Up to 9% of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes — a type of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy. It happens when hormonal changes and weight gain interfere with your body’s ability to use insulin effectively, elevating blood sugar levels.
Gestational diabetes usually resolves on its own after delivery, but if you’ve been diagnosed, proactive management is crucial. This condition can endanger both your health and your baby's, and our team at Endocrine Associates of West Village is here to answer your questions and assist you in managing your blood sugar.
Here’s what you should know about how diabetes can affect you and your baby and what goes into effective gestational diabetes management.
Uncontrolled gestational diabetes increases your risk of issues like high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and preterm labor — and it also poses a few different risks to your unborn baby’s health.
One of the most common concerns is fetal macrosomia, which happens when your baby grows larger than normal due to excess glucose crossing the placenta. Fetal macrosomia can lead to a more complicated delivery, including a higher chance of cesarean section or birth injury.
Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes may also experience low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) shortly after birth because their own insulin levels remain high. Hypoglycemia in newborns requires prompt treatment to prevent symptoms, such as jitteriness, poor feeding, trouble breathing, and seizures.
If you have uncontrolled gestational diabetes, there’s also a higher likelihood that your child will develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
Gestational diabetes can cause health issues for both you and your baby, but it is manageable, and that’s why early diagnosis is so important. Diagnosis usually occurs in the second or third trimester, and at Endocrine Associates of West Village, we offer comprehensive care for gestational diabetes, starting with personalized monitoring and guidance.
Lifestyle adjustments are a key element of managing gestational diabetes, and we can help make sure you’re eating a balanced diet, getting regular physical activity, and keeping a close eye on your blood sugar levels. Sometimes, we may prescribe insulin therapy to help you maintain healthy glucose levels.
Advanced diabetes technologies like remote glucose monitoring allow you to track your blood sugar levels from home and share that information with us and your prenatal care team in real time. This proactive approach helps us identify patterns and make timely adjustments to your care plan to help reduce your risk of complications.
So, if you’ve been diagnosed with gestational diabetes or you’re at risk, don’t wait to get the support you need. We’re here to support you throughout your pregnancy and postpartum period. We understand how stressful it can be to receive a diagnosis of gestational diabetes, but with the right care, it’s possible to have a healthy pregnancy and delivery.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment at one of our clinics in Brooklyn, Long Island City, and New York, New York. No matter where you are in your pregnancy, we’ll help you understand your condition, monitor your progress, and adjust your treatment plan so you can focus on enjoying your pregnancy and preparing for your baby’s arrival.
