What should you know about gestational diabetes treatment?

Care usually starts with learning how to check glucose at home and recording the results. A maternity or diabetes team can help you plan meals with regular carbohydrate portions, protein and fibre, while keeping choices practical for pregnancy. Gentle activity may be recommended when it is suitable for your pregnancy.

If readings remain above your personal targets, your clinician may recommend tablets or insulin. Treatment can change as pregnancy progresses. Antenatal appointments and scans help the team assess your health and your baby’s growth.

Use your meter exactly as demonstrated, note the time and meal context, and take the record to appointments. Do not skip meals or change prescribed medicine without advice. Ask whether you need a Glucose Tolerance Test or additional monitoring, and discuss how a Growth Scan fits your care plan.

Contact your maternity team promptly if readings repeatedly miss your agreed range, you cannot keep food or fluids down, or you feel unusually weak, drowsy or confused. Seek urgent help for severe breathing difficulty, fainting, or a marked reduction in your baby’s movements.

What glucose targets apply to me, and when should I check? Which foods or activities may affect my readings? When would medicine be considered? How will you monitor my baby’s growth and plan care around birth?