The signs that gestational diabetes is affecting your wellbeing are often mild or non-existent, which makes the disease tricky to detect. You also expect your body to change during pregnancy, so you can easily overlook or chalk up some of the symptoms that could be signs of gestational diabetes to the normal discomforts of pregnancy. Therefore, whether you’re experiencing symptoms of not, if you are at risk gestational diabetes you should get tested, as it’s better for your wellness, and your baby’s, to be safe than sorry.
However, there are some symptoms that you should mention to your doctor at your next appointment, even though these experiences are often nothing to worry about. You often associate nausea and vomiting with pregnancy, especially ‘morning sickness’ but it can be a sign of gestational diabetes. Also, your pregnant body is working hard nourishing a rapidly developing foetus, so you’ll be no stranger to fatigue, but your low energy levels could also be a signal that your body isn’t metabolising sugar properly.
Do you have frequent bladder infections? The odd bladder infection is common during pregnancy, but if they happen frequently this could indicate gestational diabetes. This could also cause more serious damage, because if you have gestational diabetes the bladder infection is also more likely to spread upward into your kidneys, which, if left untreated, can lead to other complications like premature delivery and high blood pressure. Also, check with your doctor if you’re too thirsty, as you are drinking water for two but increased thirst is a common sign of diabetes. Also, increased urination is often nothing to worry about during pregnancy, but be wary because diabetes also affects how your kidneys work.
Finally, some women with gestational diabetes experience blurred vision as too much fluid accumulates in the retina of your eye, which is called macular edema. There is a low risk for severe, long-term vision complications for women with gestational diabetes, and it often clears up after delivery, but sometimes blurred vision is a sign of more serious conditions like clinical hypertension. This can do lasting damage to your vision, so, as with all of these symptoms, mention any changes in your vision to your doctor right away.
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