Risk Factors for Gestational Diabetes

It is important to know the risk factors for gestational diabetes so you can take extra steps to prevent blood sugar level fluctuations from hurting you or your baby.

The Risk Factors for Gestational Diabetes Include:

• Maternal age over 25
• Family history of diabetes or pre-diabetes (also known as insulin resistance)
• Excess weight or high body mass index (BMI)
• A history of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• Race

IMPORTANT NOTE: Race is not a direct risk, but you should know that the normal test ranges were developed based on Caucasians and African Americans. If you are Asian, Hispanic or American Indian your normal blood sugar levels will likely be higher than those on whom the standards were based.

Why Should You Care About Your Diabetes Risk?

As a natural childbirth advocate, you already know that maintaining your blood sugar levels thru diet and lifestyle modifications is better than taking simply taking insulin. If you have more than two risk factors for gestational diabetes you may want to take steps ON YOUR OWN to understand what your blood sugar levels currently are.

Uncontrolled blood sugar fluctuations can cause a host of problems for both you and your baby. We suggest that all pregnant women who are at risk for having gestational diabetes as identified by the parameters above should take steps to ensure their blood sugar levels remain steady and avoid doing or eating things that make them spike.

By testing and understanding your blood sugar levels on your own, before being diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you are taking control of you and your babies health as well as preserving your childbirth options.

For More Information about Gestational Diabetes and how to avoid it

Read Pregnancy Gestational Diabetes Diet for more information about how you can keep your blood sugar levels low by following a good pregnancy diet.

Read Gestational Diabetes Blood Sugar Levels to find out what your blood sugar levels should be as well as how to measure your own blood sugar levels for the benefit of you and your baby.

Read Gestational Diabetes Diagnosis to find out more about the dangerous complications you want to avoid.

To find out how to best monitor and manage your blood sugar levels while you are pregnant read Management of Gestational Diabetes .

Read Gestational Diabetes Testing for more information about how Gestational Diabetes is diagnosed as well as problems with the current testing.

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