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Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that some women develop during their pregnancy. It is one of the most common pregnancy complications with between 2-7 percent of women developing gestational diabetes. Most women do not remain diabetic after the birth of the baby, but developing gestational diabetes does put you at an increased risk of developing diabetes in subsequent pregnancies and later in life.
Diabetes is a health condition that causes glucose to stay in your bloodstream. It is the result of not enough insulin in your system. The pancreas is responsible for insulin secretion. Most of the time the pancreas keeps up with insulin demand and the sugar levels in the bloodstream remain at normal levels. However, in those with diabetes the pancreas is not able to keep up with the demand for insulin. Insufficient insulin results in increased sugar in the bloodstream.
Most pregnant women with diabetes go on to have healthy babies. Your pregnancy will be considered high risk and you will be monitored very closely during the remainder of your pregnancy for signs of problems with your health or the health of your baby. Your doctor will likely recommend the use of diet and exercise to help control your blood sugar, and in some cases insulin injections will be necessary if diet and exercise are not enough.
If the diabetes is not properly controlled there are serious consequences to the developing fetus. The biggest concern is that if the levels of sugar in your blood stream can’t be controlled your baby’s blood sugar will increase as well causing their pancreas to have to work extra hard while it is still developing. High blood sugar levels in your baby can result in increased production of fat causing your baby to become very large, sometimes too large to delivery vaginally. An attempt to deliver a baby that is too large can result in fractures and nerve damage to the baby. Often your doctor will opt to deliver the baby by c-section if they suspect it is too large. Also, because the baby is used to developing larger than normal levels of insulin they need to be monitored to ensure their blood sugar does not get too low after birth. The doctor will often recommend feeding the baby with formula or sugar water to increase their blood sugar if they are showing signs of having low blood sugar.
How do you know if you have gestational diabetes? Almost all pregnant women will have a glucose screening done between the 24th and 28th week to test for diabetes. You will also want to make sure you tell your doctor if you have any of the common signs of diabetes, such as, excessive thirst, hunger, increased urination, or you are more tired than normal. There are a few things that can put a woman at increased risk of developing gestational diabetes (you will likely be screened earlier if you have any of these risk factors), they include:
- Obesity
- A history of gestational diabetes in previous pregnancies
- A strong family history of diabetes
Remember, talk to your doctor or midwife if you have questions about gestational diabetes, or if you are concerned that you may be developing this condition. It is important to have open communication with your health care provider so that any complications can be identified early.
Visit the American Diabetes Association for more information about diabetes.
(Source Baby Center)
The holidays are fast approaching, which means trips to the toy department in search of the perfect gift for those children in your life. With the holiday shopping season in full swing and parents scrambling to find something that will not only entertain their kids but serve some greater purpose as well, I thought this was a great time to do a little research on behalf of parents every where and present you with a list of toys that will be both fun and educational.
Many toy manufacturers have spent a lot of time and money on creating toys for children of all ages that not only let them play and have fun, but encourage learning at the same time. Below is a list of toys I found that combine fun and learning.
- KidDesign Fantastic 4 Electronic
– a laptop computer that helps your child learn their ABCs. This toy allows your child to feel like they are just like mom or dad with their little laptop. For children 3 and up.
- Laugh & Learn Cuddly Learning Puppy – a cuddly stuffed toy that helps young kids learn their ABCs, 123s, and parts of the body. This cuddly little toy is designed for babies and toddlers aged 6-36 months.
- Genius Notebook – another fun laptop toy. This one is for the older kids in your life and uses games to help them learn math, grammar, and phonics among other things. This toy is designed for children ages 4 to 8.
- Dino Math Tracks Value Game – this board game not only encourages and helps kids learn simple math like addition and subtraction along with the names of prehistoric animals, but it also encourages families to play together. You can spend time with your child playing a game that is fun and helps them learn. Designed for kids ages 6-9, but fun for the whole family.
- Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Toolbench – this is a fun interactive toy that helps your child learn their ABCs and shapes. Not a quiet toy! Designed for kids 6-36 months.
- Gears, Gears, Gears Superset – little gears and connectors encourage creativity. Your child can spend hours developing new and different designs. For children 4-10 years.
- Ricky Speaks Spanish Doll – this doll helps teach your child another language. The language dolls come in boy and girl versions, they also come in several different languages, like Spanish, Russian, French, and Japanese. For kids 3 and up.
- Totally Gross the Game – this game, designed for kids 6-14 years, is a fun board game that encourages your child to learn understand the many aspects of science.
