Overview
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes first found during pregnancy. It happens when the body cannot use insulin well enough to keep blood sugar in a healthy range. This condition needs medical follow-up because high blood sugar during pregnancy can affect pregnancy, delivery, and the baby.
Key Symptoms
Many people with gestational diabetes have no noticeable symptoms. When symptoms do happen, they may include feeling more thirsty than usual, urinating more often, or feeling more tired, but these can also happen in normal pregnancy. Because symptoms may be mild or absent, screening tests are an important part of prenatal care.
Causes and Risk Factors
During pregnancy, hormones from the placenta can make it harder for the body to use insulin, which can raise blood sugar. Risk can be higher with excess body weight, a family history of diabetes, a past pregnancy with gestational diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, or having had a very large baby before. Risk may also vary by age, ethnic background, and personal health history.
Who Is Affected
Gestational diabetes affects pregnant people around the world. It can happen in any pregnancy, including in people with no obvious risk factors. That is one reason routine prenatal screening is commonly recommended.
Prevention
Gestational diabetes cannot always be prevented. Before and during pregnancy, following a balanced eating pattern, staying physically active if your clinician says it is appropriate, and attending regular prenatal visits may help lower risk and support earlier detection. If you had gestational diabetes in a past pregnancy, early discussion with your maternity team is important.
Diagnosis and Tests
Gestational diabetes is diagnosed with blood sugar testing during pregnancy. Many health systems screen between about 24 and 28 weeks, although some people are tested earlier if they have higher risk. Your healthcare professional may use a glucose screening test and, if needed, a longer glucose tolerance test.
Treatment Categories
Treatment often includes checking blood sugar, adjusting food choices, and regular physical activity when appropriate in pregnancy. Some people also need medication such as insulin or other glucose-lowering treatment recommended by their maternity or diabetes team. Follow-up after birth is important because blood sugar often returns to usual levels, but future diabetes risk remains higher.
Diet and Lifestyle
A care team may suggest regular meals, attention to carbohydrate portions, and choosing foods with fiber such as vegetables, beans, and whole grains. Physical activity, such as walking, may help with blood sugar if approved by your pregnancy clinician. Nutrition needs in pregnancy are individual, so personalized advice from a qualified professional can be helpful.
When to Seek Medical Care
Contact your healthcare professional if you are pregnant and have concerns about high blood sugar, have been told you are at higher risk, or are having trouble following your care plan. Also seek medical advice if your home blood sugar readings are often outside the target range given by your clinician, or if you notice reduced fetal movements or feel unwell. Do not skip postpartum follow-up testing after delivery.
When It May Be an Emergency
Get urgent medical help right away if you have signs of severe illness such as trouble breathing, severe vomiting, confusion, fainting, severe dehydration, or if you think you may be in labor early or notice significant bleeding. In pregnancy, urgent symptoms should not be ignored, whether or not they seem related to blood sugar. If you are unsure, contact emergency services or your local maternity emergency number.
Questions to Ask a Healthcare Professional
You may want to ask when you should be tested, what your blood sugar targets are, and how often you should monitor them. It can also help to ask what food pattern and activity level fit your pregnancy, whether you need medication, and when you should have follow-up testing after birth. If you plan future pregnancies, ask how this history affects your care.