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As many as 10% of first-time pregnancies in the United States result in gestational diabetes (or GD, for short), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, andresearchpublished inJAMAin August 2021 found that those rates rose 30% between 2011 and 2019. And the complications don’t always disappear after giving birth.
“GD greatly increases the risk of developing diabetes in your next pregnancy and in the future when you are no longer pregnant,” says Amy Kimberlain, RDN, CDCES, a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Between 15 and 70% of women with GD will develop diabetes later in life.”
While the authors of theJAMAstudy suggested the increased age of first-time mothers as one possible reason for the spike in gestational diabetes, no one knows for certain why cases are on the rise, or even what actually causes gestational diabetes.
Diabetes occurs when there is too much sugar (glucose) in your blood because your body has difficulty producing or using insulin, the hormone that allows your cells to use glucose from food for energy. Long-term elevated blood glucose levels or hypoglycemia can damage blood vessels and organs.
“During pregnancy there are higher levels of hormones that can interfere with insulin,” Kimberlain says. This can occur even in moms-to-be who don’t have other risk factors, such as a family history of gestational diabetes, a history of high blood pressure, polycystic ovary syndrome or heart disease, or a BMI that rates as having overweight or obesity.
Typically, a doctor will monitor your care throughout your pregnancy and postpartum. “One-third of women who had gestational diabetes will have diabetes or a milder form of elevated blood sugar soon after giving birth,” Kimberlain says. The good news: The risk that gestational diabetes will turn into full-fledged type 2 diabetes can be lowered with diet and lifestyle changes alone. Here are some things research has found may help.
How to Prevent Gestational Diabetes from Turning into Type 2 Diabetes
If you can, nurse.
What to Eat When You’re Breastfeeding
Maintain a healthy weight.
Eat a balanced diet.
At any weight, it’s important to make sure you’re eating a healthy variety of foods. “Nutritionally, what’s really important for anyone who has GD and doesn’t want to get type 2 diabetes is not to bank carbs for pasta-only dinners,” says Derocha. That said, there is no need to cut out carbs completely either. Instead, combine carbohydrates with lean protein and healthy fats to prevent large blood sugar spikes and crashes. And opt for whole grains and carbs that contain fiber, like vegetables and beans, whenever possible.
What to Eat—and Avoid—When You’re Pregnant
A sedentary lifestyle ups your diabetes risk, but you don’t have to be a track star to reap the benefits of fitness.Researchpublished in JAMA Internal Medicine found that 30 minutes of a moderate activity like walking (or pushing a stroller) five days a week was linked to a 45% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes after having had gestational diabetes. And if cardio isn’t your thing, you’re in luck: Alarge 2017 studyinMedicine and Science in Sports and Exercisefound that women who did any form of resistance training, including Pilates and yoga, had a 30% lower rate of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who skipped those kinds of exercise. Adding lean muscle boosts metabolism, which burns more calories, and may increase the amount of a compound that helps regulate insulin, says Derocha.
Get some sleep.
Easier said than done, for sure (especially with a newborn), butpreliminary evidencepresented at the annual meeting of theAmerican College of Chest Physicians found that women who experienced sleep-disordered breathing (such as sleep apnea) before getting pregnant had a higher risk of insulin resistance and gestational diabetes. Lack of sleep can affect insulin sensitivity; in fact,one animal studyfound that a single night of sleep deprivation had approximately the same effect on insulin sensitivity as six months on a high-fat diet. So nap or catch more zzz’s when you can!
The Bottom Line
Although it can be difficult to focus on your own health when you’ve just brought a new human into the world, taking these steps and managing the overall stress in your life can drastically lower the odds that you’ll develop a life-altering disease like diabetes, keeping you healthier for your little one.
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