You might have heard about it before, but still you may still be wondering about what is gestational diabetes. Just as the name suggests, this is a kind of diabetes that starts during the pregnancy.
If you happen to have diabetes, your body isn’t able to use sugar as it should and this is why the blood sugar level increases to higher than normal levels.Such diabetes affects about 1-3% of all pregnant women. Usually it starts in the second trimester and normally it goes away after the baby has been born.

What gestational diabetes is and what it does to the mother and the baby?

In case you have high levels of blood sugar it may be unhealthy both for you and for your baby. In case this problem isn’t treated, the baby could have some problems at birth.

As an example, the baby could be born with low blood sugar level, to have a much bigger weight than normal or jaundice.

As it has been mentioned, when we are thinking about what gestational diabetes is, we also have to consider the health of the mother. As an example, in case the baby is very large, delivery might be difficult for you to deliver and you may need a caesarian section.

Also if you happen to have this kind of diabetes you have higher chances of being affected by preeclampsia, which is a serious condition in case it is left untreated.

What to do when you know what is gestational diabetes?

Now that you know what is gestational diabetes you should also know what to do in case you are faced with it. Most probably your doctor will suggest a diet for you and you will also need regular exercise. It is also a good idea to have frequent blood tests to see your blood sugar level. In some cases it is also needed to take some medication to keep the blood sugar level under control.

What to change in the diet after learning what gestational diabetes is?

As it has been mentioned, after the doctor tells you what gestational diabetes is, most probably he will ask you to change certain aspects of your nutrition and to see a dietician to plan the meals. It is also possible that you will need to reduce the food intake, depending on how much weight you gain during your pregnancy.

Knowing what is gestational diabetes, it makes sense for you to avoid those kinds of foods that come with simple sugar like cookies, cake, ice cream or candy. Instead of these you should opt for foods that contain natural sugar, like fruits.

In case you get hungry between the meals, you should choose healthy foods, like raisins, fruit or carrot sticks. The whole-grain breads, whole-grain pasta and rice are also healthy both for you and the baby.

When thinking about what gestational diabetes is you should also consider exercise to keep your blood sugar level normal and also to make you feel better. Knowing what gestational diabetes is may be very important in case of any pregnancy so every future mom should consider the possibility and treat herself with great care.