“Can gestational diabetes continue after delivery?”
I have been detected with gestational diabetes and I am in the 3rd month of my pregnancy. Do you think this can continue even after my delivery? Is there any way I could prevent that?
5 Answers
Gestational diabetes is, by definition, diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. It is not likely to continue after delivery, but you are at increased risk of developing diabetes at some later date. The best way to reduce that risk is by maintaining a healthy diet, staying at your ideal body weight and daily aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes.
I will rephrase the question, can diabetes continue after the baby is born.
Usually not, however the future is not good for 50% of the patients in that that is about the percentage of persons who develop diabetes in the future. So buckle down, get the weight down to normal, exercise and live a healthy lifestyle. Then you will delay or even never get it later.
Usually not, however the future is not good for 50% of the patients in that that is about the percentage of persons who develop diabetes in the future. So buckle down, get the weight down to normal, exercise and live a healthy lifestyle. Then you will delay or even never get it later.
Having gestational diabetes increases risk of diabetes later in life, including after delivery. The best thing to do is to try to lose weight gained during pregnancy and keep a healthy, low-carbohydrate diet.
Dr. Strizhevsky
Dr. Strizhevsky
Gestational diabetes resolves upon delivery. It can later recur as "maturity onset" Type 2 diabetes. This can be prevented by maintaining proper weight, avoiding obesity or following a diabetic diet.
Yes it can continue after pregnancy but it is not likely to continue. With gestational diabetes we know you have the genetics for diabetes so pre- diabetes or diabetes could persist after pregnancy. You cannot change your genetics so the possibility of diabetes will always be with you. That's the bad news. Now for the good news! the decompensation from gestational diabetes to diabetes is about 5% so this could be years away. Remember also that there are factors over which you have control. The development of diabetes is influenced be factors you can control. Life style is an important factor. Over-weight, lack of exercise, etc are factors you can control. A study done several years ago called the Diabetes Prevention Program showed that while we can't change our genetics we can prevent diabetes by life style change. In the study, they found that people with pre-diabetes, or gestational diabetes, that they could prevent full blown diabetes by 60% for the course of the study by life style alone. So you can help yourself to prevent going on to diabetes by altering the factors over which you have control & maybe put off diabetes or even prevent in for life. Good Luck
