Monitoring your blood glucose

The National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) advises pregnant women with any form of diabetes to maintain their blood glucose below the following target levels:

• Fasting (having not eaten in more than 2 hours): 5.3 mmol/l

• 1 hour after meals: 7.8 mmol/l

• 2 hours after meals: 6.4 mmol/l

You will be asked to monitor your blood glucose levels using a home blood glucose testing device. The Diabetes Specialist Nurse (DSN) will show you how to do this, and give you targets to aim for – these may differ slightly from the above based on your local service provider.

Testing your blood glucose will involve pricking your finger to apply a blood sample to a blood glucose test strip – make sure to wash your hands first! Your glucose level will appear on the meter, and you then need to document this reading in your blood glucose diary. Testing times are usually pre-meal and before bed, though you may be asked to test 1 hr after meals too. Follow the guidance of your healthcare team.

Pre-meal blood glucose levels of 4–6 mmol/l are usually considered satisfactory.

This video from Diabetes UK introduces home blood glucose monitoring, which can allow you to take appropriate action if your blood glucose is high or low.

To find more information about blood glucose testing please click here.