Q: There is no way to determine if a woman is going to get gestational diabetes before she is pregnant.  But there are certain risk factors that may indicate a higher probability in some women.  If you’re planning to get pregnant, or you are pregnant, review these risk factors and speak to your doctor about possible testing when the time is right.   Age. Women who are 25 years of age or older are at a higher risk or developing gestational diabetes.  Medical history. You are also at a higher risk if you have a personal history of diabetes, PCOS, insulin resistance, or history of diabetes in your immediate family. In these cases, you should be screened for gestational diabetes at the beginning of your pregnancy.  Previous pregnancies. Get screened for gestational diabetes at the beginning of your pregnancy if you have had gestational diabetes before or if you delivered a macrosomic (larger than average) baby, then you are at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes.  Weight. Obese women with a body mass index (pre-pregnancy) of 30 or higher are at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes and should be screened for gestational diabetes at the beginning of any pregnancy.  Ethnicity. Black, Hispanic, Indigenous peoples, and Asians have a higher risk factor for gestational diabetes. Throughout your pregnancy, record any medical symptoms you may experience, especially those your doctor has asked you to track.  This information may be useful to your doctor in diagnosing gestational diabetes at a later date.  Some symptoms (and other items) to keep track of include:  Excessive thirst and urination. Birth weights of previous children. Details on when you’ve lost or gained significant weight in the past. Before any doctor’s appointment it’s always useful to write down any and all medications (prescription and over-the-counter) you current take.  Having a written list will help ensure you don’t forget anything, and will allow you to easily remember the exact dosage of each medication that you take. Remember to include medications you take on a regular basis (i.e. daily) and medications you take as needed (e.g. when you have specific symptoms). Depending on the type of screening test that is going to be performed, there may be specific restrictions you have to follow in the 24 hours leading up to the appointment.  Make sure you are fully aware of what these restrictions are — and that you following them as instructed — to ensure your test is not delayed. For example, some blood glucose tests must be performed after the patient has fasted for 12 hours. However, most blood glucose tests that are performed during pregnancy are non-fasting. It is highly likely that you have been reading pregnancy books or websites and have a lot of questions floating around in your head.  To be sure you remember them all, write them down before your doctor’s appointment.  Some example questions related to gestational diabetes are as follows:  What websites do you recommend I view in order to get reputable and relevant information pertaining to my condition? If I have to change my diet, is there someone that can help me (e.g. dietician, nurse, etc)? How will we know when and if I need to take medication?  What type of medication might I need to take? Will I need to check my blood sugar level regularly? Will I continue to have diabetes after the baby is born?  Will I need to do additional screening tests?  What potential complications might exist during my pregnancy, and what can we do to lower those risks as much as possible? If your doctor sends you for the second gestational diabetes test, called the glucose tolerance test, you will be required to remain at the clinic or office for at least 3 hours.  During this time you will not be permitted to eat or drink anything (except maybe water) and you will likely not be allowed to leave the premises. You may want to bring something to keep you occupied during this time, as it will likely be rather boring.
A: Consider your risk factors before and immediately after you’re pregnant. Monitor and record your symptoms. List all your current medications. Confirm any pre-appointment restrictions. Write down any and all questions you have for your doctor. Prepare to keep yourself occupied.

Q: Photographs can make your hair look thinner than it looks in real life. One way to fix this is to give your hair some lift at the crown.  Dig your fingers into the crown of your hair right before the photo, and scrunch the hair. It will make your hair look less like you have a “helmet head,” too. Back comb the hair at the crown of your head, and use a little hairspray on it when styling your hair for a photo. Use a curling iron to curl back a piece of hair at the crown. Where you stand in group shots can make a big difference when it comes to how you will look.  Try not to stand directly next to a person who is much slimmer than you are. Props or other people's bodies can hide body parts that you don't particularly like (the stomach, the arms). Cinch your waist with your hands. Put one hand on either side of your waist but position the hands so they face inward several inches. Do not be the person who stands closest to the camera because that is likely to make you appear even bigger than you are, especially if everyone else is standing at the same length from the camera. If you're a lot shorter than someone else in the photo, try not to pose alongside a frame of reference (meaning something we all generally know the height of, such as a mailbox). ” The reason you want to say “money” instead of cheese is that it forms your mouth into a more flattering position.  Money is a stronger sound, and it will turn the corners of your mouth upward.  This will create a genuine looking smile. The problem with the word "cheese" is that it turns the corners of your mouth downward, creating a poor angle. What you wear in a photo can make a big difference between whether you will look your best or not.  If more of your legs are visible in the photograph, such as by wearing a short skirt, they will look longer. Swimsuits cut high at the hip and skinny jeans with flare bottoms also create the illusion of longer legs. Patterns can be very distracting in photos. Blue and red photograph well; there is a reason politicians often use them!  Sleeves will keep the focus on your face, not your arms. Fitted clothing usually looks better in photographs than baggy clothing does. Collared shirts are nice for framing the face. If you have a light-colored backdrop, your face will look brighter.  This also helps the camera's automatic settings settle on a good color balance, so it means your skin won't look too yellow or pink in the final photo. Take a lot of pictures. Very few people look good in pictures all of the time. So if you take more of them – many of them – you can choose the ones in which you look best. You want soft light to hit your face from the side, so it's a good idea to position yourself facing a window or other natural light source.  It's a good idea to take pictures when the sun starts to set. If you pose for a photograph when the sun is at its height, the downward sunlight will create bags under your eyes and highlight other facial imperfections. You will look younger at dusk because the light brightens up the area under your eyes, making you look younger overall. Light is also more diffused on cloudy days, so it will lessen the lines on your face. Similarly, you could use your camera's flash in sunlight because it will even out skin tone and create a brighter effect that is more flattering. It's not a great idea to have your photo snapped after you've had a few glasses of wine or other alcohol.  The reason for this is that alcohol can make your eyes look droopy, in addition to causing other issues (your makeup may have started to run, and so on). The bottom line: almost no one is at their best in photos after a couple of drinks, so avoid it. There are many sites that will allow you to upload and improve on a photo. Be careful! You want to make subtle changes, so they are not obvious.  Putting a filter on the photo or slightly boosting its brightness can even out your skin and even make your eyes look brighter. Crop the photo to highlight the parts that look better. Boosting the color and saturation of the photo can give your skin a slightly brighter hue. You'll be amazed at the difference a little enhancement can make.
A:
Lift your hair at the crown. Master group shots. Say “money” not “cheese. Dress right for photographs. Stand before a white wall. Use natural lighting but at dusk or on a cloudy day. Avoid taking photos after drinking. Use a free photo enhancement site online.