June 10, 2003
Gestational Diabetes
Question from Edinburg, Texas, USA:
I am seven and a half months pregnant, and when I got pregnant, I ate so much junk that I’ve gained l 40-45 pounds, and my feet are swollen a lot. I just had the diabetes tests, and when I called to see if I had passed, I was told no, but not to worry. What worried me the most was that she said the cutoff is 130 mg/dl [7.2 mmol/L], and my level was 192 mg/dl [10.7 mmol/L]. My grandpa also had diabetes. What are the chances I have diabetes? Please answer — I’m so worried about my baby and me.
Answer:
Your glucose test results are very high and abnormal, and you meet the criteria for gestational diabetes. Therefore, your doctor will start you on a special diet and possibly some medication to try to keep your blood sugar at a more normal level. Since, diabetes runs in your family it will also be important for you to repeat your blood sugar test sometime after the baby is born to make sure that you do not have persistent problems with glucose control.
OWJ
