5 Tips to Lower Your Risk of Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops only during pregnancy. It can increase your risk of complications, affect your baby’s health, and raise your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life. 

Catching and managing it is an important part of reducing your risk of these complications. This is why our team of expert providers always includes gestational diabetes screening as part of your routine prenatal care at Marietta OB-GYN Affiliates in Marietta, Georgia.

But even before your gestational diabetes screening, you can take action to reduce your risk of developing gestational diabetes. 

Read on as our team shares five tips to lower your risk of gestational diabetes.

1. Maintain a healthy weight

Carrying extra weight increases your risk of all types of diabetes, including gestational diabetes, so weight management is an important way to reduce your risk.

Pre-pregnancy

If you’re planning to become pregnant, reaching a healthy weight beforehand can significantly lower your risk of gestational diabetes. Even a small amount of weight loss — just 5%–7% of your body weight — can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce risk factors. 

During pregnancy

If you’re already pregnant, don’t worry. Now isn’t the time to lose weight. Instead, follow your Marietta OB-GYN Affiliates provider’s recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy. Gaining too much weight can increase your risk of diabetes.

Most women should aim to gain 25-35 pounds during pregnancy, but your recommended weight gain may vary based on your pre-pregnancy weight, your overall health, and if you’re carrying multiples. 

2. Stay active throughout your pregnancy

If you exercise regularly before you become pregnant, you’ve already cut your risk of gestational diabetes by 31%. 

Once you're pregnant, you can continue to benefit from regular activity. Regular physical activity helps regulate your blood sugar and improve your body’s insulin response. On the flip side, women who don’t exercise have a three-fold chance of developing gestational diabetes.

As long as you’re cleared to exercise, plan on at least 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week. Walking, swimming, prenatal yoga, and other low-impact exercises are great choices during pregnancy.

3. Eat for two — without the processed food

What you eat plays a big role in managing your blood sugar levels. Choose whole, unprocessed foods like:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Lean proteins
• 100% whole grains 
• Healthy fats

Try to limit processed foods, sugary drinks, and simple carbohydrates, which can spike your blood sugar. These foods are also calorie-dense, which means that you could add too many calories to your daily goal.

The best part? You don’t even have to have diabetes to try the gestational diabetes diet — it’s a healthy diet you can use throughout your pregnancy.

4. Monitor your blood sugar (if advised)

If you’re at higher risk of gestational diabetes, such as having a family history of diabetes, being over age 25, or having had it in a previous pregnancy, your Marietta OB-GYN Affiliates provider might recommend early glucose screenings.

While the early screenings themselves don’t reduce your risk of diabetes, they can give you the information you need to change your diet. For example, if you have elevated sugar, but not enough to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes, diet and exercise can help you avoid full-blown gestational diabetes.

5. Be choosy about your drinks

What you drink is just as important as what you eat. Drinking your calories — especially sugar-laden beverages — can significantly increase your risk of gestational diabetes. 

For example, an average blended caramel coffee drink contains 30 g of sugar, but some can contain even more sugar than that. The World Health Organization recommends that sugar intake shouldn’t exceed 10% of your daily calories. 

If you're eating around 2,200 calories per day, which is typical for the second trimester, you should aim to get no more than 10% of those calories from added sugar. That means a 30-g sugary drink could account for over half of your recommended daily sugar intake.

Instead, choose water, pregnancy-safe herbal teas, or other low-sugar options to stay hydrated without increasing your risk of gestational diabetes.

Bonus tip: Don’t skip your prenatal appointments

Your prenatal appointments are invaluable. During each appointment, we monitor your health, check for warning signs, and guide you through screenings like the glucose tolerance test, usually done between 24 and 28 weeks. The earlier any issues are spotted, the better they can be managed.

If you’re concerned about gestational diabetes, talk to us. You can reach us at 770-422-8505.  You can also book an appointment online.