Of all questions asked by pregnant women, this is the most common. The answer is particularly important for women with gestational diabetes. The weight that you gain is a rough indication of how much nutrition is available to the fetus for growth. An inadequate weight gain may result in a small baby who lacks protective calorie reserves at birth. This baby may have more illness during the first year of life.

Pregnancy weight gain depends upon your baseline height and weight. The bulk of the weight gain in pregnancy is blood volume and that increases by two thirds in a normal pregnancy. Taller, larger framed women should gain more weight than smaller women. The oft-quoted recommended weight gain of 25 pounds actually applies to the average woman who is 5'4" tall.

Diabetes mellitus of any kind is a disorder that prevents the body from using food properly. Normally, the body gets its major source of energy from glucose, a simple sugar that comes from foods high in simple carbohydrates (e.g., table sugar or other sweeteners such as honey, molasses, jams, and jellies, soft drinks, and cookies), or from the breakdown of complex carbohydrates like starches (e.g., bread, potatoes, and pasta).

middot; Recommended guidelines for the range of total weight gain and the pattern of weight gain should be based on prepregnancy weight for height. The pattern of weight gain is as important as total weight gain during pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. It is one of the top health complications that a woman has to face during pregnancy.

While it occurs in less than 10% of all pregnancies, gestational diabetes can be a very serious health issue for many women.

The Council on Diabetes in Pregnancy of the American Diabetes Association strongly recommends that all pregnant women be screened for gestational diabetes. Several methods of screening exist. The most common is the 50 *gram glucose screening test (or glucose challenge). No special preparation is necessary for this test, and there is no need to fast before the test. The test is performed by giving 50 grams of a glucose drink and then measuring the blood sugar level one hour later.

The complications of gestational diabetes are manageable and preventable. The key to prevention is careful control of blood sugar levels just as soon as the diagnosis of gestational diabetes is made. You should be reassured that there are certain things gestational diabetes does not usually cause. Unlike Type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes generally does not cause birth defects. For the most part, birth defects originate sometime during the first trimester (before the 13th week) of pregnancy.

A nutritionally balanced diet is always essential to maintaining a healthy mother and successful pregnancy. The foods you choose become the nutrient building blocks for the growth of the fetus. For a woman with , gestational diabetes, proper diet alone often keeps blood sugar levels in the normal range and is generally the first step to follow before resorting to insulin injections.

Changing hormones and weight gain are part of a healthy pregnancy. But both changes make it hard for your body to keep up with its need for a hormone called insulin. When that happens, your body doesn't get the energy it needs from the food you eat.

To learn your risk for gestational diabetes, check each item that applies to you. Talk with your doctor about your risk at your first prenatal visit. I have had gestational diabetes before, or I have given birth to at least one baby weighing more than 9 pounds. I have been told that I have "pre-diabetes," a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.

If you are at high risk, your blood glucose level may be checked at your first prenatal visit. If your test results are normal, you will be checked again sometime between weeks 24 and 28 of your pregnancy. If you have an average risk for gestational diabetes, you will be tested sometime between weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy.

being born very large and with extra fat; this can make delivery difficult and more dangerous for your baby If you have gestational diabetes, your health care team may recommend some extra tests to check on your baby, such as kick counts" to check your baby's activity (the time between the baby's movements) or special "stress" tests

The good news is your gestational diabetes will probably go away after your baby is born. However, you will be more likely to get type 2 diabetes later in your life. (See the information on how to lower your chances of getting type 2 diabetes.) You may also get gestational diabetes again if you get pregnant again. Some women wonder whether breastfeeding is OK after they have had gestational diabetes.