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Gestational diabetes rarely causes any noticeable symptoms. This can make it difficult to spot outside of routine screenings. All pregnant women should expect to be screened for gestational diabetes between the 24th and 28th weeks of their pregnancy.
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Typical cases of gestational diabetes do not present with symptoms. If the condition progresses and symptoms do emerge, they are often mild and can be mistaken for typical effects of pregnancy.
If gestational diabetes goes untreated, or if your blood sugar spikes too high, you may start to experience more severe diabetes symptoms. Some women who experience these severe symptoms may also have undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes.
Because symptoms are not typical with gestational diabetes, the condition is usually discovered during routine screenings. The test most commonly used is a glucose challenge test, which can also be part of diabetes tests for Type 2.
Gestational diabetes most commonly develops between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy. Because of the known timing of the illness, this is also the time doctors schedule screenings for their pregnant patients.
All pregnant women should be screened as part of their prenatal care. This is especially important for women who have a family history of diabetes or themselves have a history of gestational diabetes during previous pregnancies.
Obstetricians and midwives schedule screenings for gestational diabetes as a part of standard prenatal care. Women should discuss a history of gestational diabetes with their midwife as early as possible in their pregnancy.
Talk to your doctors immediately if you have any symptoms of diabetes before your screening test. They will test for diabetes and administer treatment, if necessary.
They may also give you advice on how to lower blood sugar if you are pre-diabetic or otherwise at risk for diabetes.
Gestational diabetes and its symptoms can be managed with a comprehensive plan your medical team will put together. Between 70 to 85% of women with gestational diabetes can manage the condition without medication through lifestyle changes alone. However, some women may need prescription medication to keep gestational diabetes under control.
Your doctors may recommend following a specific gestational diabetes diet for the duration of your pregnancy. The diet is similar to a typical diabetes diet, although it has slightly more lenient restrictions. Some of the diet’s general recommendations include:
Gestational diabetes usually goes away following the birth of your baby. But it is important to manage the condition during pregnancy to avoid serious potential birth complications. Uncontrolled gestational diabetes can develop into Type 2 diabetes after delivery.
Diabetes statistics indicate that women who experience gestational diabetes are at greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life, even if their blood sugar returns to normal after delivery. If you are concerned about this risk, ask your doctor for additional health information after your baby is born.
You can also continue to follow the diet and exercise regime you followed during your pregnancy. Many of the guidelines for managing gestational diabetes can help to prevent diabetes later in life.
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Editors carefully fact-check all Drugwatch content for accuracy and quality.
Drugwatch has a stringent fact-checking process. It starts with our strict sourcing guidelines.
We only gather information from credible sources. This includes peer-reviewed medical journals, reputable media outlets, government reports, court records and interviews with qualified experts.
Drugwatch.com has provided reliable, trusted information about medications, medical devices and general health since 2008. We’ve also connected thousands of people injured by drugs and medical devices with top-ranked national law firms to take action against negligent corporations.
Our team includes experienced medical writers, award-winning journalists, researchers and certified medical and legal experts. Drugwatch.com is HONCode (Health On the Net Foundation) certified. This means the high-quality information we provide comes from credible sources, such as peer-reviewed medical journals and expert interviews.
The information on Drugwatch.com has been medically and legally reviewed by more than 30 expert contributors, including doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, patient advocates and other health care professionals. Our writers are members of professional associations, including American Medical Writers Association, American Bar Association, The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates and International Society for Medical Publication Professionals.
Michelle Llamas has been writing articles and producing podcasts about drugs, medical devices and the FDA for nearly a decade. She focuses on various medical conditions, health policy, COVID-19, LGBTQ health, mental health and women’s health issues. Michelle collaborates with experts, including board-certified doctors, patients and advocates, to provide trusted health information to the public. Some of her qualifications include:
Drugwatch.com writers follow rigorous sourcing guidelines and cite only trustworthy sources of information, including peer-reviewed journals, court records, academic organizations, highly regarded nonprofit organizations, government reports and interviews with qualified experts. Review our editorial policy to learn more about our process for producing accurate, current and balanced content.
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