Gestational diabetes is just what it sounds like – diabetes that
arises during gestation. It’s usually diagnosed with a glucose challenge
(the dreaded orange drink test) around week 24-28 of the pregnancy.
Most women pass the test no problem and continue with their normal
pregnancies. (That’s what happened to me with my first pregnancy in 2011
– no GD and a healthy, full-term baby girl.)
Because of my risk factors – obesity and diagnosed insulin resistance and PCOS – I was tested early at week 17 of my second pregnancy. After I failed the one hour glucose challenge I had to take the longer three-hour glucose screening. I failed that too so officially had a diagnosis of gestational diabetes in early October. Because it was caught so early that means I have twice as long to monitor my eating and test my blood sugar four times a day than a normal diagnosis around week 28. Woe!
Read the rest on Woman's Hospital's "Life Among Women" blog. (Called Mommy-Go-Round when published.)
Because of my risk factors – obesity and diagnosed insulin resistance and PCOS – I was tested early at week 17 of my second pregnancy. After I failed the one hour glucose challenge I had to take the longer three-hour glucose screening. I failed that too so officially had a diagnosis of gestational diabetes in early October. Because it was caught so early that means I have twice as long to monitor my eating and test my blood sugar four times a day than a normal diagnosis around week 28. Woe!
Read the rest on Woman's Hospital's "Life Among Women" blog. (Called Mommy-Go-Round when published.)