Has diabetes resolved?

If you think back to the first section of this course, we discussed the extra demands that a growing foetus makes on your pancreas and how it is not able to create enough insulin to cope with the carbohydrates you eat. After birth, the extra demand of the foetus is removed and your body should slowly go back to its pre-pregnancy function.

Your GP will assess your blood glucose levels after birth to see if they have normalised. This will either be with a fasting glucose test at 6 weeks or a non-fasting HbA1c test no earlier than 3 months after the baby is born. In most cases, your diabetes will resolve, and you can stop taking your medication when your doctor confirms this. However, in 2-3% of cases, gestational diabetes does not resolve. If this happens to you, your GP or diabetes care team will be able to advise you on what to do next.