Gestational Diabetes in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Diabetes is a common condition where there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy and usually goes away after the baby is born.

If you live in the Grand Rapids, MI area and have had gestational diabetes, it is very important to have a follow‑up oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) about 6–12 weeks after birth, and again within the first year or before trying for another pregnancy (or as advised by your doctor). This confirms that your blood sugar has returned to the normal range and helps detect early signs of type 2 diabetes.

In Grand Rapids, this follow‑up testing is commonly arranged through:

  • Your OB/GYN or midwife
  • Spectrum Health and Trinity Health Grand Rapids clinics
  • Metro Health and Mercy Health outpatient labs
  • Kent County Health Department or Grand Rapids Public Health resources

How Gestational Diabetes Develops

Your body makes a hormone called insulin to keep your blood glucose at a healthy level. Blood sugar rises if:

  • Your body does not make enough insulin, or
  • Your insulin does not work as well as it should (insulin resistance)

During pregnancy, the placenta makes hormones that help your baby grow. These hormones can block or weaken the effect of insulin in the mother’s body.

Insulin Resistance in Pregnancy

As pregnancy progresses and your baby grows, your body must produce 2–3 times more insulin than usual to keep blood glucose in the recommended range.

If your pancreas cannot make enough extra insulin to meet this increased demand, your blood sugar levels rise and gestational diabetes develops.

Cold Michigan winters, reduced outdoor activity, and seasonal weight gain can sometimes make insulin resistance and weight management more challenging for pregnant women in Grand Rapids, making regular prenatal care especially important.

Who Is at Risk of Gestational Diabetes?

Between 3% and 8% of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes. It is usually detected between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, but it can develop earlier.

You may be at higher risk if you:

  • Are over 25–30 years of age (risk increases further after 40)
  • Are overweight or obese before pregnancy
  • Have a family history of type 2 diabetes
  • Have had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy
  • Have previously had a baby weighing more than 9 lb 14 oz (4.5 kg)
  • Have had a previous complicated pregnancy
  • Have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
  • Take certain steroid or antipsychotic medications
  • Belong to a higher‑risk ethnic group, including:
    • African American
    • Hispanic/Latina
    • Native American
    • Asian (including Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese)
    • Middle Eastern
    • Pacific Islander
  • Have limited physical activity (which can be more common during icy Grand Rapids winters)

Some women who develop gestational diabetes have no known risk factors, which is why routine screening is recommended in all pregnancies.

If you live in the Grand Rapids metro area (Kent County and surrounding communities), your OB provider at Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, or Mercy Health will typically discuss your individual risk and plan testing.

Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes

Most women with gestational diabetes have no obvious symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they may include:

  • Increased thirst
  • Needing to urinate more often
  • Unusual tiredness or fatigue
  • Recurrent thrush/yeast infections

Because symptoms are often mild or absent, screening tests are essential and part of standard prenatal care in West Michigan.

How Gestational Diabetes Is Diagnosed

Gestational diabetes is usually diagnosed with a pregnancy oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). This is most often done between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, or earlier if you are at high risk.

What to Expect with a Pregnancy OGTT

Typically, the test involves:

  1. Fasting overnight (no food or sugary drinks, only water)
  2. Having a fasting blood test in the morning
  3. Drinking a sweet drink containing 75 grams of glucose
  4. Having one or more blood tests after the drink (commonly at 1 hour and 2 hours)

Gestational diabetes is diagnosed if any of your blood test results are above the recommended glucose levels.

During times of infectious disease concern (such as COVID‑19 surges), your doctor or hospital in Grand Rapids may use alternative testing guidelines if an OGTT cannot be safely performed.

Check Local Guidelines

Always check with your OB/GYN, midwife, or hospital (Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, Mercy Health) about the current local guidelines for testing in West Michigan.

Managing Gestational Diabetes in Grand Rapids, MI

If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you will be supported by a multidisciplinary team. This may include:

  • Your GP or primary care provider
  • Your OB/GYN or midwife
  • A diabetes nurse educator
  • A dietitian
  • Sometimes, a diabetes specialist or endocrinologist

In Grand Rapids, these professionals are available through major health systems and community clinics, and some offer telehealth visits—especially helpful during winter weather or if you live outside the city center.

The Goals of Management

Management aims to:

  • Keep your blood glucose levels within the recommended range
  • Reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy and birth
  • Lower your baby’s risk of:
    • Being very large at birth
    • Having low blood sugar after birth
    • Becoming overweight in childhood
    • Developing type 2 diabetes later in life

Family Support

Your partner, family, and support network can make a big difference. It helps if they understand:

  • What gestational diabetes is
  • Why your eating plan and activity level may change
  • Why blood glucose monitoring and, sometimes, insulin are needed

Key Parts of Gestational Diabetes Management

1. Healthy Eating

A nutritious, balanced eating plan is central to managing gestational diabetes.

A dietitian in Grand Rapids (through Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, Mercy Health, or private practice) can help you create an individualized plan.

General tips include:

  • Include carbohydrates at each meal, but in controlled amounts:
    • Whole‑grain breads and cereals
    • Brown rice, quinoa, whole‑wheat pasta
    • Fruits and starchy vegetables
  • Choose high‑fiber foods to help control blood sugar
  • Include foods rich in:
    • Calcium – milk, yogurt, cheese
    • Iron – lean red meat, chicken, fish
    • Folic acid – dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, collard greens)
  • Limit saturated fats by reducing:
    • Fried foods
    • Processed meats
    • Fast food and heavily processed snacks
  • Avoid or limit foods and drinks with a lot of added sugar, such as:
    • Regular soda
    • Sweetened coffee drinks
    • Candy and desserts

Your dietitian will help you decide how much carbohydrate to have and how to spread it throughout the day to keep your blood glucose steady.

