What is gestational diabetes?
(NewsNation) — Diabetes affects the lives of tens of millions of Americans.
Gestational diabetes is part of this total but specifically affects 5% to 9% of pregnant women in America, per the CDC.
As the name suggests, it is a variant of diabetes that forms in a woman during pregnancy.
Oftentimes, it develops around the 24th week of pregnancy in cases where the body is unable to produce adequate amounts of insulin to combat increased blood sugar levels.
The increased blood sugar levels are a result of hormonal changes throughout the gestation period.
Per the Centers for Disease Controla nd Prevention, symptoms often do not appear.
If they do exist, they are generally mild and can involve urinating more frequently than usual and being thirstier than usual.
The CDC recommends that women be tested to determine if they have gestational diabetes.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends losing extra weight before getting pregnant if you are overweight.
Regularly being physically active before and during pregnancy can decrease the likelihood of developing gestational diabetes.
If one develops gestational diabetes, the likelihood of type 2 diabetes can be heightened, but can be somewhat curtailed by making healthy choices, per the NIDDK.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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