Too much sugar during pregnancy

We’ve long known that women with gestational diabetes put themselves and their babies at risk of several complications and lifelong problems, but a new study shows that women with glucose levels that are within the normal range, but on the high side, may also be at risk. About 4 percent of pregnant woman in the US—or 135,000—are diagnosed with gestational diabetes each year. The disorder allows excess glucose to cross the placenta, putting the baby at risk of being born too large (a risk for cesarean section), as well as for developing obesity and diabetes later in life. It can also increase a woman’s own risk of weight gain, diabetes, and cancer.
The new study, reported at last month’s meeting of the American Diabetes Association, tracked 25,000 pregnant women over seven years and found that the current threshold for “normal blood sugar” levels may be too high. When women had blood sugar values that were within the upper end of the normal range, there was an elevated risk of the problems I mentioned above that are typically associated with gestational diabetes. Stricter guidelines are clearly in order to lower risk to you and your baby.
I recommend that you err on the side of caution, and request a blood test for glucose, called HgA1C (also known as “glycosylated hemoglobin"), which provides an estimate of your average blood sugar. Typically, women are tested for blood sugar problems during the 28th week of their pregnancy—following a drink of an overly sweetened beverage called a glucose challenge. Don’t wait until 28 weeks, but request this inexpensive blood test when you’re having blood drawn for other prenatal tests—typically around the second prenatal visit. If the number is in the high end of the normal range or above normal, request a referral to a registered dietician so that you can learn ways of improving your diet to lower your risks to yourself and your baby.