Gestational Diabetes is the appearance of high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy in women that have not previously had high blood sugar (glucose) levels or diabetes.
During pregnancy, the placenta supports the baby as it grows, and hormones from the placenta help the baby to grow. Unfortunately, these same hormones block the action of insulin in the mother’s body, causing a state of insulin resistance. When the body is resistant to insulin, the body needs to make more and more insulin in order to move the sugar (glucose) out of the blood into the cells.
During pregnancy, the mother may need up to 3 times as much insulin as compared to when she is not pregnant. If the mother's pancreas is not able to produce enough insulin to move the sugar (glucose) out of the blood and into the cells, the sugar (glucose) will build up in the blood resulting in high blood sugar levels known as hyperglycaemia.