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Pregnancy & Baby 
  |  Pregnancy  |  Complications  |  Does gestational diabetes repeat?
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Does gestational diabetes repeat?

by Dr Howard Lee

question
I’m thinking about getting pregnant again, but I’m worried that because I had gestational diabetes with my first pregnancy it will recur. I’m still overweight but do aerobics and have cut sugars from my diet. Is gestational diabetes likely to repeat in subsequent pregnancies?

answer
There are a number of risk factors for gestational diabetes. Some of these are a strong family history of diabetes, being ‘large for dates’, a maternal age over 25-30 years, having previously given birth to a large infant, obesity, and a history of gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy. The fact that you have made efforts to do extra exercises will certainly improve your general health, lower your blood sugar, and help you control your weight. Cutting sugars from your diet is also beneficial. Being pregnant does alter the metabolism of carbohydrate, with a reduction of carbohydrate tolerance. So, having developed gestational diabetes with your first pregnancy, and having other risk factors evident, there is an increased probability of a further appearance. Some 30% of women develop gestational diabetes in subsequent pregnancies.
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