Gestational diabetes (GD) is a form of diabetes that appears in pregnant women. Your body’s response to hormone changes (specifically insulin) during pregnancy can affect your body’s ability to control blood sugar levels, which can make blood sugar rise. This may result in gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes commonly appears in the middle of pregnancy, usually around weeks 24-28. However, women who are at higher risk of GD should be screened earlier in pregnancy.

In most women, gestational diabetes results in unnoticeable or relatively mild symptoms.

Between 2-10% of women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy. While there is no singular cause of the condition, there are several risk factors that may increase the likelihood of developing gestational diabetes.

Risk factors for gestational diabetes include:

• Age (women over the age of 25 are more likely to develop gestational diabetes)
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• Prediabetes or personal history of GD
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Previous birth of a baby weighing more than 9 lbs
• Race: Women of African, Asian, Hispanic, Native American or Pacific Island descent are more likely to develop gestational diabetes

Even though the symptoms of GD are mild, the condition can lead to serious complications for your baby and you, if left untreated.

GD can lead to complications such as:

• Excessive birth weight
• Cesarean birth (C-section)
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in the baby
• Preterm birth
• Obesity
• Pre-eclampsia: Characterized as high blood pressure (gestational HTN) and internal organ damage in the mother during pregnancy
• Future diagnosis of diabetes in the child and mother
• Stillbirth

Even though it can lead to serious complications, GD can be effectively treated through blood sugar monitoring, medication, and lifestyle changes. If you are experiencing a sudden onset of the symptoms listed above, talk to your doctor about a screening test for gestational diabetes.