Gestational diabetes can develop during pregnancy. When you have this condition, the insulin in your body is not able to keep your blood sugar in a normal range. If you do not control your blood sugar, your baby can grow too big and have problems right after birth such as low blood sugar.
Most of the time, gestational diabetes goes away after a baby is born. But if you have had gestational diabetes, you have a greater chance of having it in a future pregnancy and of developing type 2 diabetes. To check for diabetes, you may have a follow-up glucose tolerance test 4 to 12 weeks after your baby is born or after you stop breastfeeding your baby. If the results of this test are normal, experts recommend that you get tested for type 2 diabetes at least every 3 years.
You may be able to control your blood sugar with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Staying at a healthy weight also may keep you from getting type 2 diabetes later on. If diet and exercise do not lower your blood sugar enough, you may need to take diabetes medicine or insulin.