Diabetes and pregnancy: keeping mother and baby healthy
Gestational and pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy: risks, the glucose test at 24 to 28 weeks, diet, monitoring and treatment to keep mother and baby healthy.
By the Healtree Hospital clinical team.
Diabetes in pregnancy is either pre-existing (type 1 or type 2) or gestational diabetes, which first appears during pregnancy and usually goes away after delivery. Well-controlled blood sugar greatly lowers the risks to mother and baby. Every pregnant woman should have a glucose test, usually at 24 to 28 weeks, and earlier if she has risk factors.
Types of diabetes in pregnancy
Pre-existing diabetes is type 1 or type 2 diabetes diagnosed before pregnancy. Gestational diabetes (GDM) develops during pregnancy, when pregnancy hormones make the body less sensitive to insulin. It is common among Indian women and usually resolves after delivery, but it raises the chance of type 2 diabetes later in life.
Why blood sugar control matters
High blood sugar in pregnancy increases the risk of high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia, a large baby, difficult delivery or caesarean section, preterm birth, and low blood sugar in the newborn after birth. Keeping sugars in the target range lowers all of these risks.
Who is at higher risk of gestational diabetes
- Being overweight before pregnancy
- Gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy
- A family history of diabetes
- A previous baby weighing 4 kg or more
- PCOS
- Age over 30
Testing
A glucose tolerance test is usually done at 24 to 28 weeks. Women with risk factors are often tested earlier, at the first antenatal visit, and again later if the first test is normal.
Managing diabetes during pregnancy
- Planning ahead: women with diabetes should aim for good sugar control before conceiving and start folic acid
- Diet: regular meals with controlled portions of rice and other carbohydrates, plenty of vegetables, pulses and protein
- Activity: a daily walk after meals, if your obstetrician agrees
- Monitoring: regular finger-prick sugar checks at home, as advised
- Medicines or insulin when diet and activity alone are not enough
- Extra scans to follow the baby's growth
After delivery
The baby's sugar is checked after birth, and breastfeeding is encouraged. For women with gestational diabetes, a blood sugar test is repeated about 6 to 12 weeks after delivery and then at least every one to three years, since the risk of type 2 diabetes stays higher.
See a specialist in Neelankarai, ECR
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. Our Obstetrics & Gynaecology team at Healtree Multi-Speciality Centre & Hospital can assess your situation. The hospital is open 24 hours.
Specialists: Dr. R. Suganya, Dr. Hemalatha, Dr. Divya Subramani
Frequently asked questions
- When is the test for gestational diabetes done?
- Usually at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. Women with risk factors are often tested at the first antenatal visit as well.
- Does gestational diabetes go away after delivery?
- In most women it does, but the risk of type 2 diabetes later is higher, so regular blood sugar checks are recommended after pregnancy.
- Will I need insulin?
- Many women control gestational diabetes with diet and activity alone. Medicines or insulin are added if sugars stay above target.
- Can I have a normal delivery with gestational diabetes?
- Yes, many women do. Your obstetrician will plan the timing and mode of delivery based on your sugar control and the baby's growth.
Related reading
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