How to manage gestational diabetes: medications

Sometimes healthy eating on its own may not be sufficient to keep your blood glucose under control, and tablets or insulin injections may be necessary. If this happens to you, your diabetes care team will be there to give you all the help you need.

Needing medication does not mean the diabetes is more severe, just that some extra help is needed to control blood glucose levels. It is still important to follow healthy eating guidelines even if you are started on medication.

When you are first diagnosed as having gestational diabetes, the benefit of diet and exercise changes will be assessed within 1-2 weeks, and if your blood glucose levels are not well enough controlled then you may be advised to start medication. Medications used to treat gestational diabetes include metformin tablets, insulin and, less commonly, other medications such as glibenclamide tablets.

To start this section click on the first topic ‘Oral/tablet medications’ below.