Understanding Gestational Diabetes: What to Know During and After Pregnancy


Pregnancy is full of exciting milestones—from the first ultrasound to those tiny kicks you’ve been waiting to feel. But along with the joys of expecting, there are plenty of checkups and tests to keep both you and your baby healthy. One of those tests screens for gestational diabetes, a condition that surprises many expecting moms. Whether you’ve just heard the term for the first time or you’re navigating a new diagnosis, understanding what it means during pregnancy—and what to watch for afterward—can make a big difference for your health and your baby’s.

How Pregnancy Changes Your Body

Pregnancy is a uniquely exciting journey that comes with lots of body changes, whether you’re expecting your first child or you’re adding to a growing family. Throughout pregnancy, your body adapts in many ways to support your growing baby. Some of those adaptations will be obvious to you – hello baby bump! – while others, like changes in blood pressure and blood chemistry, may not be so obvious. One important adaptation is how your body processes sugar. During the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, blood sugar increases to ensure that your baby continues to grow. During this time, you’ll participate in a routine medical screening that involves drinking a sugary beverage and having your blood sugar monitored. This test helps healthcare providers detect whether your blood sugar is staying within a range that is normal for pregnancy.

What is Gestational Diabetes?

Blood sugar levels that are higher than pre-pregnancy is a normal part of a healthy pregnancy, but in some women, blood sugar can rise higher than the optimal levels. When this occurs, women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which is a specific type of diabetes that is different from both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This condition is more common than many people realize, affecting up to 10% of pregnancies in the United States. Early detection and management are key to keeping both the mother and baby healthy throughout the pregnancy.

Managing Gestational Diabetes

If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you’ll work closely with your doctor and diabetes nurse educators to manage your blood sugar. Common management options for gestational diabetes include lifestyle modifications (e.g. diet, exercise) and medications (e.g. insulin, metformin). A supportive healthcare team can help women with gestational diabetes maintain healthy pregnancies and deliver healthy babies.  

Postpartum Health and Long-Term Risks

Dr. Anna Stanhewicz (Lab Director, left), Grace Maurer (PhD Candidate, center), and Claire Goebel (Research Associate) conduct research to improve maternal health in the Microvascular Physiology Lab.

While a mother’s blood sugar returns to normal after giving birth, gestational diabetes increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease later in life. This makes postpartum follow-up and long-term health planning especially important. The good news is that you can help prevent future disease development after gestational diabetes. Simple things like increasing your physical activity and taking medications to reduce your blood sugar can help maintain your overall health in the months and years after you deliver your baby. In fact, research has shown that lifestyle and medication interventions are effective ways to prevent type 2 diabetes and heart disease across the lifespan after gestational diabetes, and it’s never too late to start. Continuing to prioritize your health after pregnancy is one of the best investments you can make – for yourself and for your family.

Research for a Healthier Future

The Microvascular Physiology Lab at the University of Iowa is leading important research to discover better ways to support maternal health after gestational diabetes. Their studies are focused on understanding how the body changes after gestational diabetes and identifying new strategies to reduce future health risks. Healthier moms mean healthier families – and brighter futures for everyone. 

Here are three simple things you can do if you have gestational diabetes: 

    1. Actively participate in your healthcare: Make sure your primary care physician knows that you had gestational diabetes and be sure to attend annual checkups to monitor your overall health in the years after you deliver your baby. Early monitoring can help catch any changes in your blood sugar before they develop into more serious issues. 
    2. Get active with your kids: Sitting less and moving more are great ways to improve your health and enjoy time together. Try swapping family television time with an after dinner walk a few times a week. Even short bursts of movement throughout the day can add up and make a big difference.
    3. Participate in maternal health research: Consider signing up to participate in research that will help us learn more about maternal health after gestational diabetes. You can help drive discoveries that will lead to better care. Your experience is valuable, and you can contribute to shaping better health outcomes for generations to come. 

This post is published in partnership with the Microvascular Physiology Lab at the University of Iowa. The Microvascular Physiology Lab is dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes during and after pregnancy. Their research focuses on understanding how the body changes following gestational diabetes and finding better ways to support long-term health for moms. By partnering with them, we’re able to share reliable, research-based information to help local families stay informed and healthy.

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