When you first seek out prenatal care, the nurse midwife or physician will usually draw prenatal lab work. If your blood sugar happens to be elevated above the normal range at this time, your healthcare provider may request that you come back for additional lab work to be done. Usually, gestational diabetes is not tested for until about 28 weeks of pregancy. Your healthcare provider will have you do an oral glucose tolerance test where you have your fasting blood sugar drawn, then you drink a high glucose drink and have your blood sugar redrawn at intervals after. Any elevations or abnormals can be detected at this time.
Gestational Diabetes
When you develop diabetes, or high blood sugar, during pregnancy, it is known as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Some of the risk factors for developing GDM include being older than 25, a family history of diabetes, having already had a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds and being Hispanic or African-American.
You may not have any symptoms, but if you do they might be blurred vision, fatigue, have frequent infections or increased thirst and urination. You may also have nausea and vomiting or unexplained weight loss.
The goal of treatment is to keep your blood sugar at a healthy level and to make sure your fetus is healthy. See you doctor for regular prenatal visits during your pregnancy.
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American Diabetes Association answeredSee All 3 AnswersGestational diabetes doesn't cause diabetes in babies. However, babies of mothers with gestational diabetes have a higher chance of being very overweight and getting diabetes when they reach their teen years or early adulthood.
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American Diabetes Association answeredSee All 6 AnswersGestational diabetes produces no symptoms -- most women feel fine. Women with a higher chance of developing gestational diabetes are checked between 24 and 28 weeks of their pregnancy with a screening glucose challenge test. It is a check of your glucose level one hour after you drink a special sweet beverage. A result of 140 mg/dl or more means that more testing may be needed. Some doctors recommend more testing if your level is 130 mg/dl or more.
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American Diabetes Association answeredSee All 7 AnswersThe following contribute to a woman's risk for gestational diabetes:
- Genes and Family History - Family history plays a role in gestational diabetes: women with a parent or sibling with diabetes are more likely to have gestational diabetes. Scientists suspect that gestational diabetes is more like type 2 than type 1 diabetes. For this reason, they think that similar genes are involved in both gestational and type 2 diabetes. However, there have been very few studies on the genes specifically involved in gestational diabetes, and there is no genetic test to detect gestational diabetes.
- Race and Ethnicity - Women who are Hispanic, American Indian, Asian, or African American are more likely to have gestational diabetes than non-Hispanic white women.
- Obesity and Age - Just like type 2 diabetes, obesity and age are risk factors for developing gestational diabetes. Women who are 25 years old or older or overweight are more likely to have it. Obesity contributes to insulin resistance and negatively affects the body’s ability to use insulin properly.
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See All 3 AnswersGestational diabetes is usually temporary and disappears after pregnancy. It does, however, place you and your baby at a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life. You can greatly reduce your risk by maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and following a sensible diet. -
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Often, women with gestational diabetes have no symptoms. However, gestational diabetes may:
- Increase your risk of high blood pressure (BP) during pregnancy.
- Increase your risk of a large baby and the need for a cesarean section at delivery.
The good news is that your gestational diabetes will probably go away after your baby is born. However, you will be more likely to get type 2 diabetes later in your life. You may also get gestational diabetes once more if you get pregnant again.
Some women wonder whether breastfeeding is okay if they have had gestational diabetes. Breastfeeding is recommended for most babies, including those whose mothers had gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes is serious, even if you have no symptoms. Taking care of yourself helps keep your baby healthy.
This answer is based on source information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
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Ms. Vandana R. Sheth , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsSee All 2 AnswersWomen with gestational diabetes don't necessarily have warning signs. Sometimes, women might experience excessive thirst and increased urination.
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American Diabetes Association answeredSee All 2 Answers
Not necessarily, but your risk does go up.
The fact that you had diabetes when you were pregnant means your pancreas has trouble keeping up with your insulin needs. About half of all women who have gestational diabetes will eventually develop type 2 diabetes. But there are things you can do to cut that risk. Studies show that if you change your lifestyle by eating more carefully, increasing your activity level, and losing weight, your risk of developing type 2 diabetes goes way down.
Changing your lifestyle is hard, but these changes are the same ones you should make if you get diabetes. Making those changes now could protect you from ever developing diabetes. Talk with your health care provider to learn more about your risk of getting diabetes and how to avoid it.
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HealthyWomen answeredSee All 4 AnswersThe American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists strongly suggests all pregnant women be screened for gestational diabetes, a form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy.
Generally, the screenings occur between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy, which coincides with the end of your second trimester or the beginning of your third trimester. Screening is so important because intervention can make a big difference in the health outcome of both a mother with gestational diabetes and her baby. For women who are at risk because they are obese (have a body mass index greater than 30) or have other risk factors this is generally done twice during the pregnancy, with the first test occurring in the first trimester.
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American Diabetes Association answeredSee All 7 Answers
Most women with gestational diabetes who manage their glucose levels have healthy babies. However, if you do not actively manage your diabetes during pregnancy, there are significant risks to you and the baby.
Babies born to women with gestational diabetes have a higher risk of jaundice and low blood glucose when they are born. In addition, they are at risk for being born larger than normal. This is called macrosomia. During the last half of pregnancy, the baby grows rapidly. A mother’s high blood glucose during the latter half of pregnancy can lead to a larger-than-normal baby. In some cases, the baby can become too large to be delivered vaginally.