gestational diabetes

[butterfly wings]

Hi!  I am 30 weeks pregnant and was told last week that i have gestational diabetes.  i have been doing as i am told, and my blood sugars have been in the range they would like.  however, as a first time mom-to-be, i am very nervous.  i had two miscarriages and had trouble at the start of this pregnancy.  i guess i am looking for reassurance that my daughter will be fine.  i am concerned about her being large and also getting juvenile diabetes.  are there any other concerns for her? my other concern is what is the possibility of my diabetes not disappearing after the birth?  how long does it take?  i asked the nutritionist at the hospital, and she offered little help.  any info or personal experiences would be appreciated!

[JDRF Team SGG]

I am a type 1 diabetic who has had two successful pregnancies while diabetic. I want to make a couple of comments, based on experience and on what I have read about gestational diabetes. First, let me explain that the cause of type 1 diabetes is very different from the cause of gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes has its root in an autoimmune disorder that causes the body's immune systemt to attack and destroy its insulin-producing cells. Gestational diabetes, on the other hand, is (from what I have read in articles about gestational diabetes) caused by the hormonal changes during pregnancy creating a temporary insulin-resistance. After the baby is born, hormone levels change back to normal pre-pregnancy levels and the insulin resistance goes away.

So I believe that you have little danger after the baby is born if your case follows the usual pattern. Through my work with the Juvenile Diabetes Online Support Team, I have heard from one woman who kept her diabetic condition after pregnancy, but she turned out to be a type 1 autoimmune diabetic and not a type 2 insulin-resistant diabetic.

The fact that you are currently able to keep your glucose levels in the normal range will protect you and your baby. It isn't the diagnosis of diabetes that causes any development problems or that grows large babies, but it is diabetes that is not WELL-CONTROLLED. There is a big difference between the two! Being diabetic does not automatically make your baby large. Having high glucose levels does that. So if you work closely with your doctor to keep those glucose levels as normal as possible, you need not fear having a large baby or the baby having developmental problems. If, as the pregnancy progresses, you notice that your glucose levels are rising, then you should call your doctor and work with him to lower those levels. You and your baby will probably be fine as long as you work aggressively to stay in control of the glucose levels.

I am proof of what I write. During my first pregnancy, I was not in great control of my glucose levels (this was in my pre-education-about-diabetes days) and the baby was 9 pounds large. During the second pregnancy, I worked with a team of doctors who were doing research in all things diabetic, and they used me as a test case to see what would happen when I was deliberately slightly over-dosed on insulin  during the pregnancy (I don't recommend this, by the way). The result in my case was a baby who was small, under 7 pounds. The direct result of high or low glucose levels was certainly proven. So keep taking good care of yourself, and I wish you a very healthy baby!

[Carolynjuvenillediabetic]

Hi, I am a Type 1 diabetic(juvenille) and have been since I was 14. I have a daughter also and was very careful during my pregnancy in controling my diabetes. My daughter weighed 5 lbs 13 oz at birth. She is now going to be 14 and has no signs of developing diabetes. I am only giving you my experiences and cannot give you any medical information since I am not a doctor.
Stay with the control of your blood sugars it can only help you and her. Good luck with the pregnancy daughters are great!

[JDRF-Team-wak]

I am not a physician, but the mom of a type one and the daughter of a type 2. It is good that you are in the range that your doctors would like.  Sometimes having gestational diabetes can lead to a heavier birth weight for the baby; I would discuss this with your ob/gyn.  They can usually give an estimate of what the weight of the baby is, at your next visit.    There is no correlation that I have read or heard about between you having gestational diabetes, and your child later in life developing diabetes.

Gestational diabetes usually goes away soon after giving birth, every person is different.  However having gestational diabetes can put you at higher risk for developing diabetes later in life.

I would also ask your doctor if you should see an endocrinologist, this is a doctor that specializes in diabetes care.