Because gestational diabetes can affect you and your baby, it is key to start treatment quickly.
Treatment for gestational diabetes (GDM) aims to manage blood glucose and reach target levels that are the same as those of pregnant women who don't have GDM. Your treatment will include an eating plan and scheduled physical activity, and it may also include checking your blood glucose level and taking insulin.
If you're checking your blood glucose, the American Diabetes Association suggests the following targets for most women with GDM. You and your health care team will decide the blood glucose targets will that are right for you.
- Before a meal (preprandial): 95 mg/dL or less
- One hour after a meal (postprandial): 140 mg/dL or less
- Two hours after a meal (postprandial): 120 mg/dL or less
When you have GDM, you will need help from your health care team so that your treatment plan can change as needed. Your treatment plan will help lower the risk of a very large baby and the need for a cesarean section birth.
Your treatment plan will give you a healthy pregnancy and birth, and help lower your baby’s risk for poor health in the future.
Keeping Worry in Perspective
While GDM is serious, the good news is that you and your health care team—your doctor, obstetrician, nurse educator, and dietitian—work together to create a treatment plan to reach your blood glucose targets. And with this help, you can have a healthy pregnancy for you and a healthy start for your baby.
Looking Ahead
GDM usually goes away after pregnancy. But once you've had GDM, you’re at risk of having it again in your future pregnancies. In a few women, however, pregnancy uncovers type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It is hard to tell whether these women have GDM or have just started showing their diabetes during pregnancy, but they need to continue diabetes treatment after pregnancy.
If your blood glucose levels return to normal ranges, you’re still at risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. However, there are steps you can take to help prevent type 2 diabetes after GDM. Learn about prevention.
