Your preferred comprehensive health insurance and well-being partner.
Your preferred comprehensive health insurance and well-being partner.
Pregnancy, Gestational Diabetes
Pregnancy is a time of joy, excitement, and change, but it also comes with new responsibilities, especially when it comes to your health. One condition you might hear about is Gestational Diabetes, a type of diabetes that can happen during pregnancy.
At THT HMO, we’re here to walk with you through every stage of your journey. Understanding gestational diabetes can help you stay in control and ensure a healthy pregnancy for both you and your baby.
Gestational diabetes is a condition where your blood sugar (glucose) levels become too high during pregnancy, even if you didn’t have diabetes before.
It usually happens in the second or third trimester and often goes away after the baby is born. But it’s important to manage it properly to avoid complications.
Good news: With the right care, most women with gestational diabetes go on to have healthy pregnancies and babies.
During pregnancy, your body produces more hormones that can affect how insulin works. Insulin is the hormone that helps control blood sugar. In some women, these hormonal changes make it harder for the body to use insulin well, leading to higher blood sugar levels.
This doesn’t mean you did anything wrong, it just means your body needs some help during this time.
Some women are more likely to develop gestational diabetes due to certain risk factors:
Even without risk factors, gestational diabetes can still occur, which is why screening is part of routine antenatal care.
Most of the time, gestational diabetes doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms, which is why testing is so important. However, some women may notice:
These symptoms can be easy to miss, so don’t skip your antenatal checkups and glucose screening tests.
Gestational diabetes can affect both mother and baby if not managed well. But with proper care, most women go on to deliver healthy babies.
Possible complications if not controlled include:
Managing your blood sugar is the best way to avoid these problems.
Gestational diabetes is usually diagnosed through a glucose tolerance test, which measures how your body handles sugar.
Your doctor may recommend:
These are usually done around 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy, or earlier if you are high-risk.
The good news is gestational diabetes can often be managed without medication, just by making healthy lifestyle changes. In some cases, medication or insulin may be needed.
Here’s what your care might include:
In most cases, yes. Gestational diabetes disappears after the baby is born.
But women who’ve had it have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. That’s why follow-up testing 6-12 weeks after delivery is important, along with healthy lifestyle habits long-term.
You’re in control of your journey, and small steps can make a big difference:
Call your healthcare provider if you experience:
Early care can prevent problems for both you and your baby.
Gestational diabetes may sound scary at first, but with the right support and care, it can be managed successfully. Many women go through it and deliver strong, healthy babies and you can too.
At THT HMO, we offer personalized antenatal care, nutrition counseling, blood sugar monitoring, and access to diabetes specialists, so you’re never alone on this journey.
Your health and your baby’s well-being are our top priority, every step of the way.
