Hypoglycemia isn’t so much a hazard for the baby but it is for a mom with gestational diabetes. The best way to prevent this from occurring is to recognize the signs and how you feel once your blood sugar is getting low and to carry emergency supplies with you at all times.

A few of the symptoms of low blood sugar include feeling:

* Hungry
* Nauseous
* Light-headed
* Faint

In the case of any of these symptoms, you should test your blood sugar immediately and have something to eat. The best choice is a glass of juice or different food item that is considered fast-acting such as a piece of fruit or a piece of candy. Carry something with you at all times and a regular snack too. If you are out and need to eat (say you are stuck in your car during a traffic jam) it is crucial to have food with you.

Other precautions that you should take whilst you’ve gestational diabetes include carrying a card or different item that identifies you have diabetes and what type of insulin you’re taking. The worse case scenario is you fainting and the people who come to assist you need to know that you are diabetic. Make certain people at work and your family members are aware of your condition and know what warning signs to look for if you need help and when to bring your some juice or something else to eat.

A family history of diabetes will increase the chances of developing gestational diabetes in pregnancy. The closer the relative is to you (first generation like a parent) means the risk is increased. If your family suffers from diabetes, your own pancreas may not be able to produce the amount of insulin necessary while pregnant. This deficit combined with the hormones released by the placenta can lead to diabetes in pregnancy.

Women who are overweight and are clinically considered obese run a higher risk of being diagnosed. The excess wait puts a strain on your body, including your pancreas, and makes it hard for enough insulin to be produced and used by your body effectively.

If you have had a previous baby with a higher than average birth weight, you are considered at risk for your next pregnancy of getting gestational diabetes. It could have been possible that you had it in your first pregnancy and it went undiagnosed. Babies born from moms with diabetes in pregnancy tend to be larger unless her blood sugars are strictly managed. Or if you had diabetes in your first pregnancy, chances are very high that you will get it again.

Since there is still no known cause a woman may have all of these factors or none and still get diabetes. It is best to attend all of your prenatal appointments with your doctor so he can be on the look out for any signs that you may have gestational diabetes.

In the rare case where it does not, it is likely that you were diabetic prior to becoming pregnant and the diagnosis did not happen until the routine screening for pregnant women. In either case, your doctor will have you continue to monitor your blood glucose levels after the birth of your baby. At a minimum you should test for two days afterwards but your doctor may request that you test for a period of up to two weeks.

During this time you will not be taking insulin. Your doctor is going to want to see how your body is processing your food without the help of additional insulin. It is recommended to continue with the diabetic diet going forward, it is a healthy way to eat and if you are breastfeeding it will ensure that you and your baby are getting the nutrients you need.

Another reason to continue with the diabetic lifestyle even after it is determined that you no longer have gestational diabetes is to prevent getting type 2 diabetes. You are at an increased risk of becoming insulin resistant (also known as type 2 diabetes) once you have had gestational diabetes. Continue to eat the foods you would have while pregnant and watch your portion sizes. After your doctor gives the okay, resume a routine of physical activity even taking your baby for a walk in the stroller.

You will probably feel a sense of relief once your doctor pronounces you diabetes free and you can concentrate on enjoying your new baby.

This will be done with a glucose monitor. It is a very quick and simple procedure. You prick your finger with a lancet using a lancet device. A lancet is a plastic piece with a pointed metal tip that is put into a pen-like device that is used to draw blood from your finger. It is relatively painless and with newer monitors there is very little blood that is needed to run the test.

Your monitor will also come with testing strips, a piece of plastic that has a microchip in one and a place to put the droop of blood on the other. This strip is placed into the monitor, you put the drop of blood from your finger onto the strip and the monitor performs the test. Different monitors take varying amounts of time but the average is between five and twenty seconds.

When you are first diagnosed with gestational diabetes you will be asked to test your blood sugar seven times in one day. You will test:

* First thing in the morning before you eat (a fasting test)
* 1 hour after eating breakfast
* Before you eat lunch
* 1 hour after eating lunch
* Before you eat dinner
* 1 hour after eating dinner
* Before going to bed

The more you test the better idea you will have on how well you are managing your diabetes. It is all the way to determine if you are giving yourself enough insulin.