Gestational Diabetes

Did you know that gestational diabetes occurs during 2-10% of all pregnancies?  As new ways of classifying and diagnosing gestational diabetes emerge that number could rise to as high as 18%. 

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes where women who have no history of diabetes have above normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy due to increased hormones.  Most of the time, it disappears after the pregnancy is complete.  The following is how the American Diabetes Association describes gestational diabetes.

“The placenta supports the baby as it grows. Hormones from the placenta help the baby develop. But these hormones also block the action of the mother's insulin in her body. This problem is called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance makes it hard for the mother's body to use insulin. She may need up to three times as much insulin.

“Gestational diabetes starts when your body is not able to make and use all the insulin it needs for pregnancy. Without enough insulin, glucose cannot leave the blood and be changed to energy. Glucose builds up in the blood to high levels. This is called hyperglycemia.”

There are quite a few risks with gestational diabetes.  One of the main ones is having a “fat” baby.  This can happen because the baby will develop high blood sugar, which causes the pancreas to make high amounts of insulin and that extra energy is stored as fat.  These children are at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.  Other complications while giving birth can arise for mom and baby when the baby is too large.

Of women who have gestational diabetes, 35-60 percent will develop type 2 diabetes later in life.  This could happen immediately after pregnancy or 20 years down the road.

One way to diagnose gestational diabetes is to do an oral glucose tolerance test.  This is when the mother drinks a solution containing a certain amount of glucose (usually 75g) and then has their blood sugar tested at certain intervals after it’s finished.  This test can be done at your doctor’s office and is usually done between weeks 24-28.

Sources:

American Diabetes Association. (2013, July 2). What is gestational diabetes. Retrieved from http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/gestational/what-is-gestational-diabetes.html

American Diabetes Association. (2013, December 11).Diabetes statistics. Retrieved from http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics/

US Department of Health and Human Serices. (2013, September 09). National diabetes statistics: 2011. Retrieved from http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/statistics/

WebMD. (2011, July 5). Oral glucose tolerance test. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/baby/oral-glucose-tolerance-test

Wikipedia. (2013, November 6). Gestational diabetes. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestational_diabetes

Pictures: http://www.whallc.com/wellness-and-education/wellness-journal/12-06-28/Bittersweet_Diagnosis_Gestational_Diabetes.aspx

Hair Care: What You're Doing Wrong!

As girls we love to take care of our hair, but we aren’t always the best at it.  There are all sorts of advertisements trying to tell us which products to buy and what will fix our damaged hair but what works and what doesn’t?  What can you do to have healthier hair naturally?  How can you make your thin hair look fuller?  Here are some tips and tricks to help you have fuller, healthier, better looking hair.

Brush your hair BEFORE washing- hair is much more likely to break when wet and wet hair tangles more easily.  Save yourself some trouble and wash your tresses when they are tangle free.

Don’t wash every day- MOST hair does not need daily washing.  Unless your hair has excessive oil, stick with washing every other day.  Unnecessary washing can strip the healthy oils on your scalp and leave your hair with less shine.

Lightly towel dry- There is no need to be rough with the towel when drying your hair.  Rubbing too much can lead to breakage so try blotting your hair with a towel and then if you decide to use a blow dryer, use the low setting.  Hair that is shoulder length is approximately 2 years old, so be careful with it!

Use a heat protectant- If you like to blow dry, straighten, curl, or otherwise apply heat to your hair, use a heat protectant first.  Make sure to get a non-greasy, light product.

Blow dry upside down- If you’re looking to add volume to your hair, blow dry upside down to give your roots a little lift from the start.  Also use a volumizing powder to help your roots hold all day.

Curl the ends under- By straightening your ends, it makes the rest of your hair look thinner.  So if you already have thin hair, try curling the ends under to give it more body.

You can’t mend split ends!- Hair is a non-living thing so once you split a hair it isn’t growing back together, despite what product advertisements claim.  The only thing the FDA regulates on hair product packaging is the ingredient list so other claims made are based solely on the person manufacturing it. 

Sources:

Beauty High. (2013, November 21). 8 ways your're making your hair look thinner. Retrieved from http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/thin-hair

Loux, R. (2013, September 24). The 10 biggest hair care mistakes. Retrieved from http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/hair-care

LoveYourHair. (2013). 20 hair health tips. Retrieved from http://www.loveyourhair.com/hair-help/20-hair-health-tips/1284.html

Picture: http://blog.babymilano.com/2011/08/baby-hair-care/