Pregnancy is tough on the body, with many women developing health complaints during pregnancy ranging from mild to life-threatening.
From high blood pressure to gallstones, most of the adverse health effects suffered during pregnancy subside once a baby is born, but for some pregnant women, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) continues to be a health concern well after pregnancy.
In these instances, GDM becomes type 2 diabetes, either continuing throughout and after pregnancy or subsiding and returning later on.
Did you develop GDM during pregnancy? Are you still living with diabetes today? Tell us by emailing to chatback@parent24.com and we could publish your letter. Do let us know if you'd like to stay anonymous.
- Also see: Vitamins for a healthy pregnancy
In the video above, Dr Norman Swan shares the findings of a 2018 study which determined that low levels of vitamin D were associated with GDM.
"There's been a fascinating study ...they measured vitamin D levels in women attending a gestational diabetes clinic, and what they found was that nearly half these women had low vitamin D levels, and the lower the vitamin D level, the worse their blood sugar."
However, Dr Swan does note the study's unknown variables.
"What's not known here is whether it's cause and effect. Does having a low vitamin D level make your blood sugar control poorer, or is there something else going on?"
The doctor also highlights other inconclusive findings such as whether or not adding vitamin D supplements would make any difference to a pregnant woman's health and if taking them is safe for her unborn baby's bone development.
Dr Swan recommends consulting your obstetrician if you're wondering if taking vitamin D would be a good or bad thing during your pregnancy.
Did you develop GDM during pregnancy? Are you still living with diabetes today? Tell us by emailing to chatback@parent24.com and we could publish your letter. Do let us know if you'd like to stay anonymous.
Read more:
- Start your pregnancy right: A guide to the first 3 months
- I'm pregnant: what medicine may I take?
- Pregnancy and folic acid: a prevention success story
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