Gestational Diabetes: What You Need to Know
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By Sheldon Riklon, M.D.
Pregnancy brings many changes to the body. Sometimes these changes can make it harder for your body to control your blood sugar. When your blood sugar gets too high during pregnancy, this can lead to gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy in people who did not have diabetes before becoming pregnant. It usually goes away after your baby is born, but having gestational diabetes increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.
While being diagnosed with gestational diabetes can feel overwhelming, there are steps you can take to manage the condition and support a healthy pregnancy.
What causes gestational diabetes?
Your body uses a hormone called insulin to help control the amount of sugar in your blood and help your body turn that sugar into energy.
During pregnancy, your body may need to make more insulin to keep you blood sugar at a healthy level, but if your body can’t make enough, it causes your blood sugar to become too high leading to gestational diabetes. This usually happens between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy.
Who is at risk?
Anyone who is pregnant can develop gestational diabetes, but some people have a higher risk, including those who:
- Had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy
- Have a family history of Type 2 diabetes
- Had prediabetes before pregnancy
- Previously had a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
- Have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Were overweight before pregnancy
- Are part of certain populations that have higher rates of gestational diabetes
It’s important to remember that having a risk factor does not mean you will develop gestational diabetes. People without these risk factors can develop it too.
What can you do?
Get tested
Your doctor will test you for gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. If you have a higher risk, you may be tested earlier.
If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, your doctor and care team will create a personalized plan to keep your blood sugar at a healthy level.
Eat healthy foods
Your care plan may include working with a nutritionist to choose foods and portions that help manage your blood sugar while giving you and your baby the nutrition you need.
Stay active
Physical activity can help lower blood sugar and support overall health, but it’s important to talk to your doctor about activities that are safe for you during pregnancy.
Check your blood sugar
Keeping track of your blood sugar numbers helps you keep them in a healthy range and understand what foods may make your blood sugar spike.
Take your medicine
If your doctor prescribes any medication, it’s important to take it as directed, even if you feel fine.
Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes can feel overwhelming, but you are not alone. Your doctor and care team is there to help you manage your blood sugar and answer your questions.
Sheldon Riklon, M.D., is a professor in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and a co-investigator with the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation.