Hudson Valley Parent

HVP March 2015

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hvparent.com ■ Hudson Valley Parent 5 Are you at risk of developing gestational diabetes? I magine being pregnant and struggling to keep your blood-glucose levels in check. Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes can be alarming, but Dr. Jed Turk, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist at Health Quest Medical Practice, knows your diagnosis doesn't mean your pregnancy won't progress normally. What's the dierence? It's important to keep in mind that gestational diabetes is very different from type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes (or juvenile diabetes) occurs when the body's immune system destroys the cells that release insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the body is resistant to the insulin it produces. However, gestational diabetes only occurs in pregnant women due to hormonal changes. "For expecting moms, hormones from the placenta can make the body less responsive to insulin causing sugar intolerance," says Dr. Turk. When the expecting mother's body can't keep up with the demand for insulin, she devel- ops gestational diabetes. Am I at risk? Gestational diabetes can strike any pregnant woman and it usually develops in the second trimester. "It's very important to be tested for gestational diabetes," says Dr. Turk. "Patients hate the test because they have to drink an unpleasant tasting syrup, but the test is extremely important." Obesity, a history of glucose intolerance, previous gestational diabetes, and multiple births are major risk factors for gestational diabetes. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, excessive amniotic fluid, unexplained miscarriages, and having glycosuria before or during pregnancy. According to Dr. Turk, "your doctor will test your blood sugar early in the pregnancy, and then retest between week 24 and 28." Can I still have a healthy pregnancy? "The key to having a healthy pregnancy is to maintain your ideal body weight prior to pregnancy," says Dr. Turk. "However, there is no way to guarantee that a women will not develop gestational diabe- tes." To maximize the potential of a healthy pregnancy, women should have their blood sugar tested three months prior to pregnancy to make sure they are within normal range. "If women manage their gesta- tional diabetes (either by diet or medication), they can still deliver a healthy baby," says Dr. Turk. "But it is imperative that the expecting mother not cheat on her prescribed diet and that she takes the proper steps to managing the gestational diabetes." Will I always have diabetes? "Gestational diabetes is not strongly related to type 2 diabetes," says Dr. Turk. "Usually a wom- an's blood sugar levels will return to normal after giving birth, but women should keep an eye on their glucose levels after giving birth." If your blood sugar is still high after giving birth, contact your primary care physician. Jed Turk, Board Certified OBGYN, sees patients in HQMP's Poughkeep- sie, Fishkill and New Paltz offices. He delivers at Vassar Brothers Medical Center and is certified in daVinci Robotic Surgery. "It is imperative that expecting mothers not cheat on the prescribed diet." Jed Turk, MD Health Quest Medical Practice POUGHKEEPSIE FISHKILL RHINEBECK KINGSTON NEW PALTZ

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