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Did You Have Gestational Diabetes 

When You Were Pregnant? 

What You Need to Know.

Some women get diabetes when they are pregnant. Doctors call 

this gestational (jes-TAY-shun-al) diabetes. Most of the time, it 

goes away after your baby is born. Even if the diabetes goes away, 

you still have a greater chance of getting diabetes later in life. 

Your child may also have a greater chance of being obese and 

getting type 2 diabetes later in life. Use this tip sheet to learn 

what you can do for yourself and your child.

Action steps for you

Get tested for diabetes: 

Get tested for diabetes 6 to 12 weeks after 

your baby is born. If the test is normal, get 

tested every 3 years. If the test results show 

that your blood sugar (glucose) is higher than 

normal but not high enough to be diabetes, 

also called prediabetes, get tested for diabetes

every year.

Talk to your doctor about your test results and what you 

can do to stay healthy. 

If your test results show that you could get diabetes 

and you are overweight, ask your doctor about what 

changes you can make to lose weight and for help 

in making them. You may need to take medicine 

such as metformin to help prevent type 2 

diabetes.
Change the foods you eat and be more active:

Choose healthy foods such as:

• fruits that are fresh, frozen, or canned in water

• lean meats, chicken and turkey with the skin removed, and fish

• skim or low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt 

• vegetables, whole grains, dried beans, and peas 

Drink water instead of juice and regular soda.

Eat smaller amounts of food to help you reach and stay at a 

healthy weight. For example, eat a 3-ounce hamburger instead 

of a 6-ounce hamburger. Three ounces is about the size of your 

fist or a deck of cards. 

Be more active each day. Try to get at least 30 minutes of activity, 

5 days a week. It is okay to be active for 10 minutes at a time, 

3 times a day. Walk with friends, swim, or garden to move more.

Try to get back to a healthy weight. Talk to your health care team 

about a plan to help you lose weight slowly. Being at a healthy 

weight can help reduce your chances of getting type 2 diabetes.

Action steps for the whole family 

Ask your doctor for an eating plan that will help your children 

grow and be at a healthy weight. 

Help your children make healthy food choices.

Help your children be active for at least 60 minutes each day.

Do things together as a family, such as making

healthy meals or playing active games

together. 

Limit your kids’ play time in front of 

the computer, tablets, smartphones, 

and TV to 2 hours per day. 

Contact your local parks

department or local health

department to learn where you

can find safe places to be active

and get healthy foods.

Other action steps

Tell your doctor or health care 

team if:

• you had gestational diabetes

• you want to get pregnant again

Breastfeed your baby to help you 

lose weight and improve your 

child’s health.

Make sure 

your history 

of gestational 

diabetes is in your 

child’s health 

record.

Things to remember:

Get tested for diabetes 6 to 12 

weeks after your baby is born. 

Take steps to lower your chances 

of getting diabetes by being 

more active and making healthy 

food choices to get back to a 

healthy weight.

Help your children be healthy 

and lower their chances of 

getting type 2 diabetes. 

NIH Publication No. 16-6019 | NDEP-88 

August 2016

The NIDDK prints on recycled paper with bio-based ink.

National Diabetes Education Program

1-800-860-8747, TTY: 1-866-569-1162 • www.ndep.nih.gov

The NIDDK would like to thank: Francine R. Kaufman, MD, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics and 

Communications, University of Southern California and attending physician, Children’s Hospital Los 

Angeles. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) 

is jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) with the support of more than 200 partner organizations.

This information is not copyrighted. The NIDDK encourages people to share this content freely.