Gestational Diabetes (cont.)
In this Article
- What is gestational diabetes?
- What causes gestational diabetes?
- What are the complications of gestational diabetes?
- Who is at risk for gestational diabetes?
- How is gestational diabetes diagnosed?
- How is gestational diabetes managed?
- Do I need to take insulin?
- How do I monitor my blood glucose levels?
- How will my diet change?
- How much exercise is safe?
- How much weight gain is safe during pregnancy?
- What happens to my baby after delivery?
- Will gestational diabetes cause the baby to have diabetes?
- Will I still have diabetes after I deliver my baby?
- Find a local Obstetrician-Gynecologist in your town
Do I Need to Take Insulin for Gestational Diabetes?
Based on your blood sugar monitoring results, your health care provider will tell you if you need to take insulin in the form of injections during pregnancy. Insulin is a hormone that controls blood sugar. If insulin is prescribed for you, you may be taught how to perform the insulin injection procedure.
As your pregnancy progresses, the placenta will make more pregnancy hormones and larger doses of insulin may be needed to control your blood sugar. Your health care provider will adjust your insulin dosage based on your blood sugar log.
When using insulin, a "low blood glucose reaction," or hypoglycemia, can occur if you do not eat enough food, skip a meal, do not eat at the right time of day, or if you exercise more than usual.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia include:
Hypoglycemia is a serious problem that needs to be treated right away. If you think you are having a low blood sugar reaction, check your blood sugar. If your blood sugar is less than 60 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter), eat a sugar-containing food, such as 1/2 cup of orange or apple juice; 1 cup of skim milk; 4-6 pieces of hard candy (not sugar-free); 1/2 cup regular soft drink; or 1 tablespoon of honey, brown sugar, or corn syrup. Fifteen minutes after eating one of the foods listed above, check your blood sugar. If it is still less than 60 mg/dL, eat another one of the food choices above. If it is more than 45 minutes until your next meal, eat a bread and protein source to prevent another reaction.
Record all low blood sugar reactions in your log book, including the date, time of day the reaction occurred and how you treated it.
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