Word parts
What it means
A type of diabetes mellitusdy-uh-BEE-teez MEL-ih-tusA long-term disease in which blood glucose stays high because the body makes too little insulin or cannot use it well.Full entry that starts during pregnancy, when pregnancy hormones make the body's insulinIN-suh-linA hormone made by the pancreas that lets the body's cells take in glucose, also made as a medicine.Full entry work less well. All pregnant people are screened for it between 24 and 28 weeks unless they already have diabetes. Without control, the baby can grow very large, which makes birth harder, and can have low blood sugar after birth. It usually goes away after delivery, but it raises the mother's chance of type 2 diabetestipe too dy-uh-BEE-teezA form of diabetes in which the body does not respond well to insulin and does not make enough of it to keep blood glucose normal.Full entry later in life.
For the nurse
Teach how to check blood glucose, follow the meal plan and stay active; insulin is added if diet and exercise are not enough. Check the newborn's blood glucose after birth as ordered, and remind the mother to be tested for diabetes after delivery and in the years that follow.
In a chart
"G2P1 at 26 weeks; 1-hour glucose challenge 162 mg/dL; 3-hour test scheduled."
At a glance
| Abbreviations | GDM |
|---|---|
| Spanish | diabetes gestacional |
| Also written | gestational diabetes mellitus, GDM |
Related terms
insulin
A hormone made by the pancreas that lets the body's cells take in glucose, also made as a medicine.
diabetes mellitus
A long-term disease in which blood glucose stays high because the body makes too little insulin or cannot use it well.
postpartum
The time after giving birth, usually the first six weeks, while the body returns to its non-pregnant state.
blood glucose
The amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood at the time it is measured.
type 2 diabetes
A form of diabetes in which the body does not respond well to insulin and does not make enough of it to keep blood glucose normal.