Understanding gestational diabetes | Ohio State Medical Center

Patient: It felt like I failed. When I found out about it, I kept looking and researching because I didn't really understand what it was.
Everyone was talking about. 

Patient: I mean, it’s scary at first, you know, because you, you receive the diagnosis and then, of course, are consulting “Doctor Google,” and that can lead you down some scary pathways.

Patient: It was really a surprise and shocking for me. I did not expect that I will be having GD at all.

Dr. Steven Gabbe, Ob/Gyn: The key risk factor is higher glucose levels, particularly after eating meals. Because we know the glucose level in the mom is reflected in the baby. So if the levels are higher in the mom, they'll be higher in the baby. There's nothing that women do wrong to develop gestational diabetes. It's a part of the new normal hormonal changes of pregnancy. 

Brenda Widmayer, diabetes nurse: It's because the placental hormones cause insulin resistance, and you just aren't able to make enough extra insulin to account for that insulin resistance.

Dr. Kamilah Dixon, Ob/Gyn: You're working very hard to make sure that you and your baby have a safe pregnancy. There are options for medication. Sometimes there are pills that you can take. Sometimes there are injections of insulin that you use to help bring down your sugar levels to an appropriate level.
These medications have been studied for many, many, many years. They're safe, which is why we recommend that they're being used during pregnancy.

Dr. Gabbe: It is stressful because women realize how I'm taking care of myself impacts how my baby is going to do. So we have a team approach. We have diabetes nurse educators, dietitians, social workers and community health workers supporting the woman. She has a lot to learn in a short time to improve the outcome for her baby.

Brenda Widmayer: They're often overwhelmed and very frightened about the diagnosis. So I always tell our patients that you're in good company because it's a really common condition.

Patient: There's a learning curve with checking your blood sugars and getting on the right diet and controlling it that way. But it's manageable.

Brenda Widmayer: It means that they're going to have to do some blood sugar testing during their pregnancy, diet intervention with a dietitian. 

Patient: Certainly, understanding that there's some risk factors, but I never felt like I was in danger because I have been being monitored so closely here.
You know, I trust that I am under the care of best practice.

Dr. Dixon: You’re with a wonderful team here. So we're here to navigate this process with you. 
Just because you have gestational diabetes, it doesn't mean you will have diabetes after pregnancy, and it doesn't mean that you won't be able to live your normal life during your pregnancy.

Dr. Gabbe: We have therapies that work, that with our support, with the support of our team, with diet and exercise wise, these lifestyle changes and then, if necessary, medication, we can help you so that your baby will be a normal size at delivery, more likely to develop normally later in life,
and that you will feel more knowledgeable and better able to meet this challenge.

Patient: Take it one day at a time and don't blame yourself. 

Patient: Surround yourself with support and just realize it's not your fault and just do what you can.

Brenda Widmayer: Our ultimate goal here: healthy baby and healthy mother.

Mom with baby making content coo.