Early detection
The first time you see your doctor after you become pregnant, your doctor will determine your risk for gestational diabetes. If you are considered high risk because you have had gestational diabetes before, are obese, have a strong family history of type 2 diabetes, or have sugar in your urine, you will be tested right away.
Most women are tested between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy. The American Diabetes Association recommends testing if:1
- You are 25 or older when you become pregnant.
- You have had gestational diabetes before.
- You have given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 lb (4 kg).
- You weighed more than 9 lb (4 kg) when you were born.
- You have a parent or sibling who has type 2 diabetes.
- You are obese (your body mass index, or BMI is greater than or equal to 30).
- You are a member of a racial/ethnic group that has a high risk of developing diabetes, such as Latin Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, or Pacific Islanders.
- You have polycystic ovary syndrome.
- You have a dark skin rash on your back or neck or in folds on your body.
- You take corticosteroid medicine.
Some pregnant women are at low risk of developing gestational diabetes and may not need to be tested. Experts debate whether all pregnant women need to be tested for gestational diabetes. After reviewing all of the research, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has not recommended for or against testing of all pregnant women.2 But most doctors routinely test all pregnant women who are in their care.
After delivery
Even though your gestational diabetes will probably go away after your baby is born, you are at risk for developing gestational diabetes again and for developing type 2 diabetes later in life. More than half of women who develop gestational diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes later in life.3
To make sure your blood sugar level stays within a safe range, your doctor may tell you to continue checking your blood sugar levels at home for a while. You will also have a follow-up glucose tolerance test 6 weeks after your baby is born or after you stop breast-feeding your baby. If the results of this test are normal, you will still need to have a fasting blood sugar test at least every 3 years. If that test shows that your blood sugar is slightly high, you may have a condition called prediabetes. If you have prediabetes, you can help prevent type 2 diabetes by changing the way you eat, exercising regularly, and being tested for diabetes every year. For more information, see the topic Prediabetes.
Women who had gestational diabetes and use progestin-only birth control pills may have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Combination birth control pills that contain estrogen and progestin are not linked with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Talk to your doctor about the best kind of contraception for you.4
If you want to get pregnant again, you should be tested for diabetes before you become pregnant as well as early in your pregnancy.
For more information, see the topic Gestational Diabetes.
References
Citations
American Diabetes Association (2004). Gestational diabetes mellitus. Clinical Practice Recommendations 2004. Diabetes Care, 27(Suppl 1): S88–S90.
Brody SC, et al. (2003). Screening for gestational diabetes: A summary of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 101(2): 380–392.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2003). Management of diabetes mellitus complicating pregnancy. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 102(4):857-868.
Brown FM (2005). Diabetes and pregnancy. In CR Kahn et al., eds., Joslin's Diabetes Mellitus, 14th ed., pp. 1035–1047. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Credits
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Lois Jovanovic, MD - Endocrinology |
| Last Updated | January 12, 2006 |
© 1995-2007, Healthwise, Incorporated, P.O. Box 1989, Boise, ID 83701. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information. For more information, click here. Privacy Policy. How this information was developed.
