BETWEEN FEAR AND HOPE: HOW PREGNANT WOMEN EXPERIENCE THE DIAGNOSIS OF GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS

Abstract

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a high-risk condition that, in addition to its clinical repercussions, profoundly impacts women’s subjectivity. This study aimed to understand the subjective meanings produced by pregnant women facing a diagnosis of GDM, based on a qualitative approach grounded in González Rey’s epistemology of subjectivity. Dialogical interviews were conducted with three high-risk pregnant women hospitalized in a public hospital in Brasília, who received a GDM diagnosis for the first time during pregnancy. The transcribed and analyzed narratives revealed that the initial impact of the diagnosis was marked by feelings of fear, insecurity, and guilt, but also by the emergence of hope and the development of new coping strategies. The study highlights that illness cannot be reduced to a biomedical dimension, but must be understood within the complexity of the subjective productions of pregnant women. It is concluded that Health Psychology plays an essential role in the care of women with GDM, promoting a comprehensive and humanized approach that recognizes the uniqueness of each experience.