People have questions about gestational diabetes. What is diabetes? What’s the difference between prediabetes and diabetes? What is gestational diabetes? What can a person do to keep from getting a false positive on a glucose test? What are the risks for the pregnant diabetic mom and her baby? What action steps does one need to take?

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disorder of carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism that is characterized by elevated levels of glucose (blood sugar). Diabetes can increase the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, blindness, and loss of nerve function. This condition can occur. When the pancreas does not secrete enough insulin or if the body becomes resistant to insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the blood sugar be taken up into the cells of the body.

What’s the Difference Between Prediabetes and Diabetes?

Please go back and read Blog 213 “Prediabetes vs. Diabetes: What’s the Real Difference?” to understand the differences between Prediabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, and Type 2 Diabetes. Here’s a quick summary.

Type 1 Diabetes (Insulin Dependent Diabetes – IDDM) occurs most often in children and adolescents. Lifelong insulin therapy is needed for glucose control for these people. These moms need medical supervision in their prenatal care to help them in controlling their insulin/glucose ratio. These moms need to follow a whole foods diet and add enough protein into their diet. Exercise is also very important. The mom’s weight gain and salt intake do not need to be restricted because this can cause additional problems such as metabolic toxemia of late pregnancy. The best plan is to have diabetes under control for six to twelve months before a baby is conceived.

Type 2 diabetes (Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus) usually occurs after the age of 40 and is closely related to our culture’s Standard American Dietary, the SAD diet. Lack of sensitivity to insulin, insulin resistance, by the cells of the body is a characteristic of this type of diabetes. Diabetes is very rare in cultures with a diet that is rich that it in whole plant foods. Our Western diet and lifestyle are causative factors. There are few complications during pregnancy and moms with IDDM if they are diligent to follow a “whole food diet” and exercise regularly.

Prediabetes is diabetes that has not become official yet. The body is warning that it is heading towards Type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes have elevated glucose levels (aka blood sugar) that don’t quite hit the threshold for diabetes. Insulin resistance is the cause of prediabetes.

What Is Gestational Diabetes?

Blog 163 “Gestational Diabetes” was an introduction to the topic. This blog provides education on gestational diabetes and how a pregnant woman who has it can begin to support her body while dealing with it. It tells about what the condition is, what good glucose levels are, and what someone with Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) could do to help herself.  You may read that blog here: https://lavenderpathwellness.com/2021/08/01/blog-163-gestational-diabetes/

In this blog post we will dive a little deeper and look at what a woman might consider doing before taking a glucose test to provide a more accurate picture of her body’s way of handling glucose. Normal body mechanisms of pregnancy are not always understood, and the glucose tests are often faulty, so a diagnosis of gestational diabetes may not be warranted. Eating a nutritious diet of adequate protein, vitamins, minerals, and calories may result in higher glucose levels, but if it is in the “old” normal range of 140-150 mm, it may be an okay for most pregnant woman.

What Can a Person Try to Keep from Getting a False Positive on a Glucose Test?

If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you might consider using Anne Frye’s plan. Anne Frye has been a midwife since 1979. She suggests you ask for an alternate screening test, the Hemoglobin A1C. This test reflects your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. The higher the A1C level, the poorer your blood sugar control is and the higher the risk of diabetes complications. The test does not require fasting and is not affected by the “fight or flight” response. It shows what is normal for you.

If the A1C test is not a possibility, consider following Anne Frye’s suggestions to avoid triggering the stress response before getting the Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT). Her suggestions follow:

• Eat a preparatory diet of 250 -300 grams of carbohydrate for three days before the test to help prevent a “False-Positive” response.
• Walk from one to three miles between taking the glucose and having the blood drawn to lower blood sugar levels.
• Schedule the appointment so that the least amount of fasting is required.
• Schedule the appointment at a time when there is less traffic on the roads and leave other children with a sitter to be as calm as possible for the test.
• Let a peaceful friend drive you to the appointment.
• Do relaxing activities between blood draws and employ guided relaxation techniques in the five minutes before the draw.

Anne writes that when she had made these suggestions with the clients of midwives that she worked for, they “passed” the test every time. www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CGUQFjAD&url=http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id33.html&ei=yeHfT-mpL6iq2QWmuZTwCQ&usg=AFQjCNH

What Are the Risks to the Pregnant Diabetic Mom and Her Baby?

Diabetes in pregnancy can pose risks for both mom and her baby. The mom has an increased risk of miscarriage and diabetes-related complications. The major complications are hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), diabetic ketoacidosis, and nonketogenic hyperosmolar syndrome (Murray, 410). The baby could grow very large and need to be born through a cesarean delivery.  The baby also could develop dangerously low blood sugars right after birth, which would require glucose to be given intravenously. Mineral imbalances in the baby may also need to be corrected using medication.

http://diabetes.webmd.com/pregnancy-diabetes-and-pregnancy?page=2

What Action Steps Does a Pregnant Woman Need to Take?

Please encourage anyone with gestational diabetes to begin to make changes in their lifestyle and eating habits under the supervision of their health care professional.

May God bless you on your wellness journey!

Joni

Resources:

http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id33.html

Naturally Healthy Pregnancy, by Shonda Parker

PS What experience do you, or someone you know, have with gestational diabetes?