Blood Sugar During Pregnancy - A woman's blood sugar is often higher than normal during pregnancy, especially during the first and third trimesters.
Nearly 5% of pregnant women do not make the requisite amount
of insulin needed to process the excess glucose their bodies create, leading to
pregnancy-induced or gestational diabetes. This can result in health issues for
both mother and baby; as a result, it's very common to test a woman's blood sugar
during pregnancy. In some cases, a woman's blood sugar can become too low,
especially if she is experiencing severe morning sickness.
Blood Sugar During Pregnancy
The placenta creates hormones that can limit the amount of
insulin a woman's body can use and causing a rise in blood sugar. This
typically occurs during the first trimester, when hormone changes happen
suddenly, and may continue to get worse as the fetus grows. Gestational
diabetes is often diagnosed between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy. The
pancreas, the organ responsible for insulin production, needs to make as much
as three times more insulin during pregnancy than it does when a woman is not
pregnant. If insulin production fails to keep up, a woman's blood sugar levels
can become dangerously high.
While most pregnant women have a slight uptick in blood
sugar, it is typically within an acceptable range. A small percentage of women
become intolerant to glucose, the sugar found in blood, and experience
gestational diabetes. These women typically have to eat a specific diet,
exercise regularly, undergo routine blood sugar testing, and they may require
insulin during their pregnancy. In most cases, the problem stops shortly after
giving birth, although in very rare cases, gestational diabetes can develop
into regular diabetes.
This rise in blood sugar during pregnancy can cause some
health issues for the woman, but is typically not life threatening. Blurred
vision, excessive thirst or urination, and weight loss are the most common. The
main concern is the health of the fetus, since high blood sugar can cause birth
defects, miscarriages early in pregnancy, issues with delivery, and increases
the risks of stillbirth. When left untreated, the baby may have low blood sugar
once born, which can put his or her life at risk if untreated.
A woman's blood sugar is often tested with urine samples and
a glucose tolerance test during the second trimester. If results from these
tests come back abnormal, a woman will likely have to take a three hour glucose
test to determine if gestational diabetes is a risk. Eating well during
pregnancy and exercising regularly can greatly reduce the chances of developing
this problem.
In rare cases, a woman's blood sugar can become too low.
This typically occurs when a woman is not eating enough or is having difficulty
keeping food down, which is common during the first trimester. Eating small,
light meals several times a day can often resolve the problem. In rare cases, a
woman with low blood sugar during pregnancy may require hospitalization.
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