The baby in the belly with eating

The belly is getting rounder and rounder, and occasionally someone comes from inside it. Usually calms the mother. But sometimes it also arouses fears: Is everything all right with me and the baby? Pregnant listen into a special way in her body. Some of them are missing, but - for example, if their sugar metabolism is messed up.


Such develop gestational diabetes nearly three percent of expectant mothers in Germany. The difference between this so-called gestational diabetes and other forms of diabetes is simply the fact that the glucose metabolism for the first time during pregnancy is no longer working well.

Blame it on hormones. During pregnancy, regulate some neurotransmitters such as estrogen, placental lactogen and progesterone metabolism of the mother. Eventually, mother and child must share the food, both should be able to supply their cells with enough sugar to fuel, from which the cells gain energy.
Hormones make cells insensitive

Especially in the second half of pregnancy, estrogen and Co. can blunt the body's cells, however: You will no longer respond as well to the metabolic hormone insulin. This messenger smuggled sugar from the blood into the cells. The body cells respond only sluggishly to the hormone-smuggling, they can not get enough of the sweet substance. So the sugar stays outside, in the blood.

Normally, the pancreas gland rinsed once more insulin into the bloodstream when the sugar level rises there. For some pregnant women the gland but not enough to deliver insulin, the glucose levels in the blood remains high, therefore. This happens often between the fifth and seventh month of pregnancy. After birth, the blood sugar levels usually commute by itself again. However, if you suffer from diabetes before the pregnancy, it will remain even after the birth.
Diabetes can leave babies in the womb of large

Too much sugar in the blood of mother and child at risk: the mother is at increased risk of developing high blood pressure or a bladder infection. It can develop a life-threatening illness: the so-called pre-eclampsia. This is the precursor to eclampsia, a type of seizure, which can collapse the whole organism.

Also for the unborn in the womb means a lot of sugar much risk: your pancreas must produce more insulin to cope with the high blood sugar. The excess glucose ends up in fatty tissue. Often these babies are very large and very heavy. A baby weighs at birth more than four pounds, is probably complicated childbirth - these babies are often born by Caesarean section. Some of these very heavy babies have jaundice, maybe they are hypoglycaemic. Ignore the pregnant women or treating their diabetes, they are only now and then, they give their children a bad start in life: Then the offspring can be too thick and may later be diabetic.

Some mothers suffer later in life are still suffering the consequences of gestational diabetes: almost half of all women over the course of ten years from diabetes after birth - even if they could handle it. Mostly it is then a type 2 diabetes
Do not give your cravings for sweets after

During pregnancy to make muffins and jam as a bow and satisfy your Süßbedürfnis with fresh fruit instead of bread, you should prefer to buy whole grain bread and enjoy your rice with a decent portion of vegetables. Light sports such as walking, cycling or swimming is good for you and your baby well - and lowers blood sugar levels. But if you have continued despite proper diet and exercise too much sugar in your blood, you probably need insulin.