Prevention

In some women, gestational diabetes cannot be prevented. But you may be able to lower your chance of getting gestational diabetes by staying at a healthy weight and not gaining too much weight during pregnancy. Regular exercise can also help keep your blood sugar level within a target range and prevent gestational diabetes.

If you have had gestational diabetes, you are at risk for having it again in a future pregnancy. You are also at risk for type 2 diabetes, a permanent type of diabetes. One of the best ways to prevent developing gestational diabetes again is to stay at a healthy weight.

If you have had gestational diabetes, avoid medicines that increase insulin resistance, such as nicotinic acid and glucocorticoid medicines (for example, prednisone and dexamethasone).

Home Treatment

You are the most important person in determining whether you will have a healthy pregnancy. Gestational diabetes, like any form of diabetes, cannot be successfully treated with medicines alone.

Your doctor, diabetes educator, registered dietitian, and other health professionals can help you learn how to care for yourself and protect your baby from problems. If you learn as much as you can about gestational diabetes, you will have the knowledge you need to have a healthy pregnancy. As you understand how food and exercise affect your blood sugar, you can better control your blood sugar level and help prevent problems from gestational diabetes.

Home treatment for gestational diabetes includes changing the way you eat, exercising regularly, and checking your blood sugar.

Eating healthy foods

Changing what, when, and how much you eat can help keep your blood sugar level in a target range. After you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you will meet with a registered dietitian to decide on an individualized healthy eating plan. Your dietitian may ask you to write down everything you eat and to keep track of your weight. He or she will also teach you how to count carbohydrate in order to spread carbohydrate throughout the day. For more information, see:

Gestational Diabetes: Counting Carbs.

Getting regular exercise

Regular, moderate exercise during pregnancy helps your body use insulin better, which helps control your blood sugar level. Often, exercising and eating well can treat gestational diabetes. Try to do at least 2½ hours a week of moderate exercise.^{4, 5} One way to do this is to be active 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. It's fine to be active in blocks of 10 minutes or more throughout your day and week.

If you have never exercised regularly or were not exercising before you became pregnant, talk with your doctor before you start exercising. Exercise that does not place too much stress on your lower body—such as using an arm ergometer, a machine that just works your arm muscles; or riding a recumbent bicycle, a type of bike with a seat that looks like a chair—are especially good for pregnant women. You may also want to try special exercise classes for pregnant women or other low-impact activities such as swimming or walking.

If exercise and changing the way you eat keep your blood sugar within a target range, you will not need to take diabetes medicine. If you need to take insulin, make sure you have a quick-sugar food with you when you exercise in case you have symptoms of low blood sugar. If you think that your blood sugar is low, stop exercising, check your blood sugar level, and eat the snack.

Checking your blood sugar

An important part of treating gestational diabetes is checking your blood sugar level at home. Every day, you will do a home blood sugar test one or more times. It may be overwhelming to test your blood sugar so often. But knowing that your level is within a target range can help put your mind at ease. Talk to your doctor about how often to test your blood sugar.

Gestational Diabetes: Checking Your Blood Sugar

Other aspects of your care

• If changing the way you eat and exercising do not control your blood sugar level, you may need to take daily insulin shots.
• If you were overweight before you became pregnant, do not try to lose weight while you are pregnant. Ask your doctor how much weight you should gain during your pregnancy.
• Your doctor may have you check kick counts and let him or her know if you think your baby has been moving less than usual.
• If you take insulin, it can cause your blood sugar to drop below the target range. Even though very low blood sugar is rare in women who have gestational diabetes, it is important to know the symptoms of low blood sugar and have quick-sugar foods with you at all times. For more information, see:

Gestational Diabetes: Dealing With Low Blood Sugar.