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How is gestational diabetes treated?
The main elements of GD treatment are:
-- Normalizing blood sugar: The first step is a diet low in sugars and carbohydrates. Some diets also limit calories. If diet fails to control blood glucose levels, insulin injections are prescribed.
-- Monitoring blood sugar: In most cases this will mean pricking your finger and testing your blood once, and more commonly, several times a day.
Many protocols include:
-- Monitoring fetal well-being: Many practitioners order repeated fetal surveillance tests beginning at or before the due date. The most common is the nonstress test, which looks at the fetal heart rate changes in response to fetal movements or Braxton-Hicks contractions (normal, nonlabor tightening of the uterus).
-- Ultrasound scan to estimate fetal weight
-- Planned delivery: This may be either induction of labor or elective cesarean section. Induction is often at, or sometimes before, the due date.
--Monitoring newborn blood sugar: Some protocols call for checking the baby’s blood sugar, which involves a heel stick.
