18 weeks and extreme thirst?

[Anonymous]

Is this typical, or a sign of potential gestational diabetes? I can't get enough water in the last two days - very weird feeling. Should I call my doctor, or is this normal at this stage in pregnancy?

[Anonymous]

It is not typical, and can be a sign of gestational diabestes. Call your doctor asap-- they will likely do a glucose tolerance test.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it is typical but can also be a sign of diabetes. What is more important is your urine output - has that changed? I'd talk to the doctor but they'll likely ask how often you are going. I've been super thirsty since like 12 weeks (19 weeks now) and although I am going more I'm not going all day and doc has no concerns (that and no sugars in urine).

[Anonymous]

It might be normal, but it's something to check with your care provider about. If you are urinating regularly, it's something you can probably ask him / her during regular business hours (aka not an emergency). If you're not urinating much or if your urine is dark in color or extremely strong smelling or you are experiencing other signs of dehydration, call the after hours service if it's not business hours. As others have pointed out, extreme thirst is one sign of diabetes (whether gestational or not) but it may be a sign of a range of things -- some normal, some that would cause doc to ask a few questions, but probably nothing terrifying. I was surprised to learn that I was dehydrated on several doctor's visits. Just slightly, but enough that the doctor noticed my blood was thicker than usual. And I also felt like I was drinking enough. So the trick is to drink even when you're not thirsty (for me, I almost have to keep drinking even when the thought of another sip of water makes me want to cry).

[Anonymous]

When you are pregnant, you are supposed to drink a lot more water than usual so if you are not drinking enough, it could be normal. Otherwise, could be a sign of GD.

[Anonymous]

I've been experiencing extreme thirst since the start of the second trimester and was terrified about GD. I was drinking about 5 quarts during work hours and still feeling parched, waking up in the middle of the night to get water, etc. I passed the GD test with flying colors, so turns out its just the way my body reacts to water.

You can ask your doctor about it and they can do the GD test early for you if you are concerned about testing positive. For me, it's apparently just normal pregnant behavior.