Understanding Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes2 is a form of diabetes that develops during pregnancy, typically in the second or third trimester. This condition affects between 3% and 20% of pregnant women.7
Cause2
Gestational diabetes occurs when your body is not able to make enough insulin to handle the effects of your growing baby and the changing hormones during pregnancy.
Symptoms2
Symptoms can be mild or go unnoticed, as many are common in pregnancy — such as unusual fatigue, increased thirst, headaches, and more frequent urination.
Risks3
Expectant mothers with gestational diabetes have a higher risk of:
- Procedures including induction of labour and cesarian section (C-Section)
- High blood pressure and preeclampsia (a serious condition causing high blood pressure during pregnancy)
- Delivery complications due to the baby’s size
- Infections
Babies born to a mother with gestational diabetes have a higher risk of:
- Preterm birth (born too early)
- Low blood glucose shortly after birth
- Obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life
Keeping your blood glucose in range
With proper monitoring and treatment, most women with gestational diabetes have healthy pregnancies.
What can you do to balance your blood sugar levels?*
Exercise4
Stay active — aim for 20 to 30 minutes of gentle cardio vascular activity per day (walking, dancing, cycling, etc).
Exercising can help:
- Boost your energy
- Sleep better
- Reduce stress and pregnancy discomfort
- Prepare for childbirth
- Achieve normal pregnancy weight gain
Healthy Eating4
- Focus on foods that raise your blood sugar more slowly (e.g. legumes, whole grains, greens, etc.)
- Space meals and snacks throughout
the day - Consult with a dietitian for personalized advice
Medication5
The use of insulin may be necessary for the duration of the pregnancy if healthy eating and physical activity is not enough to manage your blood glucose levels.
Blood glucose monitoring6
Use a blood glucose meter to track your blood glucose levels. The recommended ranges for gestational diabetes are:
| Glucose measurement | Blood glucose target |
|---|---|
| Fasting (before eating) | <5.3 mmol/L |
| 1 hour after eating | <7.8 mmol/L |
| 2 hours after eating | <6.7 mmol/L |
CONTOUR®NEXT GEN
makes reaching your treatment goals easy
Accurate blood glucose results are essential for managing diabetes during pregnancy.6
Your blood glucose results guide your insulin dose — sometimes a difference of just 0.1 mmol/L can affect whether medication is needed.
CONTOUR®NEXT GEN provides highly accurate readings1 — helping you make safe and confident choices.
Highly accurate meter system
Easy-to-use and ready right out of the box.
SmartLIGHT helps interpret your blood glucose results, as easy as green, yellow, red.
Second-Chance® Sampling may help avoid lancing a second time.
When it comes to diabetes management,
Trust CONTOUR®.
Disclaimers:
++ Minimum accuracy requirements of ISO15197: 2013 Section 6.3 standard require ≥95% of the measured values to fall within ±15 mg/dL (0.83 mmol/L) at glucose concentrations <100 mg/dL (5.55 mmol/L) or within ±15% ≥100 mg/dL (5.55 mmol/L) of the referenced method.
*Patient should consult with their health care provider prior to making any changes to treatment regimen.
^With the purchase of CONTOUR® NEXT test strips. Offer limited to end-users who have not requested a free CONTOUR® blood glucose meter in the last 36 months. If you are experiencing any problem with your meter and a replacement is needed, please contact us.
References:
1. Pleus S et al. User Performance Evaluation and System Accuracy Assessment of Four Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems With Color Coding of Measurement Results. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology 1-9. 2022.
2. Diabete.qc.ca/en/diabetes/
3. Sweeting A. et al. A clinical update on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, 2022.
4. diabetes.ca/about-diabetes/
5. diabetes.ca/about-diabetes/
6. Feig DS, Berger H, Donovan L, et al. Diabetes and Pregnancy. Canadian Journal of Diabetes. 2018;42:S255-S282. doi:10.1016/j.jcjd.2017.10.
7. Diabetes Canada (2025) Gestational Diabetes. www.diabetes.ca/
