What is it?  This is where you get high glucose levels in your blood during pregnancy where you have had no issues with diabetes before.  It occurs in up to 10% of pregnancies.  It usually starts after 20 weeks and usually goes away again after birth.

 How did I get it?  In normal life insulin breaks down sugars in your blood to make your energy.  In pregnancy hormones block the workings of insulin.  This is normal to make sure baby gets the sugar he/she needs to grow.  So your body should produce extra insulin to meet these demands and GD occurs when your body can’t make that extra insulin.

 Signs I have it – Thirstiness, tiredness and more weeing.  However as all this lot happens in pregnancy anyway it is usually spotted during midwife appointments when your urine sample is tested.

How is it tested?  A GTT (glucose tolerance test) is usually done.  You have to fast (eat nothing) overnight and no brekky, then the doctor or consultant will give you a glucose (sugar) drink and test every few hours or so to see if your body is producing enough insulin to break that glucose down.

 What does that mean to me and baby?   For you – if GD is not controlled well then there is a risk of pre eclampsia, premature labour and increased water levels.  For baby – he/she will produce extra insulin to counteract the extra sugar coming from you.  This makes more fat and tissues and so baby grows bigger.

 What does that mean for labour & birth?  You will be monitored closely for the rest of your pregnancy and may be offered extra scans to check baby’s growth.  If baby looks to be getting too large then often a caesarean section is recommended to avoid shoulder dystocia (when baby’s shoulder gets stuck behind pelvis as is too big).  However if GD is managed well in pregnancy then normal birth is still the preferred method of delivery.

 How can I control it?  Main method is by diet and exercise.  A low GI diet means you produce less sugar so it can’t get through to the baby.  Low GI foods include: wholewheat/brown bread pasta and rice.  Foods to avoid are white carbs, lemonade and other fizzy drinks, fruit juices, too much milk, too much fruit and anything obviously sugary such as sweets and desserts.

Meal plans etc can be found here:

http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Sample_Diet_for_Gestational_Diabetes

One very important step is not to miss breakfast as that is when your body needs the blood sugars stabilising the most after a long time without food.  Eat regularly and in moderate amounts.

The other important way to control GD is with exercise so that excess sugar is burnt off.  Low impact exercise such as walking or swimming is good – up to 30 mins a day is recommended.  Other tips on this site: 

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/pregnancy/Pages/Exerciseandpregnancy.aspx

 What are the long term effects?  You may develop GD again in future pregnancies and you are more at risk of type 2 diabetes later in life.  Babies are more prone to type 2 diabetes and obesity later in their own lives.