Did you know that women who have a family history of diabetes have a higher chance of developing gestational diabetes during their pregnancy? According to a new study, the risks are even higher if that family member is a sibling, as opposed to a parent. Gestational diabetes, which is usually diagnosed in the second half of pregnancy, affects about three percent of all pregnant women. It causes higher than normal blood sugar levels, which can lead to your baby developing jaundice, gaining too much weight, and/or having low blood sugar (due to the sudden drop in sugars once she is born). With a healthy diet and close monitoring, the effects of gestational diabetes can be minimized.

All women are tested for gestational diabetes in the second trimester. After a short fasting period, your doctor will give you a sugary cocktail that some describe as tasting like flat Hawaiian punch mixed with cough syrup, and your blood sugars are then tested after a certain time period to see how your body handled all that sugar.

You may wonder if signs and symptoms of gestational diabetes show up before this test is ever done. Unfortunately, for most, there are no noticeable indicators of the disease other than irregular test results. Very rarely, a pregnant woman with gestational diabetes may experience excessive thirst or increased urination. Excessive weight gain and hunger can also signal gestational diabetes, but since weight gain and hunger are common to pregnancy, these are also not very reliable indicators of the disease. Ultimately, a glucose tolerance test is required to diagnose gestational diabetes, and that is why the test is routine.

In addition to a family history of diabetes, factors that may increase you risk of developing gestational diabetes include being over the age of thirty, obesity, having too much amniotic fluid, having high blood pressure, previously giving birth to a large baby, or having gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy.

I’ve been reading some conflicting views on drinking alcohol during pregnancy this evening. Some are insisting one drink, once in a while, certainly can’t cause much harm, while other studies are revealing that alcohol affects the fetus at the DNA level. The former group says that kind of research only applies to women who drink a lot, but my question is, how many sips of alcohol can you take before it’s one too many? Can researchers draw a line? Is it the fifth martini that causes the cleft palate or the flattened features? Is it the tenth glass of wine that causes the malformed skull or the fifteenth that causes the intellectual disabilities? If one glass of wine doesn’t seem to affect one person, yet leaves another nearly inebriated, how can we apply a one glass limit to all pregnant women? I strongly recommend that drinking alcohol be on the list of absolute “don’ts” during pregnancy. There is just no reason to drink that can be justified if a woman is putting the health of her baby first, as she should.

Why do some women insist on being able to have a glass here and there during pregnancy? There are absolutely no health benefits to drinking alcohol. A single glass of red wine contains antioxidants and can be good for your health, but doctors stress that advice only applies to those who already drink. They say do not start drinking if you have not already to get these benefits, eat dark chocolate or a similar antioxidant rich food instead. It’s not a violation of rights or a social faux pas to tell a pregnant woman to not drink. Telling a pregnant woman not to drink during pregnancy simply cannot be compared to telling her how much weight to gain, whether to consume fish, or whether to avoid hot dogs. Alcohol absolutely and negatively affects the baby. There is no longer any question of whether that is true, it is only a question of the degree of damage.

This is not to place guilt on those women who drank before they knew they were pregnant, but to strongly encourage those women who are knowingly pregnant to avoid all alcohol during their pregnancy. Not drinking for nine months out of your entire adult life is not going to kill you. Why gamble with your child’s health?

Labor and delivery (unless you are having cesarean, of course) is a marathon. It requires incredible amounts of energy and you will definitely feel its effects on your body the next day, possibly for the next week. You will feel like you ran a hundred miles and it will feel strange to stand up; your legs may even wobble! It’s no wonder the nurses will make you ride in a wheelchair from the delivery room to the mother and baby room. They don’t want you to fall down.

Unless you are under strict orders of bed rest, it’s a good idea to get plenty of light to moderate exercise during pregnancy in order to prepare for the big event. The best time to get into shape is before you are pregnant, then continue with a routine once you are pregnant that will help you to maintain your fitness. The main reason for this is because pregnancy is not the time to put too much stress on your body by starting up a new fitness regime. You should not work out to the point where you are out of breath when you are pregnant. You and your baby need oxygen! What you want to work on is your endurance. Keep your heart strong – it will help you during delivery. The last thing you want is to tire out too quickly when you are pushing; it will increase your chances of needing interventions such as the vacuum extractor or forceps.

When working out, you want to strike a balance between cardio, stretching and strength exercises. Exercises to avoid are ones that involve bouncing, like jumping jacks, or lying on your back, like sit ups. You may be able to continue some of your old routines, such as running, with a little modification. Your doctor can help you determine which exercise routines will work for you without compromising you or your baby’s health.

Related Articles:

Prenatal Fitness: Water Aerobics

Prenatal Fitness Classes

Fitness After Pregnancy

Exercise is Vital to for a Healthy Pregnancy

Even for women who have gone through it before, trying to read the signs of impending labor seems impossible. Every cramp or unusual symptom may very well be the beginning of labor, but then again, delivery may still be weeks away. Even the doctors will tell you, “It could be a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks!” It’s enough to make you want to pull your hair out.

Take the bloody show, for example. What is it supposed to look like anyway? How do you know if you’ve had it and what does it mean? For some women, it might just look like a little brown spotting. But for other women, it can resemble a period. If your due date is near and you have spotting, it’s more than likely that you are beginning to dilate, which is the source of the bleeding.

The best indicator is a visit with your doctor to monitor contractions and check your cervix. Your doctor may hook you up to the monitors for an hour while you relax to see if contractions are regular and how far apart they are. To see if you are dilated, your doctor will insert two fingers and gently open them in your cervix to see how open it is. Each finger width is about a centimeter. That is why different nurses and doctors may get different readings. Progress is more important than the actual measurement.

The beginning stages of labor can drag on for weeks for some women, and that is what makes it so hard to predict when the baby will decide to arrive. Once active labor begins, though, there is no question that delivery is imminent! Contractions will intensify significantly, as though to say, “Okay, I mean business now!” If you are finding it difficult to breath during a contraction, get to the hospital and quick! Your baby is almost here!

When you become pregnant, the realization that your life is about to become a whole lot more complicated probably hits the hardest when you register for baby gear. Suddenly, the car is way too small. The words “travel” and “spontaneous” can no longer be used in the same sentence. The one thing you will always have with you (besides your baby) is the diaper bag. It’s worth spending a little time picking one out!

Depending on your lifestyle you may want to get two diaper bags: one for quick trips to the store or a friend’s house and one for extended trips such as vacations or visits with family.

For the smaller bag, you might as well find one that can double as your purse. You’ll quickly discover that carrying a diaper bag and a purse gets old fast. A small diaper bag that can fit a couple diapers, a travel case of wipes, hand sanitizer, pacifiers, a snack, and a single change of clothes (like pajamas), with a little extra space for your wallet and keys, etc., is all you really need. There are small diaper bags that look like fashionable handbags and others that look more like a messenger bag. It’s easy to find one that matches your personal style. It’s best if it can be slung over your shoulder to keep your hands free. Extra pockets on the outside for quick access to keys or pacifiers are a must. If you are going to use the bag as your purse as well, make sure the inside features zippered pockets to safely tuck away items like medication, lotion, lip balm, and other small or non-baby-friendly items.

When choosing a larger diaper bag, keep in mind it might get a little heavy, so you will want to pick a bag that has sturdy straps and strong zippers. It should be large enough to hold several changes of clothes, extra diapers, and a few baby toys in addition to the normal supplies. It’s not likely you’ll be using this bag as a purse since it’s a lot to lug around in a store, so if you can find a bag that comes with a mini matching bag to hold essentials like your wallet, phone and keys, that is a plus.