How can gestational diabetes affect your baby?

Somali: Sonkorowga uurka

Untreated gestational diabetes can:

• cause your baby to store extra glucose as extra fat and have a higher than average birth weight. This can result in delivery problems for both you and the baby.
• cause your baby to be born with low blood glucose (called hypoglycemia)
• cause breathing problems, jaundice, or premature delivery
• cause stillbirth in rare cases
• put your baby at a higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life

How can gestational diabetes affect you?

Even when gestational diabetes is treated, you are at an increased risk of developing high blood pressure and urinary tract infections during pregnancy, as well as type 2 diabetes later in life. However, following all the management guidelines for gestational diabetes — meal planning, exercising as recommended, managing stress and monitoring blood glucose — will help you lower these risks.

Following all the management guidelines for gestational diabetes will help you lower these risks:

• meal planning
• exercising as recommended
• managing stress
• monitoring blood glucose