Gestational diabetes is a unique type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. The placenta produces hormones which act against insulin as a result of which the body fails to produce enough insulin to deal with the increased blood sugar levels in the body.
Women who are obese (BMI over 30) are at a higher risk of developing this condition along with women with a family history of diabetes and women who have previously had gestational diabetes.
Complications arising from this condition can affect the health of the unborn child as well as that of the mother. Babies tend to grow large due to the extra blood sugar and most often delivered prematurely by C-section. Seizures due to low blood sugar are another concern.
If you are overweight and planning to get pregnant, you should work on loosing weight immediately as this will improve your overall health and ensure a healthy pregnancy. A report on www.more-than-a-number.com website says that “physicians consider obesity to be the single greatest public health crisis today”
Therefore think of yourself and the health of your unborn child and start to live healthy.