There are a few different types of diabetes, the disease that affects the body's production and use of the hormone insulin. One particular type, called gestational diabetes mellitus (usually just called gestational diabetes), strikes pregnant women without a known cause or reason.
Gestational diabetes is diagnosed when a pregnant woman has high blood glucose (sugar) levels during pregnancy, but has never shown any previous signs of diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, about 4 percent of all pregnant women have gestational diabetes.
High Blood Glucose Levels
The clearest warning sign that a woman has gestational diabetes is elevated levels of glucose in the blood. That means that the woman's body isn't properly processing the sugars she eats, and those sugars begin to build up in the bloodstream and cause symptoms. The U.S. National Library of Medicine says that all pregnant women, between weeks 24 and 28 of their pregnancies, should have an oral glucose tolerance test to diagnose gestational diabetes.
Increased Thirst
Feeling unusually thirsty all the time is a warning sign for any type of diabetes, including gestational diabetes. If you find yourself constantly trying to quench your thirst and drinking unusual amounts of water in your pregnancy, the NLM notes that gestational diabetes may be to blame.
Increased Urination
Although it's normal in pregnancy to urinate more often, the NLM says it may be a sign of gestational diabetes. It can be difficult to distinguish between increased urination due to the weight of a growing fetus or gestational diabetes, but it's a warning sign you should bring up to your doctor.
Weight Loss
Pregnancy is a time of major weight gain, so the NLM says that unusual weight loss is often a symptom of gestational diabetes. If you're barely nibbling on crackers because that's all you can stomach, weight loss isn't such a surprise. But if you're gobbling up many more calories than you usually do and are still losing weight, gestational diabetes may be the cause.
Illness
You may find that in general you don't feel as well during pregnancy, and nausea and vomiting are classic pregnancy symptoms. But, according to the NLM, nausea and vomiting may also be gestational diabetes symptoms. Recurring infections---particularly infections of the skin, bladder infections and vaginal infections---are also warning signs of gestational diabetes.
No Symptoms
The most common of all gestational diabetes symptoms is no symptoms at all, notes the Mayo Clinic. Most women have the condition with no problems or warning signs until the oral glucose tolerance test results come back and show elevated blood glucose levels. Getting tested for gestational diabetes is one of the best things you can do for the health of yourself and your growing baby.
