Does Gestational Diabetes Cause Weight Gain Problem?

While having excessive pounds of weight (BMI over 30) before pregnancy can increase your risk of developing GD or gestational diabetes, does this metabolic health condition also cause weight gain problem? The answer is not always easy since experiencing weight gain is a normal part of pregnancy process.

Early signs and symptoms of gestational diabetes

This health metabolic condition usually doesn’t cause early signs and symptoms. However, some women report that they experience increased sense of thirst and increased urge to urinate in early pregnancy before the diagnosis of the condition – according to Mayo Clinic.

But these early signs are very vague, because they are also common in many pregnant women without GD. Therefore, a screening test is usually required to diagnose the condition.

Normally, the test is recommended between 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. But if you have risk factors of the condition (such as if you have a personal history of gestational diabetes in your previous pregnancy), your doctor may recommend the test earlier, probably at 13th week of pregnancy.

Can gestational diabetes cause weight gain problem?

Weight changes (particularly if they occur without known reason) are not always easy to understand. This could be a vague symptom of many health conditions.

In case of symptoms for diabetes, weight loss is probably relatively more common than weight gain. Interestingly, there are more patients with obesity than patients with underweight when the diagnosis was made. Being obese is one of common risk factors for diabetes.

Diabetes itself may not a direct contribution to cause weight gain, but gaining weight excessively does have a role to trigger the occurrence of insulin resistance. Obesity would also make the disease get worse in time.

How about gestational diabetes?

Again, it is perfectly normal to gain weight during pregnancy. But the most important thing, make sure that your weight gain is normal, not higher than your doctor recommendation.

Normal weight gain in pregnancy – how far you should go?

How far you should gain weight during pregnancy is dependent on your weight before pregnancy, the number of your fetus (whether you have single or twin pregnancy), and your trimester (you weight will change along with the progress of your pregnancy).

Generally, more pounds of weight gain are expected in line with your baby grows during pregnancy. Your body needs of calories will also gradually increase at that time. What’s more?

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