What is gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that affects about nine percent of pregnant women. Certified diabetes educator Annie Reed lists the common causes of the condition.

Transcript

00:00

[MUSIC PLAYING] When I was first diagnosed with gestational diabetes, of course, what I wanted to know was,

00:06

what is it, and will it affect my baby?

00:13

That's a great question. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy, and it affects 9% of pregnant women.

00:21

Women will have no history of diabetes, and suddenly develop high blood sugar during pregnancy. This is caused by insulin resistance,

00:29

which is a condition where the body doesn't use insulin correctly. Insulin is your hormone that controls blood sugar.

00:36

Insulin resistance can happen in anyone, but in pregnant women, it's caused by hormones made by the placenta.

00:44

Babies of mothers who have gestational diabetes have a higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life.

00:51

Your baby is more likely to have healthy blood sugars if you maintain healthy blood sugars throughout your pregnancy.

00:58

To be on the safe side, your doctor will check the baby's blood sugar within a few hours after delivery.

01:04

It's important to discuss your birth plan with your doctor and talk about ways to prevent the baby from having low blood

01:10

sugar at birth, as well as what you can expect being in the hospital. I understand that being diagnosed

01:16

with a condition while pregnant can be scary, but this risk is lowered when the pregnant mom incorporates healthy nutrition for herself and her baby,

01:25

gains an appropriate amount of weight during pregnancy, and aims to keep blood sugar levels in the target range.