March 17, 2025
By Emma Beale, MD Program Student, Drexel University College of Medicine
We all have an organ called the pancreas. The pancreas produces a hormone called insulin. Insulin acts to regulate your blood sugar levels, making sure that they don’t get too high and that your cells get all the energy they need! However, there are many changes that happen with the body during pregnancy; sometimes your pancreas is not able to produce enough insulin to maintain a normal blood sugar. This continually high blood sugar is called gestational diabetes.
How do I know if I have gestational diabetes?
All women are screened for gestational diabetes automatically at their prenatal appointments at about 20 to 24 weeks. You may be screened earlier if you have a family history of gestational diabetes or individual risk factors. Ask your OB/GYN or primary care provider!
Who is at risk?
You may be at higher risk for gestational diabetes if you have other conditions: history of previous gestational diabetes, family history of diabetes, obesity, PCOS, or if you are older than 25 years. However, anyone can develop the condition – this is why screening is so important!
How do I manage gestational diabetes?
Talk to your OB/GYN or primary care provider about what is right for you. Below are some things that they may recommend or suggest:
- Eating healthy foods – modify your diet to help make sure your blood sugar is normal:
- Avoid foods high in sugar (desserts, candy, sodas, and juice).
- Use artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda and Equal, instead of adding sugar.
- Exercise regularly – exercising before and after you become pregnant can help manage and prevent gestational diabetes. Exercise during pregnancy is very safe and encouraged!
- Monitor your blood sugar:
- Your doctor may have you monitor and record your blood sugars to make sure that you are staying within healthy limits.
Why is it important to manage gestational diabetes?
Managing gestational diabetes by controlling your blood sugars during pregnancy is very important for your health and your baby’s! The following are all risks of gestational diabetes:
- It can cause your baby to grow to large, increasing the chances of needing a C- section rather than a vaginal delivery.
- It increases the chances of going into early labor, before your baby is healthy enough to be delivered.
- Babies can develop breathing complications.
- Babies can be born with low blood sugar.
- In some cases, untreated gestational diabetes can result in the baby’s death before or after birth.
Where can I find resources?
There are many different resources for mothers managing gestational diabetes, but we’ve linked to several here:
Sources/Resources:
- American Diabetes Association; 14. Management of Diabetes in Pregnancy: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2020. Diabetes Care 1 January 2020; 43 (Supplement_1): S183–S192. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc20-S014
- Nakshine VS, Jogdand SD. A Comprehensive Review of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Impacts on Maternal Health, Fetal Development, Childhood Outcomes, and Long-Term Treatment Strategies. Cureus. 2023 Oct 23;15(10):e47500. doi: 10.7759/cureus.47500. PMID: 38021940; PMCID: PMC10663705.
- Sandu C, Bica C, Salmen T, Stoica R, Bohiltea R, Gherghiceanu F, Pacu I, Stefan S, Serafinceanu C, Stoian AP. Gestational diabetes - modern management and therapeutic approach (Review). Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jan;21(1):81. doi: 10.3892/etm.2020.9512. Epub 2020 Nov 26. PMID: 33363592; PMCID: PMC7725034.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2018. https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/ External link. Updated January 14, 2019. Accessed January 14, 2019.