Pregnancy & Diabetes 

You can develop a form of diabetes, called gestational diabetes, when you are pregnant. It happens when your body isn’t able to produce all the insulin it needs. The same hormones that help the baby grow can limit insulin, so glucose (sugar in the blood) doesn’t turn into energy to be used by the mother’s body.

Your Geisinger obstetrician/gynecologist will test you for this condition by measuring your blood sugar levels. Left untreated, gestational diabetes can cause your baby to be born with very low insulin levels and a heavier birth weight (making delivery more difficult for baby and mom).

If you are diagnosed with this condition, your physician will work with you to treat it with diet and exercise and medications, if necessary.