[Submitted Question]

For the first half of this pregnancy I ate like a cow. As a result I have gained lots of weight. My doctor now warned me to slow down and mentioned that I might develop gestational diabetes if I go on like this. Is he right?

Lorie Y., Wyoming

[WombToBloom]

Pregnancy hormones make it more difficult for your body to use insulin to convert glucose in your bloodstream into energy. Your pancreas then must produce more insulin - not a problem for most pregnant women. When your body can't keep up, the glucose is not converted to energy and your blood sugar levels become too high - this is gestational diabetes. Excessive weight gain makes it that much harder for your body to efficiently use its insulin - increasing your susceptibility to diabetes. Weight and diet management are the most important components to keeping your baby healthy in the face of a gestational diabetes risk.