When to check for gestational diabetes during pregnancy?

Two people look at glucose data on smartphone; one seated with a towel around neck and wearing a continuous glucose monitor

What is gestational diabetes during pregnancy?

Gestational Diabetes is defined as a glucose intolerance resulting in abnormally increased glucose levels in the blood during pregnancy²⁰⁴.

While this is more common during the second or third trimester, women can develop gestational diabetes at any point during their pregnancy. Gestational diabetes causes can be attributed to the body's failure to produce enough insulin, resulting in an excess of glucose in the bloodstream. While gestational diabetes can cause serious damage to both the mother and baby, the risks and fear can be greatly reduced if a diagnosis is reached early and managed effectively.

This article will discuss gestational diabetes risk in pregnancy, some common gestational diabetes symptoms, and when you should consider getting a pre-emptive screening for it.

How can gestational diabetes affect your pregnancy?

Gestational diabetes during pregnancy poses several risks, to the mother and baby. Some of the potential problems that mothers may face include:

Premature birth²¹¹ - Premature births refer to those births that occur before the 37th week of pregnancy. This can cause several complications, both for the mother and child.
Larger babies²¹¹ - There is also the risk that your baby grows larger than the expected size, leading to issues in delivery.

What are the common symptoms of gestational diabetes?

Some common symptoms of gestational diabetes during pregnancy include the following conditions:

Feeling extra thirsty 
Need to pee excessively 
Feeling like you have a dry mouth 
Tiredness, fatigue, and weakness.

While these symptoms are caused by gestational diabetes, they also might be general symptoms of any pregnancy. The only accurate way to make this distinction is through getting your glucose levels tested and going through a gestational diabetes screening. This will not only put your mind at ease regarding whether or not you have gestational diabetes but in the case that you do, an early screening will help reach a diagnosis faster so that you can begin treatment as soon as possible and avoid further risks and complications that arise out of a high sugar level. If you have experienced any of these symptoms, know that the safest and smartest thing you can do is get tested.

Now that you have the basics on gestational diabetes, stay on top of it by getting constant tests to maintain balanced glucose levels and live a healthy life.

(Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) indication applies only to Libre 2 Plus System and newer versions. Please refer to local regulatory approvals and product labeling for complete indication details.)