What to expect after your baby arrives

The good news about GDM is, that in nearly all cases, it will go away following delivery. However, once a woman has had GDM, chances are 2 in 3 that she will develop the condition in future pregnancies.

In a small percentage of women, pregnancy does uncover type 1 or type 2 diabetes, making it hard to differentiate between gestational or pre-existing diabetes. For this reason, it is important to be monitored after pregnancy, as most women with gestational diabetes have their blood glucose levels return to normal anywhere from a few hours to within a few weeks after delivery. It is recommended that women who had gestational diabetes have a blood test to check blood sugar levels six weeks after the baby is born.

There appears to be a link between GDM and the tendency to develop type 2 diabetes years later. Certain indicators are associated with an increased risk of a woman developing type 2 diabetes within 5 years after having had GDM:

• Development of GDM before the 24th week of pregnancy
• Elevated glucose levels postpartum
• Impaired glucose tolerance
• Obesity
• Family history of diabetes

Both GDM and type 2 diabetes involve insulin resistance. You can decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future by keeping up with a healthy eating and exercise regimen. Managing type 2 diabetes risk factors on an ongoing basis is also an important part of preventing the disease from occurring down the road. After pregnancy, you should discuss the importance of regularly assessing your risk for conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol levels, obesity and cardiovascular disease with your general practitioner.

Lifestyle changes combined with good postpartum medical care can help women maintain normal blood sugar levels, lessen any problems associated with future pregnancies and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on.