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Unit 6

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Deljay Fields

Sept. 30, 2010

Kaplan University

CM299

Professor G. Williams

               Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a disease that has been on the rise, which most young women have very little knowledge about. GDM is treatable but there is no cure for it and once you develop this condition, you have it for life. Your doctor will tell you that it can be controlled, but there is no cure for it. However exercise, eating the right foods and keeping your weight under control can help to keep blood sugar levels within a normal range. GDM usually develops in women during pregnancy. Many years ago women did not know what this disease was or what affects it could have on the body. Women seem to think that when their body go through changes during pregnancy that it is normal even when they sometimes gain too much weight. This could be harmful to the mother and their unborn child. After giving birth, the mother blood sugar usually returns to normal, but some women who have been diagnosed with GDM will develop diabetes later in life (Milchovich and Dunn-Long, 1999).  Let’s explore the causes of GDM, who is at risk of getting this condition, and what treatment can be done to help to protect ourselves and our unborn child.

               Gestational Diabetes Mellitus usually occurs because hormones produces by the placenta block the action of insulin in the body, causing insulin resistance. Increased body weight only complicates the problem. The body needs more insulin but at the same time she is also insulin resistance (Thomas, 1999).

               Women who are at risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus or type 2 diabetes are overweight, may have a family member with diabetes, over 30 years of age, have high blood pressure and are Hispanic, African, Native, or Asian American (Milchovich and Dunn-Long, 1999). These are a few of risk factors for diabetes. If the parent has diabetes then there is a chance of the child having this condition because it is heredity. However this does not mean that you will have it because sometimes it can skip a generation. However, people whose mother had diabetes were twice as likely to get the disease as those who father had diabetes (Risk Factors for Diabetes, 2007). Have you notice that when you go to the doctor that one of the main questions that they ask is the history of your family. They need to know this information because it helps the doctor to diagnose your condition much better. This is why you need to know as much information on your family medical background as possible.  Family history plays a very important role in women’s with diabetes (Risk Factors for Diabetes). Before being diagnosed for GDM you will have to a blood sugar test done which is ordered by the doctor. Blood sugar tests are usually done why getting your routine checkup and if the blood sugar is higher than 140 milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood plasma then you are referred to a laboratory for an oral glucose tolerance test (Schlosberg, 2010).

               Exercise is very important in our daily lives. A regular exercise program combined with a healthy diet could mean that you can control the use of insulin or oral agents or that you can get by with less medication (American Diabetes Association Complete Guide to Diabetes, 1999-2002). Including exercise in a daily routine can be very important to each individual. It can improve both physical and mental outlook also you can lose weight, body fat and increase muscle tone and strength (American Diabetes Association Complete Guide to Diabetes, 1999-2002). You don’t have to do this all at once, start off slow and gradually add a few more laps around the block or a few more exercises to your routine. The more you exercise, the more your body will get used to it and pretty soon you will not be able to start the morning until you have done your exercises. Remember to always consult with your physician before starting any type of exercises.

                 During pregnancy your doctor may recommend that you follow a meal plan. A well balance and healthy meal is one way to help keep to your blood sugar under control. Instill of eating three large meals, it will be better to eat several meals with smaller portions. Eat the right amounts of food at the right time and don’t skip meals. Keep your carbohydrate foods constant from meal to meal (Milchovich and Dunn-Long, 1999). When eating away from home it is still good to follow a healthy food guide by making good nutritional choices. There is an old saying that my mother used to say which states that you are what you eat.

               Most women who are pregnant usually are diagnosed with GDM and they don’t realize the risks of having this disease. Once diagnosed, it is like a learning process for finding out certain information to help understand. There are very few symptoms that will send a signal to the brain because GDM is hard to detect. After giving birth, sometimes your blood sugar goes back to being normal, but on the other hand you may become a diabetic later on in life. You will need to make healthy food choices, plan an exercise program, and take medications as prescribed by your doctor. Food, medicine and exercise can be considered as a tool that is used to balance your blood sugar (Milchovich and Dunn-Long, 1999).