Welcome to the Gestational Diabetes Workshop
Gestational diabetes can be an alarming diagnoses for a mum to be. The good news is that with diligent self management both mother and child will have an excellent chance of an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery. This workshop is designed to give you the basics of gestational diabetes. Once you have reviewed each step you are in a much better position to discuss any potential worries you have with your medical team.
Click on a numbered button to go to the steps you want to review.
If you are a newly diagnosed take it step by step.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism - the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body.
After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.
When we eat, the pancreas is supposed to automatically produce the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into our cells. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body. Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of glucose. If you want more information on this subject see Type 2 diabetic workshop.
Gestational diabetes differs from type 1 and type 2 diabetes in that it occurs only in pregnancy, and resolves at birth (unlike type 1 and type 2 diabetes, which are life-long diseases). Should you be concerned? The short answer is yes. Find out what's going on in your body when gestation diabetes strikes. Start with step one of this workshop.
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