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Blood Sugar Monitoring

Monitoring blood sugar levels and how they are affected by daily activities is important during pregnancy when the diagnosis of gestational diabetes is made. Today, monitoring your blood sugar is easy and relatively painless. Home blood glucose monitors may be purchased from your local pharmacy. Many different types exist for easy adaptation to your lifestyle. The doctor or pharmacist can help determine the best monitor for a particular individual, and provide instruction on how to use it. The blood glucose monitors today require a small drop of blood to be placed on a strip, which is inserted into the monitor. The monitor will determine the amount of sugar in the blood and display the value on its screen. Normal fasting values for blood sugar are 60-110 mg/dL (3.3 mmol/L - 6.1 mmol/L). The physician will determine what the blood sugar range should be for each individual.

Blood glucose monitoring is usually done at numerous times throughout the day. A common testing schedule is first thing in the morning before eating, which provides a fasting glucose level, and 2 hours after each meal. Because everyone is affected differently by gestational diabetes, the physician will explain how often to test for blood sugar. The date, time, and value of each blood sugar reading should be documented (see the RxLearn glucose monitoring tool). Writing a short note or comment related to a certain blood sugar value and throughout the day can help the individual and their doctor maintain better blood sugar control. A record of blood sugar test results should be provided to the dostor at each visit.

Other Self Testing

Based on certain blood sugar values and for other reasons, the doctor may have an individual check their "ketone body" (here we will use "ketones") levels periodically. Ketones may be found in the blood in increased amounts when blood sugar is not being used for energy. When this happens, the body begins to break down fat, and ketones will be found in the blood and urine. Basically, ketones are a signal that you don't have enough insulin in your body, or that your body is resistant to insulin. Large amounts of ketones can result in a condition called acidosis, which may be harmful to both you and your baby. To learn more about "ketone acidosis", click here. Testing for ketones involves holding a special chemical strip in the urine stream, and comparing the color change to a master color chart to determine the amount of ketones in your urine. Some blood glucose monitors also check for ketones along with the blood sugar. The doctor or pharmacist can provide more information.

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