WHAT IS GESTATIONAL DIABETES?

Written By Malama Health

Simply put:

diabetes means the the amount of sugar in your blood is too high

gestational (”in pregnancy”) implies that this happens during pregnancy

Gestational diabetes is typically diagnosed between 24-28 weeks of pregnancy (end of 2nd trimester to the start of 3rd trimester).

THE SCIENCE:

  • Insulin is a hormone your body makes. It lowers your blood sugar every time you eat and when it is too high

  • If insulin is unable to do its job (this is called “insulin resistance”): sugar levels in your blood stay high

  • Excessive rises in blood sugar can lead to high blood pressure for mom, and too much sugar can be shared with baby.

  • Having gestational diabetes does not mean your baby will be born with diabetes. But, women with gestational diabetes and their babies are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

THE STATISTICS:

  • You aren’t alone! Between 10-20% of pregnant individuals have gestational diabetes (source)

  • Rates of gestational diabetes are rising, with a 30% increase between 2016-2020 (source)

Take a deep breath and know you aren’t alone in this journey. Explore the rest of our articles to learn about how to get started

Source: Sweet Success California

Malama Health https://heymalama.co
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