Pregnancy & Motherhood
4 min read
Pregnancy diabetes indicators, factors, hazards... what foods to eat with gestational diabetes?
Olivia Davis
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Diets Premium Expert • 23.10.2026
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Scientifically reviewed by a clinical dietitian:
This article has been peer-reviewed for adherence to IŻŻ, WHO, and PTGiP clinical nutritional standards.
| Diets Premium Expert Olivia Davis | min read 4 min | Scientifically reviewed by a clinical dietitian 23.10.2026 |
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Key Takeaways
Pregnancy represents a distinctive phase in a woman's life that demands heightened attention to well-being. Gestational diabetes, affecting roughly 3.4% of expectant mothers, poses significant threats to both maternal and infant health.
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She's got diabetes in her stomach
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a serious disease that is first diagnosed during pregnancy. The definition of gestational diabetes does not apply to women who have had type 1 or type 2 diabetes before becoming pregnant. GDM is a glucose tolerance disorder that manifests itself in the form of hyperglycaemia due to insufficient insulin production in the pancreas, whose role is to regulate blood sugar levels in the blood. According to the WHO definition, pregnancy diabetes is a diagnosis of low-carbohydrate pregnancies with varying severity that occurs during pregnancy and gestation.
The symptoms of gestational diabetes
Symptoms of gestational diabetes are similar to those seen in people with diabetes and those who are not pregnant. Difference is observed in the target glucose levels in laboratory tests.
The causes of gestational diabetes
During pregnancy, there are changes in hormone secretion in the woman' s body and, especially in the second half, increased insulin demand. In women, insulin resistance of the tissues and reduced production of the hormone by the pancreas are observed at the same time. In second pregnant women who were diagnosed with GDM in the first trimester, there is a higher likelihood of recurrence of the disease.
The risk of developing gestational diabetes
The risks of gestational diabetes are related to complications during childbirth, health complications for the baby and the mother. Complications of untreated GDM include an increased risk of developing the following abnormalities: fetal macrosome newborn birth mass > 4500 g or more. Percentage in the retina for the age and sex of the baby, associated with bone fractures and nerve damage in the delivery of a large child.
Pregnancy diabetes What to eat?
Pregnancy diabetes is sometimes associated with a decrease in the quality of life for the expectant mother. The need to follow dietary recommendations, sometimes necessary several times a day to take insulin and monitor blood glucose levels, requires great systematicity and commitment. Women are advised to follow a diabetic diet based on a regular intake of foods containing similar amounts of low-carbohydrate compounds.
Olivia Davis
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