Gestational diabetes (sometimes referred to as GDM) is diagnosed when higher than normal blood glucose levels first appear during pregnancy. From 3 to 8% of pregnant women will develop gestational diabetes around the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy, however, some may be earlier.
While maternal blood glucose levels usually return to normal after the birth of the baby, there is a known increased risk for type 2 diabetes in the mother in the future. Your child may also be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
You are at risk of developing gestational diabetes if you:
- Are over 30 years of age
Have a family history of type 2 diabetes
- Are overweight
- Are from an indigenous Australian or Torres strait islander background
- Are from a Vietnamese, Chinese, middle eastern, Polynesian or Melanesian background
- Have had gestational diabetes during previous pregnancies.
The following information is of a general nature only and should not be substituted for medical advice or used to alter medical therapy. It does not replace consultations with qualified healthcare professionals to meet your individual medical needs.
In this Section
Just been Diagnosed?
FAQs
Managing Your Gestational Diabetes
My Story
Resources
Understanding Gestational Diabetes is a DVD that explains to women and their families how to manage gestational diabetes and what to do once the baby is born. In this documentary-style film, women who have had this condition during pregnancy talk positively about their experiences. It is intended that this DVD will give viewers a better understanding of gestational diabetes. This DVD is a multilingual resource and comes with the option of selecting from six different languages - English, Vietnamese, Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese and Turkish - all on the one DVD.
Download: Understanding Gestational Diabetes Booklet (English/Turkish version)
Download: Understanding Gestational Diabetes Order Form (English/Turkish version)
Order Resources Online: Resources