Does gestational diabetes lead to diabetes later in life?

Q: I am a 29 years old female. Recently I had a baby and was diagnosed to have gestational diabetes during pregnancy (on insulin). After the delivery, I had another glucose tolerance test at around 6 weeks and my doctor said I was pre diabetic as my readings were Hb A1C - 5.5 and glucose was 78, so could you tell me where do I stand? Should I consider myself to be a diabetic? What precautions should I take? Also my cholesterol is 232 and triglyceride is 413. Please tell me what precautions should I take? I weigh 135 pounds now and since I am breastfeeding, I expect to lose more weight my height is 5.2.

A:You have mentioned a glucose tolerance test at 6 weeks being declared pre diabetic, but the 2 values you have mentioned are normal. However, women with gestational diabetes do have a higher risk of developing diabetes in later life. You can do a lot to reduce this risk:a) Regular exercise: walking, sportsb) Moderate fat intake: in cooking keep fat low; minimize fried snacks, don't keep chips/ mixture etc around the house; use low fat milkc) Plenty of fiber: fruits, salads, whole daals.All this should also help with controlling lipids. Keep an eye on blood glucose (fasting + PP) + lipids: at least annually.