Gestational Diabetes Symptoms - Continued

What can you do to prevent gestational diabetes?

Women who exercise up to 10 hours a week before pregnancy cut their risk of a problem, and exercising up to 8 hours a week in the early months helps, too, according to a 2016 meta-analysis. Exercise will help with other pregnancy risks, too

Participating in a structured diet and exercise program could also help you avoid gaining too much weight. You need to buck the trends: Most American women are overweight when they become pregnant, most don’t exercise during pregnancy, most gain too much, and most hold on to their weight gain after pregnancy.

Then the pounds pile on again with Baby Two and Baby Three.

Beating this cycle is important not just for you, but for your child. If you overgain, you nearly double your risk of an oversize baby likely to struggle with weight problems. Even normal-size babies run a higher risk of weight problems if their mothers overgained.

Stay alert after birth

A few months after delivery, get tested again to make sure everything’s back to normal.

Your chances of developing diabetes later in life are higher than average, so maintaining a healthy weight and exercise program is essential.

Monitor your child’s weight carefully as well. Children born to mothers with gestational diabetes are more likely to become overweight, even if they’re born a normal size.

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