Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy and usually disappears after giving birth.
It can happen at any stage of pregnancy, but is more common in the second or third trimester.
It happens when your body cannot produce enough insulin – a hormone that helps control blood sugar levels – to meet your extra needs in pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes can cause problems for you and your baby during pregnancy and after birth. But the risks can be reduced if the condition is detected early and well managed.
The specialist diabetes midwifery team have produce a gestation diabetes leaflet, please click here to read.
For further information on how to optimise your blood sugars and advise on what to eat, please see our guide to eating and drinking and recipe finder by the British Heart foundation. British Heart Foundation recipe .
See our Diabetes pages for more information.