What happens if you have pregnancy diabetes

Pregnancy can make some diabetes health problems worse. To help prevent this, your health care team may recommend adjusting your treatment before you get pregnant. Smoking can increase your chance of having a stillborn baby or a baby born too early. Smoking can increase diabetes-related health problems such as eye disease, heart disease, and kidney disease. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, stop. For tips on quitting, go to Smokefree. Your dietitian can help you learn what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat to reach or stay at a healthy weight before you get pregnant.

Together, you and your dietitian will create a meal plan to fit your needs, schedule, food preferences, medical conditions, medicines, and physical activity routine. During pregnancy, some women need to make changes in their meal plan, such as adding extra calories, protein, and other nutrients. You will need to see your dietitian every few months during pregnancy as your dietary needs change.

Physical activity can help you reach your target blood glucose numbers. Being physically active can also help keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in a healthy range, relieve stress, strengthen your heart and bones, improve muscle strength, and keep your joints flexible.

Before getting pregnant, make physical activity a regular part of your life. Aim for 30 minutes of activity 5 days of the week. Read tips on how to eat better and be more active while you are pregnant and after your baby is born.

When you drink, the alcohol also affects your baby. Alcohol can lead to serious, lifelong health problems for your baby. Some medicines are not safe during pregnancy and you should stop taking them before you get pregnant.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, such as those for high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Your doctor can tell you which medicines to stop taking, and may prescribe a different medicine that is safe to use during pregnancy. Doctors most often prescribe insulin for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes during pregnancy. You may need less insulin during your first trimester but probably will need more as you go through pregnancy.

Your insulin needs may double or even triple as you get closer to your due date. Your health care team will work with you to create an insulin routine to meet your changing needs.

You should take a multivitamin or supplement that contains at least micrograms mcg of folic acid. Once you become pregnant, you should take mcg daily. How often you check your blood glucose levels may change during pregnancy.

You may need to check them more often than you do now. Ask your health care team how often and at what times you should check your blood glucose levels. Your blood glucose targets will change during pregnancy. Your health care team also may want you to check your ketone levels if your blood glucose is too high. Ask your health care team which targets are right for you. You can also use an electronic blood glucose tracking system on your computer or mobile device.

Low blood sugar can be very serious, and even fatal, if not treated quickly. Seriously low blood sugar can be avoided if women watch their blood sugar closely and treat low blood sugar early. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Gestational Diabetes and Pregnancy. Minus Related Pages. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.

You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. Risk factors for gestational diabetes include the following:.

Gestational diabetes that's not carefully managed can lead to high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar can cause problems for you and your baby, including an increased likelihood of needing a C-section to deliver.

There are no guarantees when it comes to preventing gestational diabetes — but the more healthy habits you can adopt before pregnancy, the better. If you've had gestational diabetes, these healthy choices may also reduce your risk of having it again in future pregnancies or developing type 2 diabetes in the future. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.

This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Gestational diabetes is diabetes diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy gestation. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Practice Bulletin No.

Diabetes and pregnancy — Gestational diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed Dec.