Generally, just the words “gestational diabetes” strike fear into the hearts of pregnant women everywhere. Most women are afraid and extremely cautious about their diets, to the point where they may even miss out on some of the joys of pregnancy. There are also those, however, that take the opposite stance. While gestational diabetes may not be anything to worry about terribly, it is a condition that requires thought and proper treatment.
Uncontrolled blood sugar can be very dangerous to both mother and baby. A gestational diabetic that ignores her condition and continues to eat a poor diet can put herself and her pregnancy at risk.
A woman that follows treatment plans and doctor’s orders will likely have no issues with gestational diabetes during or after her pregnancy, and her unborn child will also be safe. The following are risks of not treating gestational diabetes appropriately, and letting blood sugar be un-stabilized.
• Preeclampsia: Preeclampsia is a condition of high blood pressure during pregnancy. Often, preeclampsia is also accompanied by protein in the urine, and swelling of the extremities. Preeclampsia can cause many complications during birth, including the risk of premature labor.
• Kidney Failure: High blood sugar levels force the kidneys to filter too much blood, which can cause them to start shutting down. It is for this reason that diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure.
• Neuropathy: Diabetes can cause nerve damage throughout the body, causing tingling and lack of feeling in the extremities. It is most common for neuropathy to happen in the feet, and in some cases feeling can never be returned.
• High Birth Weight: Gestational diabetes women are in danger of having higher birth weight children, due to the fetus receiving too many nutrients in the womb starting in the second trimester. High birth weight can lead to birth complications and emergency cesarean.
• Birth Complications: Uncontrolled high blood sugar during pregnancy can lead to a myriad of birth complications, ranging from jaundice to cleft palate and deformed limbs, and more.
Avoiding the Risks Is Easy
Avoiding the risks of uncontrolled high blood sugar during pregnancy is much easier than you might think, especially when compared with the risks. Overall, gestational diabetes is an an easily treated condition.
In most cases, simple diet changes and exercise are all that is needed to control gestational diabetes. Eating a healthy diabetes friendly diet is all about balancing complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and dietary fiber. In some cases, medication may be needed, and most of those medications are in pill form. Few women need to take insulin shots to control their gestational diabetes, but even so it is worth avoiding the risks.
Gestational diabetes is an easily treatable condition, and so therefore it needs not be feared. Fear is not necessary, but carefully treating your gestational diabetes is very important. The benefits of making a few lifestyle changes certainly outweigh any of the gestational diabetes risks of uncontrolled blood sugar. Click here to learn more about gestational diabetes.