Pregnancy Glucose Levels: What You Need to Know About Blood Sugar in Pregnancy

When you're pregnant, your body changes how it handles pregnancy glucose levels, the amount of sugar in your blood during gestation, which must stay within a tight range to protect both mother and baby. Also known as gestational blood sugar, these levels are monitored closely because even small spikes can affect fetal growth, increase birth complications, and raise your risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Unlike regular diabetes, gestational diabetes often shows no symptoms—it’s usually caught during routine screening between 24 and 28 weeks.

gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy due to hormonal changes that make insulin less effective. Also known as GDM, it affects about 6% to 9% of pregnant people in the U.S. and is managed through diet, movement, and sometimes medication like metformin or insulin. If left unchecked, high pregnancy glucose levels can lead to a larger baby, early delivery, or low blood sugar in the newborn. That’s why doctors order the oral glucose tolerance test, a standard prenatal screening where you drink a sugary solution and have your blood drawn at intervals to see how your body processes sugar. The test isn’t scary—it’s simple, quick, and gives you clear answers.

What’s normal? Fasting levels should be under 92 mg/dL, one hour after drinking the glucose solution under 180 mg/dL, and two hours under 153 mg/dL. If you’re over those numbers, your care team will help you adjust your meals—more protein, fewer refined carbs, consistent snacks—and suggest light walks after eating. Many women bring their levels back into range without medication. Others need insulin, and that’s okay—it’s not a failure, it’s just the body asking for extra support.

You’re not alone in this. Around half of women with gestational diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years, but catching it early gives you a huge advantage. The same lifestyle changes that help during pregnancy—eating whole foods, staying active, getting enough sleep—also lower your long-term risk. And if you’ve had gestational diabetes before, your next pregnancy will likely be monitored even closer.

Below, you’ll find real-world advice from trusted sources on managing blood sugar during pregnancy, safe medications like nitrofurantoin for UTIs (which don’t affect glucose), how lifestyle changes boost control, and what to expect from prenatal testing. No fluff. No guesswork. Just clear, practical info to help you stay healthy—through pregnancy and beyond.