What to eat for a snack when hungry during gestational diabetes?

Written by Zhang Chun Yun

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Updated on June 10, 2025

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If you are hungry with gestational diabetes, you can eat some sugar-free biscuits, or some foods specified within the range of the doctor's medical orders. However, it is important to remember that dietary control is very crucial for diabetes patients, particularly during pregnancy. Some pregnant women with gestational diabetes may only need dietary control to maintain normal blood glucose levels, but it is also essential to ensure the nutrition of the mother and fetus, maintain normal blood sugar levels, prevent ketoacidosis, maintain normal weight, prevent weight gain, and control the blood sugar level under 8 mmol/L one hour after meals. In addition, it is necessary to supplement with calcium, folic acid, and iron daily, specifically according to the doctor's medical orders.

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Written by Luo Juan

Endocrinology

1min 1sec

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How long does it take to recover from gestational diabetes after childbirth?

For the vast majority of pregnant women with gestational diabetes, their fasting blood glucose or glucose tolerance test can return to normal within six weeks after delivery. However, the recurrence rate of gestational diabetes during subsequent pregnancies is 50%, and about 25% to 70% of those with gestational diabetes may develop diabetes again within 16 to 25 years after giving birth. For those whose blood sugar levels return to normal after childbirth, it is also advisable to check their blood sugar every three years. For patients with abnormal fasting blood glucose or reduced glucose tolerance after childbirth, an annual check should be conducted to screen for diabetes, and they should receive strict dietary treatment and individualized exercise therapy. Therefore, the recovery time for postpartum gestational diabetes depends on the circumstances.

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Written by Chen Xie

Endocrinology

39sec

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High-risk factors for gestational diabetes

High-risk factors for gestational diabetes include: women older than 35 years, those with a history of gestational diabetes, history of delivering large babies, obesity, patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, first-degree relatives with a family history of diabetes, early pregnancy checks showing fasting hyperglycemia or positive glucosuria, patients who have had multiple spontaneous miscarriages without obvious causes, fetal malformations, stillbirths, and patients with a history of delivering newborns with respiratory distress syndrome. Women with the above high-risk factors should undergo early testing for fasting blood glucose and a 75-gram glucose tolerance test to diagnose gestational diabetes and initiate early intervention.

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Written by Tang Zhuo

Endocrinology

1min 23sec

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Can gestational diabetes be inherited by the baby?

Gestational diabetes refers to hyperglycemia that starts or is first identified during pregnancy, including previously undiagnosed glucose intolerance and diabetes before pregnancy. Although most patients’ blood sugar levels may return to normal after delivery, whether or not it normalizes postpartum, it is considered gestational diabetes. The harm during pregnancy endangers the health of both the fetus and the mother. The effects on offspring mainly manifest in the following ways: First, it increases the risk of complications such as fetal intrauterine death and congenital anomalies. Second, the risk of giving birth to a large baby is increased. Third, the incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia, jaundice, polycythemia, and hypocalcemia increases. Fourth, the risk of obesity, glucose intolerance, and diabetes increases during adolescence and young adulthood. Therefore, while gestational diabetes is not inherited by the baby, it does increase the risk of obesity, glucose intolerance, and diabetes in the baby during adolescence or young adulthood.

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Written by Chen Xie

Endocrinology

1min 10sec

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Can you eat sweet potatoes if you have gestational diabetes?

The overall principle of dietary control for gestational diabetes is to manage the total calorie intake by eating smaller, more frequent meals, dividing the day into five to six meals. This helps not only in controlling blood sugar levels but also reduces the occurrence of hypoglycemia. For patients with gestational diabetes, foods that quickly raise blood sugar, as well as those high in sugar content, starch, and fat, should be limited as these can easily convert into glucose, leading to an increased blood sugar level. Sweet potatoes, which are available in many varieties on the market, some with higher sugar content and some with lower, should be considered accordingly. Those with higher sugar content should ideally be avoided to prevent excessively high blood sugar levels, while those with lower sugar content can still be consumed. However, when eating sweet potatoes, they should be treated as a staple food, and the amount of other staple foods should be reduced accordingly to maintain good control of blood sugar levels.

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Written by Chen Kai

Endocrinology

43sec

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Gestational diabetes blood glucose monitoring

Gestational diabetes refers to individuals who were not diabetic before pregnancy but develop high blood sugar levels due to increased insulin resistance caused by elevated hormone secretion during pregnancy. These patients also need to monitor their blood sugar, typically checking fasting blood sugar, post-meal blood sugar, and bedtime blood sugar to maintain it within a target range, such as keeping fasting levels at 5.60 and post-meal levels below 7.8 to avoid hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia and minimize the risk of low blood sugar. If the blood sugar level exceeds 10 or even higher, such patients may require medication treatment. If the increase is mild, through diet and exercise interventions, blood sugar can generally be controlled within the normal range.