Gestational Diabetes: More Treatment Approaches

By Amy Campbell If you've been reading about gestational diabetes over the past couple of weeks, you might be thinking that it seems like an awful lot of work to manage it. You're right, it is. Remember that gestational diabetes is diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. If you already have diabetes, then you know the amount of effort it takes to try and control it. One of the positive aspects about gestational diabetes (GDM) is that it pretty much disappears after the baby is born. And of course, nothing tops the reward and joy of a happy, healthy baby! Last week I wrote about the ways in which GDM is managed. Not surprisingly, healthy eating and physical activity top the charts. Monitoring is necessary, too, in the form of blood glucose checking and urine ketone testing. Here are the other approaches that are equally as important: Medication. The hope is that a woman with GDM can manage her blood glucose levels by "lifestyle measures" (that is to say, meal planning and physical activity). But this isn't the case for some women. Remember that the goal is to keep blood glucose levels within target range (and that range is pretty tight). It's a lofty goal, and it may not be achievable without insulin injections. Insulin is the best and safest treatment for GDM, and about 10% to 20% of women with the condition will need to take insulin. There is no risk to the fetus (insulin is a natural hormone). If it looks like you'll need to start insulin, your doctor will determine the typ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs