Long term implications of gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes only affects pregnant people. It normally goes away after you give birth. But once you’ve had it, you are more likely to get:
- gestational diabetes again in future pregnancies
- type 2 diabetes.
Your baby might also be more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life, or become overweight or obese.
The good news is that you can both reduce the risk of future health issues by staying a healthy weight, exercising often, and eating a healthy diet.
This article is about how gestational diabetes might affect you and your baby in the future. You can also find out how the condition might affect your current pregnancy, unborn baby, and labour and birth.
Your risk of gestational diabetes (again) in the future
More than 1 in 3 pregnant people who are diagnosed with gestational diabetes get it again if they have another baby.
How can I reduce this risk?
If you’re planning to get pregnant again, you can reduce your chances of getting gestational diabetes in your next pregnancy by having a healthy lifestyle. This will also:
- improve your fertility
- reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes
- reduce your risk of problems in pregnancy
- protect your baby’s future health.
Find out more about getting pregnant if you’ve had gestational diabetes before.
Your risk of type 2 diabetes in the future
If you’ve had gestational diabetes, you are more likely to get type 2 diabetes in the future. Up to 1 in 2 people with gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years of giving birth.
Your health care team will advise you to have a test for this every year. You can also take part in the NHS’ Diabetes Prevention Programme.
Your risk of type 2 diabetes is also higher if you:
- are over 40 and white, or over 25 and Black African, African-Caribbean, Chinese or South Asian
- have a parent, brother, sister or child with diabetes
- are overweight or obese, or have a large waist
- have ever had high blood pressure
- have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- smoke.
Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong condition that can affect your daily life. If you develop it, you will need to make healthy lifestyle changes and have check-ups to lower your risk of further health problems.
How can I reduce this risk?
You can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes – and many other health problems – by:
- eating well
- staying active
- being the right weight for your height (having a healthy BMI)
- not smoking.
Making healthy changes and keeping them going can be hard. Get support from friends and family, as well as any local services. You could ask your GP about using:
- a weight loss programme or group
- a registered dietitian or exercise specialist
- a type 2 diabetes prevention programme
- local NHS Stop Smoking Services
- other local services to help you move more and eat better.
Diabetes UK also has lots of information about preventing type 2 diabetes.
How will I know if I have type 2 diabetes?
You should have a blood test soon after you give birth, to make sure your blood sugar (glucose) levels have returned to normal.
You should then have a blood test to check for type 2 diabetes 6 to 13 weeks after giving birth, and again once a year after that if the result is normal. Speak to your GP to find out more about getting tested.
Don’t wait for a year if you have any symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Speak to your GP if you:
- need to wee a lot, especially at night
- feel really thirsty
- feel more tired than usual
- lose weight without trying to
- have genital itching or thrush
- notice cuts or wounds take longer to heal
- have blurred eyesight
- feel more hungry than usual.
Risks for your baby in later life
Many babies who are born to someone with gestational diabetes have no related health problems. But research suggests that your baby may be at greater risk of becoming overweight or obese, and of developing diabetes in later life.
How can I reduce these risks?
While you are pregnant, you can reduce the risks to your unborn child by doing your best to manage your blood sugar levels.
After the birth, there are lots of things you can do to protect your child’s health.
Breastfeeding has lasting benefits for your baby, which include reducing their risk of obesity and diabetes when they get older. If you have trouble breastfeeding, there is lots of support you can access. You can ask your midwife or health visitor for more information if you want to persevere.
There are other things you can do to reduce your child’s risk of future health problems, such as helping them to:
- exercise
- eat healthy meals
- stay a healthy weight.
You can get your baby to be active from an early age by having some tummy time each day. This means giving them some time lying on their tummy.
It helps your baby to build the muscles they need for sitting, crawling and then even walking. Tummy time is also a great way to bond with your baby.
When you start giving your baby solid foods (weaning), try to offer them a wide range of foods. This will get them used to a varied, healthy diet from a young age.
Start for Life has lots of advice about healthy lifestyle choices for you and your baby. They also have an email service that sends tips that are tailored to your child’s age.
Gestational diabetes and your mental health
Because gestational diabetes may have affected your pregnancy and labour, it may also have affected your mental health.
For many people, gestational diabetes becomes a distant memory once their baby is born. But others still feel anxious, perhaps about their future health or what might happen if they get pregnant again.
If your experience of gestational diabetes or birth has stayed with you in some way, or if you are worried about ongoing health problems, talk to your health visitor, midwife or GP.
You can also speak to one of our midwives on the Tommy's Midwives' Helpline. You can call free on 0800 014 7800 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or email us at [email protected].
Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, Diabetes UK (2021). Gestational diabetes - Information for you. Available at: https://www.rcog.org.uk/media/b10mqyfw/pi-gestational-diabetes.pdf (Accessed January 2024) (Page last reviewed 09/2021)
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2020). Diabetes in pregnancy: management from preconception to the postnatal period. NICE guideline 3. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng3 (Accessed January 2024) (Page last reviewed 16/12/2020)
Nakshine VS, Jogdand SD (2023). ‘A Comprehensive Review of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Impacts on Maternal Health, Fetal Development, Childhood Outcomes, and Long-Term Treatment Strategies’. Cureus. 15(10):e47500. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.47500
Diabetes UK (nd). Diabetes risk factors. Available at: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/types-of-diabetes/type-2/diabetes-risk-factors (Accessed January 2024)
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2017). Type 2 diabetes: prevention in people at high risk. NICE Public Health Guideline 38. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph38 (Accessed January 2024) (Page last reviewed 15/09/2017)
Diabetes UK (nd). What are the signs and symptoms of diabetes? https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/diabetes-symptoms (Accessed January 2024)
Horta BL, Loret de Mola C, et al. (2015). ‘Long-term consequences of breastfeeding on cholesterol, obesity, systolic blood pressure and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis’. Acta Paediatrica. 104(S467):30–7. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.13133
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2014). Maternal and child nutrition. NICE Public Health Guideline 11. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph11 (Accessed January 2024) (Page last reviewed 01/11/2014)
Zheng M, D’Souza NJ, et al. (2024). ‘Breastfeeding and the Longitudinal Changes of Body Mass Index in Childhood and Adulthood: A Systematic Review.' Advances in Nutrition. 15(1):100152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2023.100152
Healthier You; NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, available at https://preventing-diabetes.co.uk/gestational-diabetes/#register (Accessed February 2025)
Read more about gestational diabetes
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Causes of gestational diabetes
We do not understand exactly why some women get gestational diabetes and others don't. But we do know that some factors increase the risk. -
Symptoms of gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes does not usually cause any symptoms. Most women only find out that they have it when they are tested for the condition. -
Testing for gestational diabetes
Whether you are at risk of developing gestational diabetes or not, you’ll usually be offered an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). -
What are the risks of gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes can cause problems in pregnancy, but these risks can be reduced with careful management of diet, exercise, medicine & help from doctors. -
What is gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy. With management, most women will have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. -
Gestational diabetes and your diet
Eating well is an important part of staying healthy throughout your pregnancy, especially if you are managing gestational diabetes. -
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a specific type of diabetes that usually develops around the second or third trimester and normally goes away after you've given birth. -
Treatment for gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is treated by making changes to diet and exercise to manage glucose levels. If this doesn’t work, you may be given medication. -
Gestational diabetes and your mental wellbeing
It’s natural to feel worried if you’ve been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Here are some on how to ease any concerns. -
Feeding your baby and gestational diabetes
If you have gestational diabetes, it’s important to feed your baby as soon as possible and then regularly after you give birth. -
Understanding the glycaemic index
The glycaemic index is a measure of how quickly sugars are released into the bloodstream. Knowing what foods to avoid helps control gestational diabetes. -
Managing your weight with gestational diabetes
Women who are overweight are at higher risk of developing gestational diabetes, so it's important to know how to manage your weight and diet during pregnancy. -
Gestational diabetes and giving birth
If you have gestational diabetes, your healthcare team should talk to you about your different options for giving birth. -
Monitoring your own glucose levels
If you have gestational diabetes, measuring your own blood glucose levels will become a regular task, either by using the finger prick test or a CGM. -
Injecting insulin
If you’ve been prescribed insulin as a result of being diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you’ll need to give yourself this as an injection. -
Staying active with gestational diabetes
If you have gestational diabetes, exercise is safe and can help you manage your condition by reducing your glucose levels. -
Gestational diabetes and premature birth
Diabetes is a condition in which there is an inability to control blood sugar levels and it leads to high amounts of sugar in the blood. -
Taking medication and insulin for gestational diabetes
Some women can control their glucose levels through diet and exercise alone, but others will need to take tablets or injections to help control it.