Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes first diagnosed during pregnancy, usually between 24 and 28 weeks. It causes blood sugar levels to become too high in someone who did not have diabetes before pregnancy.
Learning that you have gestational diabetes can feel concerning. With treatment, blood sugar monitoring and regular prenatal care, many people with gestational diabetes have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.
At Banner Health, our maternity and diabetes care teams can help you manage your blood sugar during pregnancy and protect your health after delivery.
During pregnancy, hormones made by the placenta help your baby grow. These hormones can also make it harder for your body to use insulin, the hormone that helps move glucose from your blood into your cells.
This is called insulin resistance. Gestational diabetes develops when your body cannot make enough extra insulin to keep your blood sugar within a healthy range.
Gestational diabetes is not caused by something you did or did not do.
Anyone who is pregnant can develop gestational diabetes. Your risk may be higher if you:
People without known risk factors can also develop gestational diabetes, which is why routine screening is important.
Most people with gestational diabetes do not have noticeable symptoms.
When symptoms occur, they may include:
These symptoms can also occur during a typical pregnancy. A blood test is the only way to diagnose gestational diabetes.
Most pregnant people are screened for gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.
Your provider may recommend testing earlier if you have risk factors for type 2 diabetes or signs that your blood sugar was high before pregnancy. If early testing is normal, you may still need routine screening later in pregnancy.
Your provider may use one or two blood glucose tests.
You drink a liquid containing glucose, and your blood sugar is checked about one hour later. You usually do not need to fast before this screening.
A high result does not always mean you have gestational diabetes. It may mean you need an oral glucose tolerance test.
For this test, you usually fast before drinking a more concentrated glucose liquid. Your blood sugar is checked before the drink and at scheduled times afterward.
Your provider will explain how to prepare and what your test results mean.
The goal of treatment is to keep your blood sugar within a healthy range while supporting your baby’s growth. Your care plan may include nutrition changes, physical activity, blood sugar monitoring and medication.
A registered dietitian or diabetes care and education specialist may help you create a meal plan based on your blood sugar levels, pregnancy needs and food preferences.
Your plan may include:
You do not need to eliminate carbohydrates during pregnancy. Your care team can help you choose appropriate types, portions and timing.
Physical activity helps your body use insulin more effectively. Walking, swimming, prenatal yoga and other moderate activities may be safe during pregnancy.
Your provider can recommend activities based on your health, fitness level and pregnancy. Talk with your maternity care provider before starting a new exercise routine.
You may need to check your blood sugar at home using a glucose meter. Many people check when they wake up and after meals, but your schedule may differ.
Your care team will explain:
Keeping track of your blood sugar can help your care team identify patterns and adjust your treatment.
Some people can manage gestational diabetes through nutrition and physical activity. Others may need insulin to keep their blood sugar within the target range.
Insulin is the preferred medication for treating high blood sugar during pregnancy. In some situations, your provider may discuss other diabetes medications.
Needing medication does not mean you failed. Pregnancy hormones can make blood sugar harder to control as pregnancy continues.
Do not change or stop medication without talking with your provider.
Soon after diagnosis, you may meet with a dietitian, diabetes educator or another member of your care team. They can teach you how to check your blood sugar and understand how food, activity and medication affect it.
Throughout your pregnancy, your care team will review your blood sugar readings and adjust your treatment when needed. Your prenatal visits will also include routine checks of your blood pressure and your baby’s growth.
Some people need additional ultrasounds or other monitoring, especially if:
Not everyone with gestational diabetes needs the same testing schedule.
Gestational diabetes does not automatically mean you will need a cesarean delivery, or C-section. Many people with well-managed gestational diabetes have vaginal deliveries.
Your care team will discuss delivery planning based on:
Your blood sugar may also be monitored during labor.
Most people with gestational diabetes have healthy pregnancies. However, blood sugar that stays too high can increase the risk of complications.
Gestational diabetes may increase the risk of:
High blood sugar may increase the baby’s risk of:
Managing your blood sugar can help lower these risks.
Your baby’s care team may check their blood sugar after birth. Some babies have low blood sugar because their bodies made extra insulin during pregnancy.
Early feeding may help keep the baby’s blood sugar stable. Some babies need additional glucose or monitoring.
Gestational diabetes does not prevent you from breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can benefit both you and your baby.
Gestational diabetes usually goes away after delivery. Insulin or other medication used for gestational diabetes is often stopped after delivery, but your care team will tell you whether and when to stop it.
Even when your blood sugar returns to normal, gestational diabetes raises your long-term risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It also increases the chance of gestational diabetes during a future pregnancy.
Make sure your primary care provider knows that you had gestational diabetes.
You should be tested for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes between four and 12 weeks after delivery.
If your results are normal, you should continue diabetes screening every one to three years. Your provider may recommend more frequent testing based on your results and other risk factors.
Follow-up testing is important because type 2 diabetes and prediabetes may not cause noticeable symptoms.
Type 2 diabetes cannot always be prevented. However, certain habits may lower your risk or delay its development.
After pregnancy:
Before another pregnancy, talk with your provider about diabetes testing, nutrition, physical activity and any medications you take.
Contact your maternity or diabetes care team if:
Seek emergency care for confusion, fainting, a seizure, severe trouble breathing or another serious medical emergency.
Gestational diabetes requires ongoing care, but you do not have to manage it alone. Banner Health maternity, diabetes and primary care teams can support you during pregnancy and after delivery.
Your care team can help with:
Learn more about maternity care, diabetes support and education.
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