The body of a woman can change dramatically during a pregnancy. There are plenty of changes in hormones and chemical levels. This is why some women develop Gestational Diabetes. This is the result of blood sugar levels being too high. When a woman is pregnant, it is possible that certain hormones in her body can prevent the insulin from doing what it is normally supposed to.

As a result, the glucose levels will be higher in the blood. There are several risk factors that women who are pregnant should know about. A woman that is over 25 years of age, who has a family history of diabetes, who is overweight, who has high blood pressure, or who has had other children born at least 9 pounds can be at a very high risk of Gestational Diabetes.

However, some women develop it without any of those risk factors. Getting quality prenatal care for the duration of the pregnancy is very important. Through blood tests and urine tests the doctor can detect Gestational Diabetes. It can be hard to identify from symptoms alone because they are often parallel to what a normal woman would experience in any pregnancy.

Those side effects can include fatigue, increased thirst, nausea, changes in weight, and changes in appetite. Typically, women who develop Gestational Diabetes will do so around the 4th or 5th month of the pregnancy. If such a diagnosis is made, the doctor will talk to you about your diet and about testing your glucose levels at home. They may ask you to come in for prenatal care every 2 weeks instead of every 4 weeks for the remainder of the pregnancy.

The doctor will also take extra care for your unborn child if you have Gestational Diabetes. A test will be done to see if the baby is under a great deal of stress. The heartbeat of the baby will also be monitored at each doctor's visit. For all most all women, the problem with Diabetes is one that will go away after the baby is born and hormone levels return to normal.