The number of women diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes in Australia has more than doubled every year for the past decade! This increasingly common diagnosis comes with a lot of fear and often feelings of guilt. So, as always, it’s worth looking into what is going on…
In this episode I speak with Melbourne Dietician and mum Robyn Compton. Robyn has over 30 years’ experience as a dietician and has a particular interest in diabetes, PCOS and educating women around how diet and exercise can impact their health. Today we cover topics including:
- What is Gestational Diabetes (GDM)?
- How common is Gestational Diabetes in Australia?
- What are the risks of having GDM on both mother and baby?
- When in pregnancy is Gestational Diabetes tested for, and what does the test involve?
- What puts women at risk for developing Gestational Diabetes?
- Is there anything I can do to avoid getting Gestational Diabetes?
- What happens if you are diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes?
- What do Blood Sugar Levels (BSLs) mean?
- How can women manage Blood Sugar Levels through diet? What should and shouldn’t we be eating?
- What are some easy changes we can make in our diet to ensure we are eating lower GI foods?
- Does exercise affect BSLs?
- Why do some women require insulin to manage their Gestational Diabetes?
- How is insulin administered and what does it do?
- What changes during labour and delivery for women with Gestational Diabetes?
- How can mothers prepare for the potential side effects to the baby that come from GDM?
- Does Gestational Diabetes continue after birth? And what changes in terms of monitoring Blood Sugar Levels?
- Does having Gestational Diabetes mean you are more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes?
I say it with every episode, but it’s well worth a listen this one…
To connect with Robyn find her on:
Instagram - @gestationaldiabetes_dietician
Twitter - @Robcomrant
Email – Rob.compton@bigpond.com
Private consulting suites at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne – (03) 9344 5095
Photo by: @ilsa_whk