Symptoms

Women with gestational diabetes do not usually have symptoms or may chalk them up to pregnancy. Most find out that they have it during a routine screening.

You may notice that:

• You are thirstier than usual
• You are hungrier and eat more than usual
• You pee more than usual

Diagnosis

Gestational diabetes usually happens in the second half of pregnancy. Your doctor will check for it between weeks 24 and 28 or sooner if you are at high risk. 

Your doctor will give you a glucose challenge or glucose screening test. You will drink something sweet to raise your blood sugar. An hour later, you will take a blood test to see how your body handled all that sugar. If the results show that your blood sugar is higher than a certain level, usually around 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), you will need an oral glucose tolerance test. This means checking your blood sugar after going without food and having a 3-hour glucose test.

If you are at high risk but your test results are normal, your doctor might test you again later in your pregnancy to make sure you still do not have it.

Causes

When you eat, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that helps move a sugar called glucose from your blood to your cells, where it is used for energy.

During pregnancy, your placenta makes hormones that cause glucose to build up in your blood. Usually, your pancreas can send out enough insulin to handle it. If your body cannot make enough insulin or stops using insulin like it should, your blood sugar levels rise, and you get gestational diabetes.

Prevention

• Eat healthy foods. Choose foods high in fiber and low in fat and calories. Focus on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Strive for variety to help you achieve your goals without compromising taste or nutrition. Watch portion sizes also.
• Keep active. Exercising before and during pregnancy can help protect you from developing gestational diabetes. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week. Take a brisk daily walk. Ride your bike. Swim laps. Short bursts of activity — such as parking further away from the store when you run errands or taking a short walk break — all add up too.
• Start pregnancy at a healthy weight. If you are planning to get pregnant, losing extra weight beforehand may help you have a healthier pregnancy. Focus on making lasting changes to your eating habits that can help you through pregnancy, such as eating more vegetables and fruits.
• Do not gain more weight than recommended. Gaining some weight during pregnancy is normal and healthy, but gaining too much weight too quickly can up your risk of gestational diabetes. Ask your doctor what a reasonable amount of weight gain is for you.

Your lifestyle — how you eat and move — is an important part of keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range. Doctors do not advise losing weight during pregnancy — your body is working hard to support your growing baby, but your doctor can help you set weight gain goals based on your weight before pregnancy.

A healthy diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein — foods that are high in nutrition and fiber and low in fat and calories — and limits highly refined carbohydrates, including sweets.

Regular physical activity plays a key role in every woman’s wellness plan before, during, and after pregnancy. Exercise lowers your blood sugar, and as an added bonus, regular exercise can help relieve some common discomforts of pregnancy, including back pain, muscle cramps, swelling, constipation, and trouble sleeping.

Monitor your blood sugar while you are pregnant, your health care team may ask you to check your blood sugar four or more times a day — first thing in the morning and after meals — to make sure your level stays within a healthy range.

Medications If diet and exercise are not enough, you may need insulin injections to lower your blood sugar. Between 10% and 20% of women with gestational diabetes need insulin to reach their blood sugar goals

Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar (glucose) that develops during pregnancy and usually disappears after giving birth. It can happen at any stage of pregnancy, but is more common in the second or third trimester.

It happens when your body cannot produce enough insulin – a hormone that helps control blood sugar levels – to meet your extra needs in pregnancy. Gestational diabetes can cause problems for you and your baby during pregnancy and after birth. The risks can be reduced if the condition is detected early and well managed.