Gestational diabetes

What it is, and the test

In pregnancy your body needs to make more insulin to keep your blood glucose in range. When it cannot keep up, blood glucose rises and this is called gestational diabetes. It does not mean you did anything wrong, and for most women it goes away after the baby is born.

It is picked up with a glucose tolerance test, usually around 24 to 28 weeks, or earlier if you have risk factors. Even levels that are only just above the range count, because managing them protects you and your baby.

Managing it

Most women manage gestational diabetes with changes to food and activity. Some also need tablets or insulin, which is common and not a sign of failure. Your care usually includes:

• A balanced diet with carbohydrates spread across the day, ideally with guidance from a dietitian
• Regular activity, such as a short walk after meals, which helps lower blood glucose
• Checking your own blood glucose with a finger-prick monitor, fasting and after meals
• Support from a diabetes educator, and closer monitoring of your baby's growth

After your baby is born

Gestational diabetes usually resolves soon after birth, and any medication can generally stop. Because it raises your future risk of type 2 diabetes, a follow-up glucose tolerance test is recommended around 6 to 12 weeks after birth, and a check with your GP every one to three years after that. Registering with the National Gestational Diabetes Register means you get reminders for these checks.