Testing for Gestational Diabetes in Pregnancy

What Is Gestational Diabetes?

Concerned that you might be giving in to those sweet tooth cravings too much during pregnancy? Sugar cravings don’t always translate to abnormal sugar levels. What do you need to know and understand about your blood sugar during pregnancy?

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is high blood sugar that occurs during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes, like other types of diabetes, affects how your cells use sugar (glucose). Pregnant women can help control gestational diabetes by eating well, exercising regularly, and taking medication (if necessary). Blood sugar control can help you and your baby stay healthy and have a great labor/delivery experience!

Risk Factors For Gestational Diabetes

  • Overweight and obesity

    • BMI of 25.0-29.9 considered overweight

    • BMI of 30 and above is considered obese

  • A lack of physical activity

  • Previous gestational diabetes or pre-diabetes

  • Diabetes in an immediate family member

  • Previously delivering a baby weighing more than 9 pounds 

  • Black, hispanic, American Indian, and Asian American women have a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes 

Signs and Symptoms

  • Tiredness

  • Nausea

  • Being unusually thirsty

  • Urinating frequently

  • Frequent bladder infections

  • Blurred vision

  • Sugar in the urine that is detectable with testing

 

Testing For Gestational Diabetes

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

Between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy, this test is performed. It involves drinking a sweetened liquid (glucola) containing 50 grams of glucose. The glucose is quickly absorbed by the body, leading blood glucose levels to rise within 30 to 60 minutes. After consuming the glucose solution, your blood will be drawn an hour later to check your blood glucose level.

100 Gram Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

After drinking the sweetened cola-like drink, your blood glucose level will be measured four times over a three-hour period. You are diagnosed with gestational diabetes if two of the four blood tests are abnormal.

What Do The Test Results Mean?

A normal glucose screening test result is usually a blood sugar level of equal to or less than 140 mg/dL one hour after drinking the solution. If your blood glucose level is higher than 140 mg/dL, you’ll need to take a 100 gram oral glucose tolerance test to see if you have gestational diabetes. 

Gestational diabetes is diagnosed if two or more plasma glucose measurements meet or exceed the following thresholds: 

  • Fasting level of 95 mg/dL

  • One-hour level of 180 mg/dL

  • Two-hour level of 155 mg/dL

  • Three-hour level of 140 mg/dL

Effects Of Gestational Diabetes

If you have gestational diabetes, your baby may be at increased risk of:

  • Excessive birth weight. Blood sugar levels that are higher than normal in moms can cause their babies to grow larger than average. Large babies, those weighing more than 9 pounds, could make your delivery slightly more difficult and potentially lead to a cesarean birth.

  • Early (preterm) birth. High blood sugar may increase women’s risk of early labor and delivery before the due date because of the baby’s size.

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

  • Stillbirth. Gestational diabetes that is left untreated could increase risk.

Gestational diabetes may also increase the parent’s risk of:

  • High blood pressure & preeclampsia. Gestational diabetes can increase your chance of high blood pressure and preeclampsia, which is high blood pressure during pregnancy and could potentially cause negative effects for you and your baby.

  • Having a surgical delivery (C-section). There are higher rates of having a C-section with gestational diabetes but vaginal births are still very common and doable if you have no complications.

  • Future diabetes. You will always have a risk of getting gestational diabetes again if you have had it during a previous pregnancy but with healthy eating and exercise, you could lower your risk in the future.

Sources

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gestational-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20355339 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gestational-diabetes/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355345 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319716#what-is-gestational-diabetes

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gestational-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20355339

https://www.babycenter.in/x25005381/can-i-have-a-normal-delivery-if-i-have-gestational-diabetes

Allison Rollansgestational diabetes, Blood sugarComment