Diabetes and Pregnancy: What to Know

Two quite different things get called diabetes in pregnancy, and confusing them causes real problems.

Diabetes you already had

If you have Type 1, Type 2 or another form of diabetes before conceiving, the critical work happens before pregnancy. Blood glucose needs to be near target range before you conceive, because high glucose can affect the baby in the earliest weeks — often before a pregnancy is confirmed.

That makes contraception and planning part of diabetes care, not separate from it. If you have diabetes and might want a child, that is a conversation to have well in advance.

Gestational diabetes (GDM)

This is diabetes that appears during pregnancy in someone who did not have it before. It is screened for during pregnancy, managed through it, and usually resolves after delivery — though it raises the risk of Type 2 later, which is why postpartum testing matters.

In India, GDM screening commonly uses the DIPSI method — a single-step, non-fasting 75 g glucose load with a two-hour cut-off of 140 mg/dL — though some centres use other criteria.

This post is a signpost, not a guide. Our Knowledge Base has a full gestational diabetes section covering screening, monitoring, treatment, eating and what happens after delivery — start here.