Finding out that you have gestational diabetes can be very frightening. Not only do you have to deal with all the emotions and the questions that come with being pregnant, but also the uncertainty of this new-found condition. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to control or eliminate the problem. It should, however, not be taken lightly, but instead as a warning that dietary and lifestyle changes should be made that you may want to continue beyond your pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is diabetes mellitus that first appears during pregnancy. It occurs in 3-5% of all pregnancies and in most cases is managed by diet and exercise, disappearing after the baby is born. Very few women with gestational diabetes require insulin to control it.

Glucose testing may begin as early as 16 weeks but will more often take place during week 24 to 28. You may think this is too late in your pregnancy to be finding out about such a problem, but in most cases screening before this time would be of little value. It is the hormonal changes in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, along with the growth demands of the fetus, that increase a pregnant woman's insulin needs by two to three times normal. If your body cannot make this amount of insulin, sugar from the foods you eat will stay in your blood stream and become elevated.