Monique Rainford

Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the body's ability to process the blood sugar, glucose, is impaired. Glucose, which is the main energy source for the body, is processed by a hormone called insulin. When there is not enough insulin or it cannot function properly, it leads to an increase in the glucose circulating in the blood which can damage blood vessels and other parts of the body such as the eyes, kidneys and nerves.

There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes mellitus, which usually affects children, teenagers and young adults, occurs because all or most of the cells which produce insulin, found in an organ called the pancreas, have been destroyed. Sometimes they are destroyed by factors in the persons own body that are usually responsible for fighting infection. The other, type 2, is the more common one, and it occurs because the cells in the body are unable to respond to insulin in a normal manner partly because they become resistant to insulin. Because of this insensitivity, the body tries to produce more insulin, but ultimately is unable to meet the body's demands.

Fat women

When diabetes is first diagnosed or first occurs in pregnancy, it is called gestational diabetes. A woman is at higher risk of gestational diabetes if she is obese, is age 25 or older, has a family history of diabetes, had diabetes in a prior pregnancy or has Hispanic, African, Native American, South or East Asian, or Pacific Island ancestry.

Women with diabetes are more likely to have babies weighing more than about eight and a half to nine pounds (foetal macrosomia) and this can make the delivery process difficult. They may be more likely to need instruments to aid in vaginal delivery or a Caesarean section. The baby is also more likely to have birth injuries from the delivery. The new born baby can also have other problems such as low blood sugar, jaundice and the lungs can be slower to develop than those in babies having mothers without diabetes.

A woman is usually tested for gestational diabetes by a blood test called the O'Sullivan test which is done between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. Some doctors, however, may choose to test some women at the beginning of their pregnancy. If this test is abnormal, she will need further testing.

Special diet

If she has been diagnosed with diabetes, she will need to go on a special diet to attempt to control her blood sugars and she may even need to test her blood sugars at home, as well as at the doctor's office. If her blood sugars cannot be controlled by this special diet, she may require medications such as insulin shots. Exercise may help to improve the control of her blood sugar. Women who have had gestational diabetes are more likely to develop diabetes later in life.

If a woman has diabetes before pregnancy, it is very important that she consults her physician to control her blood sugars before she attempts pregnancy. Women with poorly controlled diabetes before and during pregnancy have a much higher risk of having a baby with a birth defect and may have a higher risk of miscarriage. She is also more likely to have her baby die inside her womb, a stillborn baby. A woman with diabetes may need special testing of the baby during her third trimester of pregnancy to reduce her risk of a stillborn baby.

If you have diabetes or you are diagnosed with diabetes in pregnancy, it is very important that you have very regular visits with your doctor to help to ensure your baby's health.