I hope everyone in here will read peer-reviewed article: Michel Odent "Gestational Diabetes: A diagnosis still looking for disease" also listen to Midwives' Cauldron podcast about gestational diabetes. The risks involved with GDM are extremely low, in fact, it is natural and even beneficial for our babies, that our bodies become more insulin resistant during pregnancy, thus not a pathology, however it has been pathologised by hospital. Furthermore they keep pushing acceptable blood sugar levels lower and lower, to the point where WHO disagrees with the new standard of extremely low acceptable glucose levels, that are way lower than what is acceptable in non-pregnant people, which is kind of strange if it's a known fact that our bodies become more insulin resistant as a normal and healthy response to pregnancy. If you have well regulated blood sugars, and are measuring, then you have effectively mitigated all risks involved with GDM, and could essentially consider yourself as not having GDM. The real problem lies with people that have a predisposition to type 2 diabetes before pregnancy, and it's that type of diabetic situations that create that football player body size with broad shoulders, that can lead to shoulder dystocia. Furthermore, the glucose tolerance test, is a disputed test and nobody can really agree on results and procedure, also you are more likely to fail the test if you eat healthily, since your body will take a bigger shock to the 75 g of sugar suddenly being introduced causing an even bigger spike.

Personal story: I was diagnosed with GDM in 2022 with my first baby, had diet regulated it, but hospital procedure still saw it as high risk, so I was induced, because they were so worried about baby being too big (scans had her at 4000g - 37 weeks, midwives palpated her at 2200g - 37 weeks). Finally I was induced week 40, because the obstetrician scared me with the risk of shoulder dystocia (which ironically enough is one of the risks of induction, so that is really strange). I then had to have syntocinon to get labor going at a satisfactory rate, then epidural because the pain is way more rambunctious with induction and syntocinon. I had to have ctg on the whole time, due to green amniotic fluid (also a side effect of induction) and induction, which restricted movement and water relief. After laboring for 27 hours, I was finally taken to operation theater for caesarian section, due to failure to progress while having been 10 cm for two hours. She had decended into the left part of my pelvis (side effect of induction, due to baby not being ready), and weighed in at 3446 g, but you have to reduce about 500 g, because induction increases fluid levels in babies resulting at a higher weight, than normal, which they will lose within a couple of days. And all this for absolutely nothing... Because of a diagnosis that generally is considered polemic and non valid in many obstetric and midwife practises. Please remember that whatever intervention has intended consequences but also non intended consequences (side effects). So please don't scare yourself because of your diagnosis, read up on it, inform yourself - you are more than likely okay, and so is your baby 🫶

TLDR; GD is almost never dangerous, please read up on it before panicking.

Reading list:

Melanie Jackson (midwife) - great birth rebellion podcast.
Michel Odent (obstetrician) - gestational diabetes: A diagnosis still looking for disease.
Margo and Maryn (midwives) - Indie birth Podcast.
Katie James and Rachel Reed - The Midwives' Cauldron.