If blood glucose levels aren’t managed during pregnancy your baby can gain too much weight, in particular body fat around its belly. A large baby makes birth more difficult and increases the chance of interventions during labour. Managing blood glucose levels during pregnancy can significantly reduce these risks.
There is also an increased risk of childhood obesity in babies who have a high birth weight. Obesity further increases the risk of developing health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes later in life.
Babies may have problems with low blood glucose levels at birth and some babies will not receive enough nutrition from the placenta if there are problems with your blood pressure being high. Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to have problems with high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia.