Gestational diabetes: What to know during pregnancy

  Pregnancy is a time of significant change for a woman’s body. Hormones fluctuate, energy levels shift and new challenges arise. One challenge that some women face is gestational diabetes, a condition where blood sugar levels become elevated during pregnancy, says Summer Allen, M.D., a family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic who provides prenatal care.

“In pregnancy, many things are changing in a woman’s body. Her hormones are changing, and that’s a lot of what leads to the initial nausea and vomiting and fatigue of pregnancy. These same hormonal shifts can also impact glucose control, leading to gestational diabetes in some women,” Dr. Allen says.

Gestational diabetes happens when the body cannot produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels during pregnancy.

“There are some women who will come into pregnancy having diabetes already, some with type 1 diabetes — autoimmune and genetically linked – and others with type 2 diabetes related to diet, activity and weight,” Dr. Allen says.

While gestational diabetes often resolves after childbirth, it’s important to understand its implications.

“The important factor with gestational diabetes is after pregnancy, over that patient’s lifetime, there is an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life,” she says.

Certain factors can increase the likelihood of developing gestational diabetes, including:

A family history of diabetes.
Being overweight before pregnancy.
Being over age 25.
A history of polycystic ovary syndrome.
Having had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy.
Routine prenatal screenings typically identify gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. It’s a reason why Dr. Allen says health screenings are important.

“The reason we recommend prenatal care is to screen for some of those conditions and to anticipate things that could lead to a complication for a woman in pregnancy. An example is high blood pressure. Another may be an impact of glucose or sugar control in their pregnancy, such as diabetes,” she explains.

Gestational diabetes can have consequences for both mother and baby if not properly managed. For the baby, it may increase the risk of larger birth weight (macrosomia), preterm birth or low blood sugar after delivery. For the mother, there’s a higher risk of preeclampsia, cesarean delivery and developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Managing this condition involves a combination of lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medical intervention. Dr. Allen recommends:

Dietary adjustments: Try a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, vitamins and minerals, and monitor portion sizes to help regulate blood sugar levels.
Monitoring blood sugar levels: Frequent checks help ensure that levels remain within a safe range. Insulin or other medications may sometimes be required to maintain control.
Attending regular prenatal checkups: These visits allow healthcare professionals to monitor both mother and baby for any potential complications.
Staying active: Don’t underestimate the power of a walk.
“Going for a walk, even 30 minutes most days of the week, which can be broken up into 15-minute chunks or even 10-minute chunks, can make a big difference in decreasing chances of developing diabetes in pregnancy,” Dr. Allen says.

For more tips to help support a healthy pregnancy, see MayoClinic.org.