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Any woman might develop gestational diabetes during her pregnancy. However, if you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you may be at increased risk:
Women with gestational diabetes often have no symptoms. However, call your doctor or midwife if you develop any of these symptoms of high or low blood sugar:
There are several different types of diabetes. In all types, the body can’t efficiently produce or use insulin, a hormone that allows cells to turn glucose (sugar) into usable fuel.
When you’re pregnant, pregnancy hormones make it harder for insulin to move glucose from your blood into the cells. This is called insulin resistance. If your body can’t produce enough insulin to overcome the effects of insulin resistance, you’ll develop gestational diabetes.
Women with gestational diabetes often have no symptoms. For this reason, experts recommend a glucose screening test between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy. If you’ve had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy, you may also have screening earlier in this pregnancy.
If the results from this one-hour glucose screening test are abnormally high, you may be asked to do a three-hour glucose tolerance test. If two out of four values on the tolerance test are high, your doctor will diagnose gestational diabetes.
If you have gestational diabetes, your doctor or midwife may suggest tests to evaluate your baby’s health during the pregnancy. Examples include:
These tests, along with treatment for your diabetes, lower your baby’s chances of having problems. With good care and management for your diabetes, you have an excellent chance of delivering a healthy baby.
Within the first three months after your baby is born, you’ll be checked for diabetes. For most women, the condition disappears after delivery. However, if your diabetes has continued, you’ll need treatment. And even if it goes away, you have good reason to stay in contact with your healthcare provider, because:
Your doctor or midwife will work with you to develop a gestational diabetes treatment plan. You may also work with a registered dietitian (RD) or a diabetes educator.
Your team will develop a treatment plan that is tailored to your needs and describes in detail what you should do. The main goal of your plan is to make sure your blood glucose is controlled during your pregnancy. It may include some or all of these elements:
As you can see, your day-to-day choices play a big part in helping you manage your gestational diabetes. Follow the tips below to make the most of your treatment plan: