Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes (GD or GDM) is a type of diabetes that develops exclusively in pregnancy when blood sugar levels get too high (hyperglycemia). It happens when the hormones from the placenta block your ability to use or make insulin. Insulin helps your body maintain the right amount of glucose in your blood. Too much glucose in your blood can lead to pregnancy complications. GD usually appears during the middle of pregnancy, between 24 and 28 weeks. Your pregnancy care provider will order a blood test to check for gestational diabetes.

Developing GD doesn’t mean you already had diabetes before you got pregnant. The condition appears because of pregnancy. People with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes before pregnancy have their own, separate challenges when they become pregnant.

Fortunately, gestational diabetes is well understood, and healthcare providers are usually able to help you manage the condition with small lifestyle and dietary changes. Most people don’t experience serious complications from gestational diabetes and deliver healthy babies.

What happens if you get gestational diabetes?

If you have gestational diabetes, your pregnancy care provider will have you visit a nutritionist who specializes in gestational diabetes. At this appointment, you’ll talk about how certain foods typically increase blood sugar levels and how to make sure your meals and snacks contain the right types and amounts of food.

They’ll also talk to you about checking or testing your blood sugar at home, and what your levels should be after meals.

Finally, your obstetrician or nutritionist will discuss a gestational diabetes management plan. People with diabetes typically have more prenatal visits to check on fetal growth, monitor their weight gain and discuss how well they’re managing their blood sugar.

Rate of gestational diabetes U.S. and worldwide

The rate of gestational diabetes in the United States is rising. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 8% to 10% of pregnant people will develop GD.

The rate of gestational diabetes worldwide, on average, is between 14% and 17%. Other factors can contribute to rates being higher, such as age, race/ethnicity, access to prenatal care and geography.