- Thinkativity Little Storyteller – this interactive toy is designed to encourage your toddler’s creativity and imagination. Sounds, blocks, and pictures encourage your child to develop their own little story. Designed for kids age 6 months to 3 years but good for up to 5 years (the older toddlers will likely get more benefit out of it).
- Glow in the Dark Solar System – this glow in the dark solar system can be put up in your child’s bedroom or play room. Designed for kids of all ages, but older children would like get the most benefit.
- GeoSafari Talking Microscope – this is a great toy for the future scientists in your life. The microscope comes with 12 prepared slides, and the microscope will give off facts about the slide as your child looks at it. There is also an interactive quiz mode. Designed for kids 5-7.
- The Learning Journey Smart Learning Book – this plastic book is designed to help your child build their vocabulary and assist with word, sound and object recognition. Great for babies and toddlers as they learn how to speak, as well as children with speech problems.
These are just a few of the many great toys I found that may be a fantastic addition to your shopping list. Kids get so many toys, especially during the holiday season. By including toys that combine fun and learning under the tree your child gets an added benefit to their playtime.
What toys does your child have in their collection that you feel really help them learn and grow? What recommendations do you have for other parents who are busy shopping for the perfect toy this season?
A new study recently released by BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology concludes that women who are underweight when they become pregnant are at an increased risk of miscarrying during the first three months of their pregnancy, the study states they are 72 percent more likely to experience a miscarriage.
6600 women participated in the study of 18-55 year olds. Although the study did produce some upsetting news for underweight women, it also concluded that there are factors that can help reduce this increased miscarriage risk. Underweight women who take a supplement that includes folate or iron everyday along with increased fruit and vegetable consumption can help significantly decrease their risk of miscarriage. It was also indicated that eating chocolate could help reduce the increased risk as well (you can’t beat that if you are a chocolate lover!!) The study produced some other interesting facts regarding miscarriage risk including:
- Single women, not living with a partner had an increased risk of suffering a miscarriage.
- Women who had changed partners, ie had a baby with a previous partner, are 60 percent more likely to miscarry.
- Women who had a previous pregnancy termination are 60 percent more likely to miscarry in future pregnancies.
- Fertility problems result in a 41 percent increased risk of miscarriage.
- Assisted reproduction, ie artificial or intrauterine fertilization, results in an increased miscarriage risk.
Fortunately the study also mentioned a couple of factors that helped reduce miscarriage risk:
- Women who said their pregnancy was planned had a 40 percent reduced risk of miscarrying.
- Women who had nausea and sickness in the first 12 weeks of their pregnancy were 70 percent less likely to miscarry.
The study produced some interesting information and some things for doctors and women to consider. The studies authors called for more research to be conducted to determine what the exact causes of the increase miscarriage risks are and what can be done to help reduce those risks.
Be sure to discuss any questions you may have about your own health and pregnancy with your doctor or midwife.
Sleeplessness and moms seem to go together like spring and allergies. A recent study conducted by Braun Research (note this study was sponsored by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the maker of the sleep aid Rozerem) found that 54 percent of mothers said they don’t get enough sleep. Working moms faired the worst with 59 percent of those surveyed admitting they don’t get enough sleep. Stay-at-home moms didn’t do much better with 48 percent lacking in the sleep department.
Getting enough sleep is a big issue for many adults in America, with moms seeming to have the most trouble. With the pressure of home added to the pressures of work and social lives little time seems to be left over for sleep. Lack of sleep can greatly impact many parts of life from your attitude towards yourself, your spouse, and your children, how well you can think on your feet, how creative you are at work, how productive you are, and your health. Not getting enough sleep can turn you into a completely different person. It can impact your ability to function on simple tasks and more complex tasks like driving a car. There are many things people can do to help improve their sleeping patterns.
- Go to bed and get up at roughly the same time every day.
- Take time to unwind at the end of the day before you go to bed, take a bath, read a book, sit and have a quiet conversation with your spouse.
- Avoid substances that inhibit sleep like caffeine, alcohol, and sugar before bed.
- Make your bedroom an inviting place to sleep, keep the temperature comfortable, remove distractions like televisions and computers.
- Try to get everyone in the family on a good schedule that will help you all get the sleep you need; kids go to bed at the same time each night, you and your spouse have quiet time to unwind, etc.
Most importantly we need to make sleep a priority. The impact lack of sleep can have on every other part of our lives is so significant that it is worth doing our best to the get the sleep we need.