Theoretically, all women who get pregnant have some gestational diabetes risk. This is one reason why getting pregnant is such a big deal. It’s not just about how to raise the kid, but if your body can even handle the strain of pregnancy. It can react very badly to the hormonal and chemical tidal waves of pregnancy, including making your blood sugar levels rebellious. But there are some women who have a higher gestational diabetes risk.
Older Than 25
As if we needed more proof that life’s not fair, your gestational diabetes risk raises if you are over 25 when you breed. Unfortunately, many women find they have no choice but to have their first baby after the age of 25 for financial and security reasons. But, even as early as one hundred years ago, women were expected to have had many babies by age 25. Evolution is a bit slow to catch up with social change.
Overweight
Many seriously overweight women have fertility problems, but those who do manage to get pregnant significantly are at greater gestational diabetes risk than a woman within ten pounds of her ideal body weight. If you are not sure what your ideal body weight is, ask your doctor. Don’t rely on magazines or insurance companies to tell you what it is. If you are overweight, pregnant and get gestational diabetes, the gestational diabetes diet you go on can help you learn how to save yourself from many other health problems in the future.
Not White
It is unknown why white women have less of a gestational diabetes risk than blacks, Native Americans, Asians or Hispanics. It is possible that white people generally can get a better variety of foods, but that’s not always the case. Although more studies need to be done as to why white women have less of a gestational diabetes risk than other nationalities, it doesn’t help us in the meantime.
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However, if you are not white and trying to get pregnant, you now know that reducing your weight (if you are overweight) and eating as sensibly as possible can reduce your gestational diabetes risk.
Family History
One of the most important ways of assessing your gestational diabetes risk is looking at the family health history of your sisters, mother, grandmothers and aunts. If any of them had gestational diabetes, your gestational diabetes risk has just raised significantly. But even if you do get gestational diabetes, it’s not the end of the world. It is a very treatable condition.
