You may be wondering why your obstetrician will request ***** samples at prenatal appointments when you are pregnant. Glucose is one of the things that your doctor monitors. Some of these may be common, but if it happens frequently or in large amounts, it may indicate that you have gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy).

Between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation, most women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. However, if you have too much glucose during prenatal visits, you will be tested very quickly.

'We usually recommend screening for people with risk factors for gestational diabetes early in pregnancy - usually in the first trimester,' the expert explained.

What are the factors that put you at risk?

Many risk factors will be discussed with your doctor during your initial appointments. According to the doctor, you are more likely to develop gestational diabetes if you do:

• Your BMI is over 30 and you are overweight.
• You are 35 years old.
• You gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds.
• Your blood sugar level is ***** or your blood sugar is abnormally high.
• Your family has a history of type 2 diabetes.
• You have had gestational diabetes in the past.

Women who have some of these indicators are often tested early.

What is the screening process?

Your doctor will ask you to do a **** glucose tolerance test. Here's how it works:

1. During the test, you should quickly drink a sugary drink containing 50 grams of glucose. This glucose is easily absorbed by your body, raising your blood sugar level.
2. An hour after drinking the sugar drink, blood is collected from your hand. The blood test measures the solution of glucose to see how well your body is maintaining it.
3. If your research is abnormal (high blood sugar levels), you will need to repeat the test, requiring you to fast (do not eat anything) before completing it. This test involves drinking 100 grams of glucose and measuring your blood sugar for three hours before and after each hour. If the results of this test are abnormal, you have gestational diabetes.
4. 'If you have been tested before and it's OK, you should be tested again in 24 to 28 weeks, when the placental hormone insulin resistance is highest,' he told.
5. The placenta ***** connects you with your baby and helps it grow by nourishing it. Some hormones produced by the placenta interfere with the action of insulin produced by your body. This 'insulin resistance' increases with the proliferation of the placenta. This change is sufficient for an increase in blood sugar in some individuals.

How can I reduce the chances of developing gestational diabetes?

There is no guarantee and almost half of the women who develop gestational diabetes have no risk factors. However, adopting healthy behaviors is always a good idea.

Keep an eye on what you eat. Your doctor or nutritionist can help you make healthier food choices. Usually eat low sugar and processed carbs (white bread, white rice, pasta). Increase the amount of fiber in your diet (raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and sugary *************).

Increase your physical activity. Although walking, swimming, yoga and other low-impact exercises are generally best, consult your doctor about which activities are best for you.

What to do if you have gestational diabetes?

If you develop gestational diabetes during your pregnancy, your doctor will monitor it closely because it can cause problems for both you and your baby.

As your body cannot maintain the supply of insulin, excess glucose accumulates in your blood and the baby gets more sugar than it needs, which is stored as ***. Possible consequences for an older baby, a higher risk of cesarean birth and a slightly higher risk of fetal and neonatal death.

Blood glucose levels in infants given to diabetic mothers should be monitored after birth. Low blood sugar in newborns can cause problems for your baby, including women with any type of diabetes, including seizures.

However, if you focus on amazing exercises, you can still have a healthy baby. To keep blood sugar levels stable, do the following:

• Check your blood sugar level regularly.
• Reduce the number of simple sugars and carbohydrates in your diet.
• Exercise regularly.
• Blood sugar levels in most women usually return to normal after birth but can be monitored by your doctor during the postpartum period. Nearly 10% of women with gestational diabetes are unaware that they have type 2 diabetes.

If a woman has gestational diabetes during pregnancy, she is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. By age ten, about half of all women with gestational diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes, so your primary care physician needs to take care of your blood sugar.

Many women with gestational diabetes are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which can be prevented by diet, weight loss, and modified activity.