Q: I am a 31 years old woman who delivered a normal baby boy a month ago. I had gestational diabetes though I did not have high blood sugar levels before pregnancy. What should be my normal blood sugar levels (both fasting and PP) at this stage? What range of sugar level indicates pre-diabetic stage? How can I monitor my sugar levels now?

A:The normal value for your blood sugars after delivery is the same in any other non-pregnant person. Fasting blood glucose <100 mg/dl is normal, 100-126 mg/dl is impaired fasting blood glucose (borderline or pre-diabetes) and >126 mg/dl is diabetes. Similarly a 2-hour postprandial blood glucose of <140 mg/dl is normal, 140-199 mg/dl is impaired glucose tolerance (borderline or pre-diabetes) and 200 mg/dl or more is diabetes.

People with gestational diabetes have a higher risk of developing diabetes in later life, so you should continue the diet and lifestyle modifications even after delivery. Specifically pay attention to your carbohydrate and caloric intake and maintain an active lifestyle.

A 2-hour 75 gm oral glucose tolerance test is recommended to be done around 6 weeks after delivery to make sure that the diabetes that you had in pregnancy has resolved.