There is a form of diabetes that affects only pregnant women during their pregnancy, known as gestational diabetes, it is a condition in which the amount of sugar circulating in the maternal blood is above the level considered as normal. This results in an unhealthy condition for mother and developing child. Gestational diabetes, it is estimated, occurs in about five to eight percent of pregnancies in America, although the exact numbers are not known. But it is certain that gestational diabetes is found more frequently in women of African American, Hispanic American, and native Indian American descent. And it is also known to be more prevalent in women with a family history of other forms of diabetes and in women who are substantially overweight. Under the care of a doctor, gestational diabetes is usually screened for at about week 24 of the pregnancy or soon after, when the condition, if it exists, becomes evident. However, it can occur much earlier in a pregnancy. Also, it is likely that the pregnant mother would be checked and monitored much sooner if there are known associated higher risks. The sugar that circulates in the blood is called glucose and is derived from the foods we eat, mainly from the nutrients called carbohydrates, and is essential for cells of the body that need it to use as fuel to drive the many metabolic processes that keep the body functioning and alive. The glucose is delivered into the bloodstream through a multi-step process in the body, starting with digestion of the foods after being eaten. After the food items are digested -- meaning processed in the stomach -- they are reduced to their various nutrient components and the nutrients, including glucose, then pass through the walls of the intestines into the bloodstream. The more complex original sugar fractions of the foods are reduced to the simpler form of sugar called glucose, the form of sugar require by the body's cells. When glucose enters the bloodstream after eating, a hormone called insulin is also released into the bloodstream. The insulin is essential to the process and acts as an intermediary between the glucose and the unique receptors on the cells that need the glucose, and thereby facilitates the entry of the glucose into those cells. In this way, insulin is the key that unlocks the door to the cells, allowing the glucose to enter. Diabetes occurs when the system explained above becomes impaired, caused, it is suspected, by hormones that are produced in the placenta that conducts nutrition to the growing fetus. Those hormones appear to interfere with the essential actions between insulin and the cell receptors and in doing so, prevent the take-up of glucose from the blood by the cells. This occurrence is sometimes referred to as insulin resistance or glucose intolerance. The treatment of the diabetic condition usually involves the adoption of a gestational diabetes diet and added physical activity and in a few cases, when the blood sugar levels cannot be brought under control through diet and exercise, medication or insulin may be prescribed. The objective of a gestational diabetes diet is to keep the blood sugars within an acceptable range and to avoid foods that can cause them to be substantially raised. A dietitian, or other member of the health care team will usually consult with the expectant mother and devise a meal plan that takes into consideration her preferences and tastes. The diet will list the appropriate nutritious foods and beverages to make up meals and snacks. The diet should also identify, with instructions to eliminate them, those food items that can pose problems, especially sweet sugary foods and beverages that can swiftly increase the amounts of glucose in the blood. Carbohydrates are the main source of glucose so there will probably be instructions on when and how much carbohydrate-rich food that can be consumed. The gestational diabetes diet will ensure there are sufficient calories from meals that provide the proper ratios of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, and the essential vitamins and minerals to sustain good health while controlling blood sugar levels. The timing and frequency of meals may be important, the instruction is often to eat three small evenly balanced meals every day together with snacks in between. If extra weight gain is a problem, as it often is with diabetes, the doctor may suggest the addition of a suitable exercise routine. The doctor, the dietitian, and the supporting healthcare team, are the experienced professionals who monitor and manage the pregnancy and any gestational diabetes that might occur. With proper supervision and compliance, the efforts of the mother will result in a successful pregnancy, and the gestational diabetes usually ends with the arrival of the new baby.
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