Diabetes in Pregnancy

Count on the Diabetes Experts in Stamford Health’s Women’s Specialty Center to Customize A Care Plan That Answers Your Questions and Meets Your Needs.

If you have diabetes or gestational diabetes, turn to the board-certified and fellowship-trained doctors at our Women's Specialty Center. You'll receive treatment to help you and your baby stay healthy.

What's Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic condition that happens when your blood sugar is too high. The extra sugar collects in your blood, which can cause health problems such as heart disease, vision loss and kidney disease.

What's Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that can happen in pregnancy. If you're pregnant, you'll receive a glucose screening around 24 to 28 weeks to check your blood sugar. If your blood sugar is too high, you may have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes typically develops in the second half of pregnancy and often goes away after you have your baby.

What Causes Gestational Diabetes?

You have a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes if you:

• Are African American, Native American, Asian American, Hispanic or Latino or Pacific Islander
• Are older than 25
• Are overweight or obese
• Delivered a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
• Had an unexplained stillbirth
• Had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy
• Have a family history of type 2 diabetes
• Have high blood pressure
• Have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Have prediabetes or a slightly elevated blood sugar level

Risks of Diabetes While Pregnant

Diabetes during pregnancy can cause babies to:

• Arrive prematurely (be born early)
• Grow larger
• Have jaundice
• Have low blood sugar levels

Mothers with diabetes are more likely to develop preeclampsia—high blood pressure and signs of liver or kidney damage that happen in the second half of a pregnancy.

Specialty Care

If you follow your treatment plan, you’ll likely deliver a healthy baby and return to normal health. Depend on our specialists in diabetes to:

• Accurately diagnose gestational diabetes
• Create a treatment plan
• Work closely with your obstetrician before, during and after delivery
• Educate you on how to monitor your blood sugar and keep it in a healthy range
• Help you know what foods to eat
• Monitor and evaluate your and your baby’s health throughout pregnancy, labor and delivery

Collaborative Care

To keep you and your baby healthy, you’ll work with a team of experts, including:

• Diabetes educators
• Dietitians
• Endocrinologists
• Obstetrician-gynecologists (OB-GYNs)
• Maternal-fetal medicine specialists