
I hope this post was helpful and gave a better understanding of gestational diabetes..
Lots of love,
Kimi xxx
