Risks to You During Pregnancy
Reviewed by CDE Mehandi Sharma · Updated
Most GDM information focuses on the baby. There are recognised risks to you as well, and they deserve naming.
The main ones are preeclampsia, an increased chance of caesarean delivery, and an increased risk of developing diabetes later in life.
Preeclampsia is the one to know the symptoms of, because it needs acting on quickly. It involves high blood pressure and can affect your kidneys, liver and brain. The warning signs are a severe or persistent headache, blurred vision or flashing lights, sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet, and pain in the upper abdomen under the ribs. Any of those needs same-day attention, which is also why your blood pressure and urine are checked at every visit.
The higher chance of caesarean is largely connected to the baby's size, and it is a possibility to be prepared for rather than a decision already made.
The long-term risk is the one most often not mentioned at all. GDM is associated with a substantially increased chance of developing Type 2 diabetes afterwards — which is why the test after delivery and long-term screening matter so much.
None of this is a reason for alarm. It is the reason your care is more intensive than a pregnancy without GDM, and that extra monitoring is what manages these risks.