Gestational diabetes · Diabetes in pregnancy
Gestational diabetes, well controlled for you and your baby.
Blood sugar that runs high during pregnancy is common and very manageable. Good control lowers risks for both mother and baby.
What it is
Pregnancy hormones from the placenta make the body more resistant to insulin. When the pancreas cannot keep up, blood sugar rises. Gestational diabetes affects up to about 1 in 10 pregnancies in the U.S. and is usually found on a glucose screening test between 24 and 28 weeks, or earlier when risk factors are present.
Higher risk comes with excess weight before pregnancy, PCOS, prediabetes, a family history of type 2 diabetes, or gestational diabetes in an earlier pregnancy.
Why control matters
For your baby
Lower chances of a large birth weight, delivery complications and low blood sugar after birth.
For you
Lower chances of preeclampsia and cesarean delivery, and a clearer picture of your long-term diabetes risk.
Treatment
Most women reach their targets with meal planning and regular activity. Glucose is checked with a meter or a continuous glucose monitor. Common targets are:
- Fasting: below 95 mg/dL
- One hour after meals: below 140 mg/dL
- Two hours after meals: below 120 mg/dL
When diet alone is not enough, insulin is the preferred medication because it does not cross the placenta and doses can be adjusted week by week.
Dr. Hasan is experienced in managing gestational diabetes and works alongside your obstetrician or maternal-fetal medicine team, with frequent glucose reviews by telehealth when helpful.
Diabetes before pregnancy
Planning a pregnancy with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
Good glucose control before conception lowers the risk of miscarriage and birth defects. An A1c below 6.5% is a common goal when it can be reached safely. Preparation also includes a review of medications that are not safe in pregnancy, folic acid, and a plan for tighter glucose targets as the pregnancy progresses. Type 1 diabetes care, insulin pump settings and CGM alerts are adjusted along the way.
After delivery
Blood sugar usually returns to normal after birth. About half of women with gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes later in life, so a 75-gram glucose tolerance test is recommended 4 to 12 weeks after delivery, then screening every one to three years. Breastfeeding, regular activity and a healthy weight all lower that risk.
Common questions
Did I cause my gestational diabetes?
No. It is driven mainly by pregnancy hormones. Weight and genetics affect risk, but many women with no risk factors develop it.
Will my baby have diabetes?
Babies are not born with diabetes because of it. Children of mothers with gestational diabetes have a higher lifetime risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, which a healthy lifestyle helps reduce.
Can I use a continuous glucose monitor in pregnancy?
Yes. CGMs are widely used in pregnancy and can make it easier to see how meals affect your numbers.
Related conditions
In Wexford or by telehealth in PA and OH