What are the symptoms of gestational diabetes?

Written by Zhang Yin Xing
Obstetrics
Updated on January 16, 2025
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Diabetes during pregnancy, compared to diabetes outside of pregnancy, still presents symptoms such as polydipsia, polyphagia, and polyuria, but does not manifest as weight loss. Due to the increase in body weight from the enlarging uterus, fetus, and amniotic fluid during pregnancy, signs of weight loss are not evident. There are generally two types of diabetes in pregnancy. One is when diabetes pre-exists before pregnancy, which is termed diabetes mellitus with pregnancy; the other is when blood sugar levels were normal before pregnancy and diabetes develops during pregnancy, known as gestational diabetes. Over 90% of pregnant women with diabetes have gestational diabetes. Those with gestational diabetes have abnormal glucose metabolism, but most can return to normal after childbirth; however, the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the future increases.

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Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
1min 19sec home-news-image

Can you eat pumpkin with gestational diabetes?

The overall principle of dietary control for patients with gestational diabetes is to manage total calorie intake and to eat smaller, more frequent meals. Consuming five to six meals a day can help stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce the occurrence of hypoglycemia. Therefore, for patients with gestational diabetes, foods that can rapidly increase blood sugar levels, such as those high in sugar, starch, and fat, should be consumed less frequently, as these foods can easily be converted into glucose, leading to an increase in blood sugar levels. Pumpkin, which is high in carbohydrates, should also be eaten in moderation. However, this does not mean that pumpkin cannot be eaten at all. When consuming pumpkin, it should be treated as a staple food. After eating pumpkin, the amount of other staple foods in that meal should be reduced. This helps in maintaining good blood sugar control. Therefore, patients with gestational diabetes can still eat pumpkin, but it should not be treated as a vegetable. Instead, it should be considered like rice, and the amount of rice should be reduced when pumpkin is consumed.

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Written by Luo Juan
Endocrinology
1min 1sec home-news-image

Can you eat oranges if you have gestational diabetes?

Pregnant women with gestational diabetes can eat oranges, but they should limit the quantity. Since oranges are high in sugar, they should not be consumed in large amounts. In fact, just like mothers with diabetes or those who are pregnant, they need nutrients such as calories, protein, calcium, iron, folic acid, vitamin B, etc. However, attention should be paid to meal frequency. Under a constant total caloric intake, it is advisable to eat small and frequent meals, focusing on the quality and quantity of the diet to maintain stable blood sugar levels. It is necessary to limit the quantity of fruit consumed and avoid fruits that are high in sugar as they should not be consumed in large amounts. Therefore, pregnant women with gestational diabetes can eat oranges, but should not consume them in large quantities and should maintain proper portion control.

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Written by Zhang Jun Jun
Endocrinology
50sec home-news-image

Does gestational diabetes require hospitalization?

Patients with gestational diabetes who initially have adequate blood sugar control do not need to be hospitalized; however, those with poor blood sugar control require further hospitalization for observation and treatment. In addition to diet and exercise, medication control such as insulin therapy is currently recommended for managing blood sugar in gestational diabetes. Insulin therapy must be used under strict medical supervision to avoid hypoglycemia. Since both high and low blood sugar levels can have a dual impact on pregnant women and fetuses, the need for hospitalization for patients with gestational diabetes mainly depends on their blood sugar levels.

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Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
1min 17sec home-news-image

Can pregnant women with gestational diabetes eat pumpkin?

The general principle for dietary control in patients with gestational diabetes is to manage total calorie intake and to eat smaller, more frequent meals. Eating five to six meals a day can not only help control blood sugar levels but also reduce the occurrence of hypoglycemia. Additionally, it is important for patients with gestational diabetes to eat less of foods that can rapidly increase blood sugar levels, as well as those high in sugar, starch, and fat content since these can easily convert into glucose, causing a rise in blood sugar. Pumpkin, for example, is a food high in carbohydrates and should be consumed in limited quantities. However, this does not mean it cannot be eaten at all. For patients with gestational diabetes, if pumpkin is consumed, it is necessary to reduce the intake of staple foods and rice, treating the pumpkin as a staple food substitute to maintain a balance of total calories and to prevent significant fluctuations in blood sugar, thus keeping it stable.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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What are the symptoms of a baby born to a mother with gestational diabetes?

During pregnancy, if a pregnant woman suffers from high blood glucose, it can potentially impact the fetus's growth and development. After the baby is born, this may result in a larger size of the fetus, and a decrease in the baby's immune system, making them more susceptible to infectious diseases. If high blood glucose occurs during pregnancy, it is important to control the diet promptly, eat less sugary food, and also control the portion of food. If necessary, medical treatment under the guidance of a doctor can also be conducted to maintain blood glucose at a stable level. If blood glucose is well-controlled during pregnancy, the baby will be just like other healthy babies after birth.