Gestational Diabetes: What I Learned (Updated Oct 2026)

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes around week 32 of my pregnancy. It has been a learning process, especially because it isn’t talked about very often. So I decided to share what I’ve learned to help future mamas going through the same thing, and to create an open conversation for my fellow “sugar mamas.”

Below are the questions I researched, asked my doctor, or got from people after my diagnosis. It felt like the perfect place to start.

What Is Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational diabetes occurs in about 7-8% of pregnancies. It’s characterized by insulin resistance and carbohydrate intolerance during pregnancy.

It doesn’t matter how fit you are or how well you eat. During pregnancy, your placenta releases a hormone called human placental lactogen, which can raise your blood glucose levels. When that happens, you may be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

Who Is at Risk for Gestational Diabetes?

Many factors can contribute. These are the ones my doctor’s office shared with me:

• Family history of diabetes
• Being overweight or obese
• Being older than 25
• Gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy
• Previously giving birth to a baby over 9 lbs, or a stillbirth

In my case, I was prepared for it. I have some family history, I’m over 25, and I also have PCOS. I took metformin for years to help my glucose levels and only stopped because my symptoms had eased and doctors weren’t continuing to prescribe it for PCOS.

What Are the Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes?

I didn’t have any symptoms that made me ask for a test. Gestational diabetes generally shows up in the third trimester, which is why the glucose test is done between 24 and 28 weeks.

Looking back, I did notice one thing. Foods that never bothered me before, like ice cream, started making me sick to my stomach as I entered my third trimester. I couldn’t enjoy a bowl of ice cream or too many Texas Roadhouse rolls without feeling awful and needing to lie down. While I waited for my diagnosis, I was pretty sure I had it. It was a serious bummer.

How Gestational Diabetes Is Diagnosed: The Glucose Tests

The 1-hour glucose test. You’ll have a glucose drink followed by a blood draw. If you pass, you’re good to go. If you don’t, depending on your numbers you’ll either go straight to a specialist or take a three-hour test. My doctor’s office gave a standard range of 60-135 mg/dL and I came in at 154. That isn’t a huge variance, so they had me do the three-hour test.

The 3-hour glucose test. You go in fasting and start with a resting blood draw. Then you drink 100 grams of the sugar drink, and your blood is drawn at hour 1, hour 2, and hour 3. If you’re out of range on two or more of those draws, you’ll be placed in the gestational diabetes category.

What Are the Possible Complications of Gestational Diabetes?

If gestational diabetes isn’t managed, there are a few risks to be aware of.

Risks for baby

• A larger baby, especially in the chest and shoulders. Broader shoulders can make delivery more difficult.
• Trouble regulating blood sugar during the first few days after birth.

Risks for mom

• An increased risk of Type 2 diabetes. According to 2011 CDC data, there is a 35-60% increased risk over the next 10-20 years, and women who have had gestational diabetes are 7 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than women who haven’t.

That’s all the more reason to learn how to manage your blood sugar during pregnancy and make lifestyle changes for the future.

How Do You Manage Gestational Diabetes?

The very first step is meal planning: fewer carbs and less sugar. Your doctor’s office will give you an idea of how many carbs to plan into each meal. I eat about every two hours and have a carb maximum for each one, but every body is different.

My Gestational Diabetes Meal Plan

• Breakfast: 30 grams of carbs
• Morning snack: 15 grams of carbs
• Lunch: 45 grams of carbs
• Afternoon snack: 15 grams of carbs
• Dinner: 45 grams of carbs

Beyond meal planning, I focus on:

• Drinking plenty of water
• Exercising for 30 minutes, at whatever level your body allows
• Monitoring my glucose levels

If none of that is enough, your doctor can prescribe medication such as insulin as needed.

How Do You Monitor Blood Glucose Levels With Gestational Diabetes?

I use a glucose monitor four times a day. There are a few different approaches to when you should check, so I’ll share what I do. Please follow what your own doctor tells you, because everyone is different.

My Routine for Checking Blood Sugar

I check once in the morning when I wake up for a fasting number, then two hours after I start each meal. They were very clear that the clock starts when you begin eating, not when you finish. If I start breakfast at 8:00 am and finish at 8:30 am, I test at 10:00 am.

My targets:

• Fasting (morning) number: under 90
• After meals: under 120

I’ll be honest: the morning number has been the most stressful and hardest for me, because I’m rarely in range. I’m on medication to help, and I’m sometimes under but mostly haven’t been, so we’re trying different dosages and techniques. The tricky part is that I’m asleep, so I can’t manage it with meal planning. My body just does tricky things while I sleep. My after-meal numbers have not been a problem.

Figuring Out Your Personal Trigger Foods

Over the first month, I learned what spiked my blood sugar and cut those foods out, even when they fit my “approved carbs” in the right number of grams. For me, hot dogs, tater tots, mashed potatoes, ketchup, and even the tiniest bit of ice cream are a no. Some women can have those with no problem. Watch your levels and figure out what’s a yes and a no for you.

Do You Have to Monitor Your Baby With Gestational Diabetes?

My doctor is adding non-stress tests through the last month or so of my pregnancy to monitor my baby’s movements.

I also count my baby’s movements myself. After I eat, I like to sit for a little while and make sure I feel at least four movements within the hour. Counting kicks and movements during active hours, and watching for any big change, is the easiest way to keep an eye on things.

My Best Advice for Mamas With Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is not your fault, and it isn’t something you can control.

When I first found out, I cried and cried. What if I had done something wrong to hurt my baby? What had I done to make this happen? After talking with my doctor and my OBGYN brother, I realized it isn’t my fault. It’s the placenta and the hormone it produces. That isn’t on me.

What is on me is doing everything I can now to keep my baby healthy and strong: testing my levels, eating right, drinking water, and the rest. You don’t have to feel guilty. You just have to do what’s right by your baby and, let’s be honest, by your own health, now that this is part of your pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes carries a red mark, because it isn’t ideal and it sort of sucks. That’s exactly why I felt so strongly about talking about it. The red mark isn’t due to anything you did before or during your pregnancy. The body is an interesting thing, and it will do what it wants, no matter how hard you try to be above board.

I have so many friends with two or three kids who know nothing about gestational diabetes because it isn’t openly discussed. So if you’re reading this because you have it too, don’t be ashamed, sad, or hard on yourself. You have me, and the 7-8% of other pregnancies, as your support group. It’s better to be prepared, be educated, and learn as much as you can. And your experience will help some future sugar mama who goes through this after you.

Have a question about gestational diabetes or want to share your own story? Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you.