Women who are American Indian or Alaska Native are twice as likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy than other women.

GDM usually goes away after a woman has her baby, but sometimes women continue to have diabetes after pregnancy. It is important for a woman to get checked for diabetes with a blood sugar test after her baby is born.

About half of women who get diabetes when they are pregnant get diabetes again later in life. They are also more likely to get diabetes again during other pregnancies. Their children have a greater chance of getting diabetes, too.

You can help stop this cycle by:

• Getting to a healthy weight before you get pregnant
• Keeping a healthy weight during pregnancy
• Losing the weight gained during pregnancy after the baby is born