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"Resistance to insulin develops in all mothers during pregnancy. In about 2 to 4 per cent of women this results in temporary diabetes. It happens because pregnant women have less ability to produce extra insulin to overcome this insulin resistance. Pregnancy diabetes is also called gestational diabetes. Pregnancy diabetes is more likely:  if you have had pregnancy diabetes before  if you have had multiple pregnancies (4 or more) if you&amp;#039;re older (over 25) if you&amp;#039;re overweight if you smoke if there is a family history of diabetes if you&amp;#039;re from a minority ethnic group (South Asian or African Caribbean) if there is a previous history of unexplained stillbirth if there is a previous history of a large baby (more than 10lbs, or 4.5kg).  What are the symptoms?   In most cases, pregnancy diabetes has no external symptoms and is detected through screening.  Only rarely do the classic symptoms of diabetes appear, eg excessive thirst, frequent urination and tiredness. How is it diagnosed?   Checking urine for glucose is a routine antenatal test, but is unreliable for diagnosing diabetes. Criteria for screening for diabetes vary from place to place, but generally, all mums-to-be should have their blood sugar level checked between 26 and 30 weeks of pregnancy.  This is done by testing glucose levels in a sample of blood on two occasions. One of two tests will be used to do this: the random glucose test or the fasting glucose test. If these tests show you have raised glucose levels, you will need a more detailed test to diagnose diabetes. This is called an oral glucose tolerance test. You should also be offered a glucose tolerance test if you are at increased risk of diabetes because of family history, obesity or having had it in a previous pregnancy. How does it affect the baby?  The importance of pregnancy diabetes is still the subject of some debate, but mothers with it tend to have bigger babies, more difficult labour, higher risk of stillbirth and perhaps more chance of birth defects. How is it treated?   Pregnancy diabetes is usually treated through diet and exercise. This means:  increasing the amount you exercise \u2013 low-impact activities are safest such as swimming, walking or yoga eating regular meals keeping an eye on the amount of fat you eat \u2013 but remember, a low-fat diet isn&amp;#039;t advised in pregnancy reducing salt intake eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.   The dietitian on your diabetes team will help you draw up a plan.  Regular blood sugar checks are also needed to make sure levels aren&amp;#039;t creeping too high, particularly after meals.  Metformin may be used for women with pre-existing type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes, either in combination with or as an alternative to insulin in the preconception period and during pregnancy. If blood sugar levels remain high, you may need to take insulin through an injection. Quick-acting insulin is used at mealtimes and slow-acting insulin at bedtime. Sometimes a mixed insulin (quick and slow acting) is used twice a day.  How does diabetes affect delivery?  A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks, but with diabetes labour is often induced (started early) at 38 to 39 weeks to reduce the risk of stillbirth. As a result, Caesarean section deliveries are more common. Most babies born to mothers with diabetes don&amp;#039;t require special care, although special attention is given to ensure the baby is not low in blood glucose at birth. After the birth Insulin treatment or metformin is usually stopped after the birth, because insulin resistance ends.  Another glucose tolerance test can be done at the six-week postnatal check, to see if treatment needs to continue. In the long term  Half of women who have pregnancy diabetes go on to develop Type 2 diabetes within 10 to 15 years of giving birth.  Reducing weight, and regular exercise reduces risk for developing diabetes in people at high risk of developing the condition.  Other people also read: Diabetes: diabetes is a condition where the blood sugar level is higher than normal. Type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes): what are the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent diabetes): Type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with being overweight, but it&amp;#039;s less clear what causes it, compared to the Type 1 disease.  References Mugglestone MA, for the Guideline Development Group. Management of diabetes from preconception to the postnatal period: summary of NICE guidance. British Medical Journal 2008; 336: 714-7. Rowan JA, Hague WM, Gao W et al. Metformin versus insulin for the treatment of gestational diabetes. New England Journal of Medicine 2008; 358: 2003-15.   Based on a text by Dr Jan Erik Henriksen, Dr Henning Beck-Nielsen, consultant  Last updated 18.02.2015 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-family/a9100/pregnancy-diabetes-gestational-diabetes/>