2. Regular Physical Activity

Regular physical activity:

  • Helps control blood glucose
  • Keeps you fit for labor and delivery
  • Supports healthy weight gain in pregnancy

Examples (if approved by your doctor):

  • Walking (indoors at malls or community centers during icy Grand Rapids winters)
  • Prenatal yoga or gentle stretching
  • Stationary cycling
  • Low‑impact prenatal fitness classes

Always check with your doctor before starting or changing your exercise routine, especially if you have pregnancy complications.

3. Monitoring Your Blood Glucose

Self‑monitoring of blood glucose is essential. It helps you and your care team know whether:

  • Your eating plan is working
  • Your activity level is appropriate
  • You need medication such as insulin

A diabetes nurse educator will teach you:

  • How to use your blood glucose meter
  • When to check your levels (for example, before breakfast and 1–2 hours after meals)
  • What blood glucose targets to aim for during pregnancy

Your provider can also help you register with the National Diabetes Services Scheme (or U.S. equivalent programs and insurance plans) for discounted blood glucose strips and supplies, if available through your insurance or local assistance programs.

4. Insulin Injections (If Needed)

Some women with gestational diabetes will need insulin injections to keep blood glucose in the target range.

  • Many diabetes pills are not safe in pregnancy, so insulin is often the preferred treatment when lifestyle changes are not enough.
  • Insulin is safe in pregnancy and does not cross the placenta to your baby.

Your diabetes educator or doctor will teach you:

  • How insulin works
  • How to give insulin safely
  • How to store insulin
  • How to prevent and treat low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)

You will also learn about safe blood glucose levels for driving and daily activities.

What Happens After Your Baby Is Born?

In most cases, gestational diabetes goes away after delivery.

Immediately After Birth

  • If you were using insulin during pregnancy, it is usually stopped right after birth.
  • Your baby’s blood sugar will be checked soon after birth to make sure it is not too low.
    • If it is low, this is usually treated by feeding your baby (preferably breast milk, or formula if needed).

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is strongly encouraged because it is:

  • Good for your baby’s health and immunity
  • Helpful for your own recovery and weight management
  • Associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes for both mother and child

Local lactation support is available through Grand Rapids hospitals, WIC clinics, and community health programs.

Monitoring Your Blood Sugar After Delivery

Your blood glucose will usually be checked:

  • For a few days after birth (often before breakfast and about 2 hours after meals)
  • With a postpartum oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)

The postpartum OGTT is typically done 6–12 weeks after birth to confirm that gestational diabetes has resolved.

If there are infectious disease concerns or difficulties attending labs (for example, during a COVID‑19 surge or severe winter weather), your doctor may recommend delaying the OGTT—often up to 6 months—but it should still be done within 12 months after birth or before a future pregnancy.

Always follow your doctor’s guidance on timing and type of follow‑up testing.

Future Pregnancies and Gestational Diabetes

If you have had gestational diabetes once, you are more likely to have it again in future pregnancies.

For any future pregnancy:

  • You will usually be tested earlier in pregnancy for gestational diabetes.
  • If the early test is normal, a repeat OGTT is usually done again between 22 and 28 weeks to make sure your blood glucose remains in the recommended range.

Planning ahead with your Grand Rapids OB/GYN or midwife can help you lower your risk before conceiving again.

Reducing Your Long‑Term Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Women who have had gestational diabetes have a high chance (almost 1 in 2) of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. The good news is that type 2 diabetes can often be delayed or prevented.

Steps to Reduce Your Risk

  • Maintain a healthy eating plan similar to your pregnancy plan
  • Keep a healthy weight for your height (even a modest weight loss can help)
  • Do regular physical activity (aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, as recommended by your doctor)
  • Do not smoke; seek help to quit if needed
  • Have regular follow‑up blood tests, such as:
    • OGTT
    • Fasting blood glucose
    • HbA1c (a measure of average blood sugar)
  • Talk with your doctor about how often to test—often every 1–3 years, or more often if you have additional risk factors or new pregnancies

In Grand Rapids, these follow‑up tests can be arranged through your primary care provider, OB/GYN, or endocrinologist at major health systems or community clinics.

Local Resources for Gestational Diabetes in Grand Rapids, MI

You can get help and support from:

  • Your GP or primary care provider
  • OB/GYN or midwife
  • Diabetes specialist or endocrinologist
  • Diabetes nurse educator
  • Registered dietitian/nutritionist

Local healthcare systems and organizations serving Grand Rapids and Kent County include:

  • Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health)
  • Trinity Health Grand Rapids
  • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
  • Mercy Health
  • Kent County Health Department
  • Grand Rapids Public Health programs
  • National organizations such as the American Diabetes Association

Ask your hospital’s maternity unit or clinic for referrals to diabetes education and nutrition services, or check their websites for pregnancy and diabetes programs.

Key Points About Gestational Diabetes

  • Gestational diabetes is diabetes that develops during pregnancy.
  • It occurs when pregnancy hormones cause insulin resistance, and the body cannot make enough extra insulin.
  • Between 3% and 8% of pregnant women are affected.
  • Many women have no symptoms, which is why routine screening (OGTT) is important.
  • Proper management with healthy eating, physical activity, blood glucose monitoring, and sometimes insulin helps protect both mother and baby.
  • Gestational diabetes usually goes away after birth, but it greatly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes later in life.
  • Regular follow‑up testing and healthy lifestyle changes can reduce your long‑term risk.
  • In Grand Rapids, MI, comprehensive support is available through major health systems, local clinics, and public health resources to help you manage gestational diabetes and stay healthy before, during, and after pregnancy.