This is way for you to keep track of how often you can feel your baby move. Here are two ways to do kick counts:. If you have gestational diabetes, your provider tells you how often to check your blood sugar, what your levels should be and how to manage them during pregnancy.

Blood sugar is affected by pregnancy, what you eat and drink, and how much physical activity you get. You may need to eat differently and be more active. You also may need to take insulin shots or other medicines.

Treatment for gestational diabetes can help reduce your risk for pregnancy complications. Your provider begins treatment with monitoring your blood sugar levels, healthy eating, and physical activity. Insulin is the most common medicine for gestational diabetes.

If you have gestational diabetes, how can you help prevent getting diabetes later in life? For most people, gestational diabetes goes away after giving birth. But having it makes you more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common kind of diabetes. Skip to main content. Share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on YouTube Share on Linkedin More Places to Share. Gestational diabetes. Video file. Key Points Pregnant people who have gestational diabetes can and do have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.

Most pregnant people get a test for gestational diabetes at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. If untreated, gestational diabetes can cause problems for your baby, such as premature birth and stillbirth. Talk to your health care provider about what you can do to reduce your risk for gestational diabetes and help prevent diabetes in the future.

What is gestational diabetes? Who is at risk for gestational diabetes? Are overweight or obese and not physically active.

Have had gestational diabetes or a baby with macrosomia in a past pregnancy. Have polycystic ovarian syndrome also called polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS. This is a hormone problem that can affect reproductive and overall health. Have prediabetes. This means your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.

Have a parent, brother or sister who has diabetes. This control means that people in the dominant group are more likely to: Have better education and job opportunities Live in safer environmental conditions Be shown in a positive light by media, such as television shows, movies, and news programs.

Can gestational diabetes increase your risk for problems during pregnancy? If not treated, gestational diabetes can increase your risk for pregnancy complications and procedures, including: Macrosomia. This means your baby weighs more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces 4, grams at birth.

Babies who weigh this much are more likely to be hurt during labor and birth, and can cause damage to his or her mother during delivery. Shoulder dystocia or other birth injuries also called birth trauma. Complications for birthing parents caused by shoulder dystocia include postpartum hemorrhage heavy bleeding.

For babies, the most common injuries are fractures to the collarbone and arm and damage to the brachial plexus nerves. These nerves go from the spinal cord in the neck down the arm. They provide feeling and movement in the shoulder, arm and hand.

High blood pressure and preeclampsia. High blood pressure also called hypertension is when the force of blood against the walls of the blood vessels is too high. It can stress your heart and cause problems during pregnancy. Preeclampsia is when a pregnant person has high blood pressure and signs that some of their organs, such as the kidneys and liver, may not be working properly.

Perinatal depression. This is depression that happens during pregnancy or in the first year after having a baby also called postpartum depression. Depression is a medical condition that causes feelings of sadness and a loss of interest in things you like to do. It can affect how you think, feel, and act and can interfere with your daily life.

Preterm birth. This is birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Most women who have gestational diabetes have a full-term pregnancy that lasts between 39 and 40 weeks. However, if there are complications, your health care provider may need to induce labor before your due date.

This means your provider will give you medicine or break your water amniotic sac to make your labor begin. This is the death of a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Cesarean birth also called c-section. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. Updated by: Kimberly G Lee, MD, MSc, IBCLC, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.

Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A. Editorial team. Infant of diabetic mother. There are two forms of diabetes during pregnancy: Gestational diabetes -- high blood sugar diabetes that starts or is first detected during pregnancy Pre-existing or pre-gestational diabetes -- already having diabetes before becoming pregnant If diabetes is not well controlled during pregnancy, the baby is exposed to high blood sugar levels.

IDMs are more likely to have: Breathing difficulty due to less mature lungs High red blood cell count polycythemia High bilirubin level newborn jaundice Thickening of the heart muscle between the large chambers ventricles If diabetes is not well-controlled, chances of miscarriage or stillborn child are higher.

Other symptoms may include: Blue skin color, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing signs of immature lungs or heart failure Poor sucking, lethargy, weak cry Seizures sign of severe low blood sugar Poor feeding Puffy face Tremors or shaking shortly after birth Jaundice yellow skin color.

Exams and Tests. Before the baby is born: Ultrasound in the last few months of pregnancy can monitor the size of the baby relative to the opening to the birth canal. Lung maturity testing may be done on the amniotic fluid. This is VERY rarely done but may be helpful if the due date was not determined early in pregnancy.

Delivery before 39 weeks is not generally recommended for IDMs. After the baby is born: The baby's blood sugar will be checked within the first hour or two after birth, and rechecked regularly until it is consistently normal. This may take a day or two, or even longer. The baby will be watched for signs of trouble with the heart or lungs.

The baby's bilirubin will be checked before going home from the hospital, and sooner if there are signs of jaundice. An echocardiogram may be done to look at the size of the baby's heart.

Efforts are made to ensure the baby has enough glucose in the blood: Feeding soon after birth may prevent low blood sugar in mild cases. Even if the plan is to breastfeed, the baby may need some formula during the first 8 to 24 hours if the blood sugar is low.

Many hospitals are now giving dextrose sugar gel inside the baby's cheek instead of giving formula if there is not enough mother's milk. Low blood sugar that does not improve with feeding is treated with fluid containing sugar glucose and water given through a vein IV.

In severe cases, if the baby needs large amounts of sugar, fluid containing glucose must be given through an umbilical belly button vein for several days.

Outlook Prognosis. Very rarely, blood sugar may be so low as to cause brain damage. Possible Complications. There is also an increased risk for a number of birth defects or problems: Congenital heart defects.

High bilirubin level hyperbilirubinemia. Immature lungs. Neonatal polycythemia more red blood cells than normal. This may cause a blockage in the blood vessels or hyperbilirubinemia.

Small left colon syndrome. This causes symptoms of intestinal blockage. Difficulty with delivery due to large size of the baby if blood sugar is not well controlled.

When to Contact a Medical Professional. If you are pregnant and have diabetes that is not under control, call your provider right away. If you are pregnant and are not receiving prenatal care, call a provider for an appointment.

Alternative Names. IDM; Gestational diabetes - IDM; Neonatal care - diabetic mother. Learn how to cite this page. Related MedlinePlus Health Topics. Diabetes and Pregnancy.

Español Spanish Print. Minus Related Pages. Follow a healthy eating plan to nourish you and your baby. Preventing Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes During Pregnancy Diabetes and Women Insulin Resistance Diabetes Articles Infographics.

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Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during the second or third trimester of pregnancy. In most cases women with gestational diabetes did not have diabetes before their pregnancy; however after giving birth, the diabetes usually goes away. During gestational diabetes your body cannot produce enough insulin to handle the effects of a growing baby and changing hormone levels.

Insulin is a hormone in your body that helps your body to control the level of glucose sugar in your blood. If your body cannot produce enough insulin, the amount of sugar in your blood will rise. As a result, you may both have a higher risk of health problems later in life such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

You can reduce the risk of developing gestational diabetes by managing your weight, eating healthily and keeping active before and during pregnancy.