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Your future health

Understanding the risks, staying healthy and planning for future pregnancies is the key to good health after a pregnancy with gestational diabetes.

Learn about the support that is available to help you.

Your health after gestational diabetes

Staying healthy after pregnancy is important for you and your family.

Although diabetes usually goes away after your baby is born, you have an increased risk of developing pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes as well as other health problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease in the future. You are also more likely to develop gestational diabetes again in another pregnancy.

Your baby will not be born with diabetes, but they have an increased risk of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life.

The good news is that having regular health checks and a healthy lifestyle can help you to look after your health and your family’s health.

Find out more

Your health checks, now and later

Your first follow-up check

A follow-up diabetes check is recommended 6 to 12 weeks after your baby is born. This check is the same one that most women have had to diagnose gestational diabetes. It is called an oral glucose tolerance test. This check shows if your blood glucose levels have returned to the healthy range.

Regular diabetes checks

Even if your first diabetes check after pregnancy showed that your blood glucose levels were in the healthy range, you are still at risk of developing pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. These can develop without any symptoms. Regular diabetes checks are the only way to know.

You should aim to have regular diabetes checks every 1 to 3 years.

Regular diabetes checks are usually a simple blood test. Talk to your general practitioner (GP) for more information.

The type of check and how often you need it depends on:

How long it has been since your last check

Results of your previous checks

Your risk factors for type 2 diabetes

Whether you are planning for another pregnancy

Tips for staying healthy

Eating well and being active can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improve your overall health.

Aim to be in the healthy weight range

It will take time to return to your pre-pregnancy weight. A good goal is to try to reach this within 6 to 12 months after your baby is born.

If you are still above your healthy weight range after this time, even a small amount of weight loss will help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. Every kilo you lose can help.

Make healthy food choices

You do not need to be on a special diet. You just need to make healthy choices and get the right balance to eat well.

Try these tips for eating well:

Plan healthy meals and snacks ahead of time.
Aim for 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables every day.
Take care with portion sizes.
Limit fast foods, takeaways and alcohol.
Avoid foods and drinks high in sugar and choose healthy snacks.
Enjoy healthy meals as a family.

Be physically active every day

Physical activity can improve your general fitness, energy, mood and emotional wellbeing.

It can also help you maintain a healthy weight after pregnancy. Talk to your doctor once you are ready to return to being active after your baby is born. Once you have built up your activity levels, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week.

Encouraging the whole family to eat well and be active will have benefits for everyone.

Find out more in our Life after gestational diabetes booklet.

Having another baby

It is a good idea to plan ahead and look after your health before you become pregnant. This will help you and your baby to be healthy.

1. See your GP for a diabetes check.

Discuss pre-pregnancy planning and care before trying for another baby. Remind your GP that you have had gestational diabetes.

2. Eat well, be active and aim for a healthy weight.

A healthy lifestyle and aiming for a healthy weight before trying for another baby can help you reduce the risk of getting gestational diabetes in another pregnancy.

3. Get checked for gestational diabetes early in all future pregnancies.

If you have had gestational diabetes before, you are at risk of getting it again in another pregnancy. Ask your health professionals for advice on early testing.

Planning another pregnancy checklist

Use reliable contraception while planning your pregnancy.

See your GP for pregnancy planning advice.

Have a diabetes check.

Aim for a healthy weight.

Make healthy food choices.

Be active every day.

Get checked for gestational diabetes early in your pregnancy.

Plan to breastfeed.

Find out more in our Planning for pregnancy after gestational diabetes checklist.

Supporting you

in your future health

1.

You will be sent reminders to have regular diabetes checks and information to help you reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in the future. Go to ndss.com.au to update your contact details.

2.

To learn about eating well, physical activity, stress and managing your weight. The program will help you set and track goals that will support positive changes to your health and your family’s health.

3.

These programs are designed to help you reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Programs may be available online, over the phone or face-to-face.

Contact the National Gestational Diabetes Register

Call the NDSS Helpline 1800 637 700 or email [email protected].

A quick recap of what you need to know now