All pregnant women should be routinely screened for gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. If you fall in the high-risk category for developing diabetes during pregnancy, you will need to be tested for diabetes as soon as you become pregnant and later again at 24 to 28 weeks.
An oral glucose tolerance test involves drinking 50g of glucose solution and your blood sugar is tested after one hour. If screening is positive, you will need to take another glucose tolerance test. This will be done after you have been advised to take an unlimited carbohydrate diet for 3 days, overnight fasting, and resting for 30 minutes before the test.
Diabetes mellitus (a condition where there is high levels of glucose in the blood) is of special concern during pregnancy because of the many risks for both mother and baby. In order to carry on a healthy pregnancy, expectant mothers should realize how important it is to maintain a normal glucose level, whether it is by diet control and exercise or with medication.
Women with established diabetes prior to pregnancy need regular monitoring of their blood sugar levels from the time pregnancy is planned – both for conceiving (Causes of Infertility) and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. If you previously had a normal blood sugar level but have developed diabetes during your pregnancy, you are suffering from a condition known as gestational diabetes. It is very possible that your blood sugar will return to normal after delivery of your baby, but there will remain a chance that you will develop diabetes in subsequent pregnancies or later in life.
