Gestational Diabetes

Pregnancy brings many changes, and one of them can be gestational diabetes. Learning you have gestational diabetes may feel overwhelming, but you’re not alone. This condition is common, and with the right care, most women go on to have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.

At Diabetes & Glandular Disease Clinic, we help women throughout San Antonio manage gestational diabetes with expert care throughout their pregnancy. Understanding what gestational diabetes is, how it’s diagnosed, and how it’s treated can help you feel more confident throughout your pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. It happens when your blood sugar becomes too high because your body can’t make enough insulin to keep up with the changes of pregnancy.

Pregnancy changes the way your body handles sugar. As the placenta grows, it makes hormones that help your baby develop. Those same hormones also make it harder for insulin to work the way it should.

Insulin moves sugar from your bloodstream into your body’s cells, where it’s used for energy. During pregnancy, your body needs to make more insulin to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range. Some women can make enough extra insulin. Others develop insulin resistance, causing blood sugar levels to rise.

Gestational diabetes isn’t caused by eating too much sugar. It develops because of the hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes can happen during any pregnancy, even if you don’t have any known risk factors. Your chances are higher if you:

• Had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy
• Have prediabetes
• Have a parent or sibling with diabetes
• Have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Were overweight before pregnancy
• Previously delivered a larger baby
• Are carrying twins or other multiples
• Are older during pregnancy

Even without these risk factors, gestational diabetes can still happen. That’s why routine screening is recommended for every pregnancy.

Most women don’t notice any symptoms.

If symptoms do happen, they’re often easy to mistake for normal pregnancy changes. They may include:

• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Feeling more tired than usual
• Blurred vision

Because these symptoms are common during pregnancy, many women don’t realize high blood sugar is the cause. That’s why screening is the best way to find gestational diabetes early.

Most women are screened between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.

This screening is a routine part of prenatal care. It doesn’t mean your doctor thinks something is wrong. Since most women don’t have symptoms, testing helps find gestational diabetes before it causes problems.

The first step is a glucose challenge test. You’ll drink a sweet liquid, and your blood sugar will be checked about an hour later. You usually don’t have to fast before this test.

If your results are higher than expected, your doctor may order an oral glucose tolerance test. You’ll fast beforehand, drink another glucose solution, and have your blood sugar checked several times over the next few hours. This test confirms whether you have gestational diabetes.

Your blood sugar affects your baby’s health.

When your blood sugar stays too high, extra glucose crosses the placenta and reaches your baby. Your baby’s body makes more insulin. This can cause your baby to grow larger than expected.

This can increase the risk of:

• A larger birth weight
• A difficult delivery
• Cesarean delivery
• Preeclampsia
• Preterm birth
• Low blood sugar after birth
• Jaundice
• Breathing problems after delivery

Keeping your blood sugar in a healthy range helps lower these risks and supports a healthy pregnancy.

Treatment usually starts with healthy lifestyle changes. For many women, these steps are enough to manage their blood sugar.

Healthy eating is one of the best ways to manage gestational diabetes. Your doctor or dietitian may recommend:

• Eating meals and snacks on a regular schedule
• Watching your carbohydrate portions
• Choosing high-fiber foods
• Limiting sugary drinks
• Including protein with meals and snacks

Regular physical activity also helps your body use insulin better. Depending on your pregnancy and overall health, your doctor may recommend activities such as:

• Walking
• Swimming
• Prenatal exercise classes

You’ll also need to check your blood sugar at home. These readings help your care team see how well your treatment plan is working and whether any changes are needed.

Some women need insulin or other medication during pregnancy to keep their blood sugar in a safe range. If that’s the case, it doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. Pregnancy hormones can make blood sugar hard to control, even if you eat healthy foods and exercise regularly.

Your doctor may also recommend:

• More frequent prenatal visits
• Additional ultrasounds to check your baby’s growth
• Monitoring your amniotic fluid levels

Your treatment plan will depend on your blood sugar levels, how far along you are, and the health of you and your baby.

For most women, blood sugar returns to normal after the baby is born.

Even so, having gestational diabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Your doctor will usually recommend another glucose test about 4 to 12 weeks after delivery. Regular diabetes screenings can also help catch problems early in the future.

If you’ve been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you don’t have to manage it alone. The endocrinology team at Diabetes & Glandular Disease Clinic works closely with your obstetrician to help keep you and your baby healthy throughout your pregnancy.

If you’re looking for expert gestational diabetes care in San Antonio, contact Diabetes & Glandular Disease Clinic today to schedule an appointment.

1. Does gestational diabetes mean I’ll have diabetes forever?

Not usually. For most women, gestational diabetes goes away after the baby is born. But having gestational diabetes means you’ll have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Healthy habits and regular diabetes screenings can help protect your long-term health.

2. Will my baby have diabetes?

Gestational diabetes doesn’t mean your baby will be born with diabetes. But high blood sugar during pregnancy can increase the risk of certain health problems before and shortly after birth. Keeping your blood sugar in a healthy range with the right treatment helps lower these risks.

3. Can gestational diabetes affect future pregnancies?

Yes. If you’ve had gestational diabetes before, you’re more likely to develop it during a future pregnancy. Let your doctor know about your history if you become pregnant again. They may recommend earlier screening and closer monitoring to help keep you and your baby healthy.