Pregnancy diabetes symptoms look so much like normal pregnancy discomforts that many women suffering from pregnancy diabetes, also known as gestational diabetes, do not even realize that they may have pregnancy related diabetes.

The signs and symptoms of diabetes in pregnancy typically begin somewhere in the middle of the second trimester. The condition is usually diagnosed at about 24 week’s gestation because your physician will order a gestational diabetes screening that needs to be scheduled and done in the laboratory. The ADA (American Diabetes Association) website infers that around 18% of pregnant women are diagnosed with pregnancy related diabetes.

A diagnosis of gestational diabetes does not mean that you had diabetes before you were pregnant or that you will have it after the pregnancy is over. Many women have gestational diabetes who have never previously had diabetes and who go through life never experiencing diabetes again.

The important thing to …

Gestational diabetes is a condition that pregnant women are susceptible to. Gestational diabetes symptoms can be difficult to recognize, because most pregnant women suffer from some level of these symptoms regardless of whether or not they have gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is a condition that is typically tested for at about 24 week’s gestation. According to the ADA (American Diabetes Association) about 18% of pregnant women end up with gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is not related to pre or post-pregnancy diabetes. At this time, the reason for gestational diabetes is unknown. However, according to the ADA, it is suspected that the hormones the placenta produces to help the baby develop also tend to block the mother’s ability to absorb and utilize insulin properly. This is known as insulin resistance. If the body is unable to properly utilize insulin then blood sugar is not metabolized properly, thus increasing blood sugar levels …

Pregnant women may have higher-than-normal levels of glucose in their blood, placing them at risk for diabetes in their pregnancy. Unfortunately, there are few symptoms of gestational diabetes during pregnancy. These symptoms may include increased thirst, excessive hunger and more frequent urination. However, many women never experience these symptoms, and those who do sometimes attribute them to the general experience of pregnancy. As such, doctors generally screen for this condition sometime during the second trimester, even if the patient is exhibiting no symptoms of gestational diabetes during pregnancy.

Sometimes doctors will test for this condition even earlier in the pregnancy if the patient is at risk. According to the Mayo Clinic, risk factors for gestational diabetes include age, family history, elevated blood sugar levels or a personal history of gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy. Other factors may include obesity or race, with black, Hispanic, American Indian and Asian …