Can you cause gestational diabetes

Talk to your doctor about how much weight you should gain for a healthy pregnancy. You can do a lot to manage your gestational diabetes. Go to all your prenatal appointments and follow your treatment plan, including:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Gestational Diabetes.

Women who are overweight or obese may already have insulin resistance when they become pregnant. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy may also be a factor. Having a family history of diabetes makes it more likely that a woman will develop gestational diabetes, which suggests that genes play a role.

Are you worried about the extra scoop of ice cream you had last night? Even mothers who have had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy may not get it with a later pregnancy. But, women who are overweight and less active are more likely to get gestational diabetes. When your sweet tooth hits, try fruit instead of a sugary snack. Instead of reaching for that soda, take a drink of water instead. Some women may develop symptoms if their blood sugar levels gets too high hyperglycaemia , such as:.

But some of these symptoms are common during pregnancy and are not necessarily a sign of gestational diabetes. Speak to your midwife or doctor if you're worried about any symptoms you're experiencing. Having gestational diabetes also means you're at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. During your first antenatal appointment also called a booking appointment at around week 8 to 12 of your pregnancy, your midwife or doctor will ask you some questions to determine whether you're at an increased risk of gestational diabetes.

If you have 1 or more risk factors for gestational diabetes you should be offered a screening test. It involves having a blood test in the morning, when you have not had any food or drink for 8 to 10 hours though you can usually drink water, but check with the hospital if you're unsure.

You're then given a glucose drink. After resting for 2 hours, another blood sample is taken to see how your body is dealing with the glucose. The OGTT is done when you're between 24 and 28 weeks pregnant. If you've had gestational diabetes before, you'll be offered an OGTT earlier in your pregnancy, soon after your booking appointment, then another OGTT at 24 to 28 weeks if the first test is normal. If you have gestational diabetes, the chances of having problems with your pregnancy can be reduced by controlling your blood sugar levels.