What Other Parents Are Reading What Is Gestational Diabetes? I’m
not diabetic, but my doctor told me that I have gestational
diabetes. What does that mean? And will it last beyond my
pregnancy? Gestational diabetes is a kind of diabetes that comes
on during pregnancy. It affects about 4% of all pregnant women,
according to the American Diabetes Association. Gestational
diabetes is often diagnosed on screening tests done between
weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy. While doctors aren't sure what
causes gestational diabetes, it is believed that hormones from
the placenta may block the action of insulin in the mother. This
means that the mother needs more insulin and sometimes her
pancreas cannot make enough to transport the sugar in the blood
into the cells for energy. The mother's blood has high levels of
glucose, which can cross the placenta, giving the growing baby a
high blood sugar level. In response, the baby's pancreas starts
making extra insulin to transport the sugar into the cells to be
used for energy. When