Taking care of yourself when you have gestational diabetes is very much like taking care of yourself when you have other types of diabetes. But it can be a little scary when you’re pregnant and you also have a new condition to take care of. Don’t worry. Many women who’ve had gestational diabetes have gone on to have healthy babies.

Here are the things you’ll need to do:

Follow your meal plan — You will meet with a dietitian or diabetes educator who will help you design a meal plan full of healthy foods for you and your baby. You will be advised to limit sweets, eat often — three small meals and one to three snacks every day, be careful about the carbohydrates you eat – your meal plan will tell you when to eat carbohydrates and how much to eat at each meal and snack, and eat lots of whole grain foods, fruits, and vegetables

Get moving — try to be active for at least 30 minutes on most days. If you’re already active, your doctor can help you make an exercise plan for your pregnancy. If you haven’t been active in the past, talk to your doctor. Your doctor can suggest activities, such as swimming or walking, to help keep your blood sugar on track.

Test your blood sugar — Your doctor may ask you to use a small device called a blood glucose meter to check your blood sugar levels. You will be shown how to use the meter to check your blood sugar. Your diabetes team will tell you what your target blood sugar range is, how often you need to check your blood sugar, and what to do if it is not where it should be.

The following chart shows blood sugar targets for most women with gestational diabetes. Talk with your health care team about whether these targets are right for you.

Blood glucose targets for most women with gestational diabetes:

On awakening not above 95 mg/dL
1 hour after a meal not above 140 mg/dL
2 hours after a meal not above 120 mg/dL

Each time you check your blood sugar, write down the results in a record book. Take the book with you when you visit your health care team. If your results are often out of range, your health care team will suggest ways you can reach your targets.

Take your diabetes medicine exactly as your doctor tells you. You may need to take insulin to keep your blood sugar at the right level. If so, your health care team will show you how to give yourself insulin. Insulin will not harm your baby — it cannot move from your bloodstream to your baby’s.