Your Pregnancy Targets, in mg/dL
Reviewed by CDE Mehandi Sharma · Updated
GDM targets are noticeably tighter than the numbers used outside pregnancy, because the aim is to keep your baby's growth in a normal range rather than simply to avoid symptoms.
| When | Target |
|---|---|
| Fasting, before breakfast | Below 95 mg/dL |
| 1 hour after a meal | Below 140 mg/dL |
| 2 hours after a meal | Below 120 mg/dL |
Your team will tell you whether to use the one-hour or the two-hour target. You do not need both for the same meal.
Two measurement points matter more than people expect. Time the after-meal reading from your first bite, not from when you finish eating — starting the clock at the end of a long meal makes readings look better than they are. And the fasting reading means genuinely fasting: first thing in the morning, before tea, before anything.
Do not read too much into a single high number. One reading above target after an unusual meal is information about that meal. A pattern of readings above target is what prompts a change in treatment.
Compare these with the ranges used outside pregnancy and you will see how much tighter they are. That is deliberate, and it is temporary.