Post Time: 2025-07-26
High blood sugar levels during pregnancy can have serious consequences for both mother and baby. It's essential to know what constitutes high blood sugar in pregnant women.
Maintaining a healthy blood sugar range is crucial throughout pregnancy, especially if you're at risk of developing gestational diabetes or already diagnosed with the condition. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) suggests that for non-pregnant adults, the fasting plasma glucose target should be below 100 mg/dL, while a postprandial glucose level under 140 mg/dL is ideal.
For pregnant women, however, these levels are slightly different. The American Diabetes Association recommends a blood sugar range of less than 90 mg/dL for fasting and less than 130-140 mg/dL after meals during the first trimester. This target can shift to below 120-130 mg/dL for fasting and below 100-110 mg/dl postprandially by the second or third trimester.
The Consequences of High Blood Sugar During Pregnancy
High blood sugar levels during pregnancy are a significant concern because they increase the risk of complications, such as:
- Miscarriage: Uncontrolled high blood sugar can lead to miscarriage in early stages.
- Birth Defects: Prolonged exposure to elevated glucose levels raises the risk for malformations and developmental issues in babies.
Why Blood Sugar Levels Become Unstable During Pregnancy
The hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, such as increased insulin resistance and placental hormones (e.g., human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG), can lead to fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
Weight gain due to fluid retention is another factor influencing the stability of your glucose numbers.
How To Maintain A Healthy Blood Sugar Range During Pregnancy
Diet plays a crucial role here. Foods high on the glycemic index (GI) increase blood sugar more than low-GI foods do, which means you should limit those foods and opt for healthier ones like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins instead.
Regular physical activity also helps lower your glucose levels by improving insulin sensitivity. Your healthcare provider can suggest a workout plan tailored to your fitness level.
Monitoring Blood Sugar During Pregnancy
Testing at home using a glucometer is usually recommended twice daily: once in the morning after waking up (fasting) and before dinner or 2 hours after lunch or breakfast with food, postprandially.
Can diabetes checking blood sugar diabetics eat raisins? Do raisins raise blood sugar levels? Find out in this video as we discuss average blood sugar level by age the impact of raisins on blood sugar levels in diabetics. fasting blood sugar limit #type2diabetes #raisins #bloodsugar