Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a glucose intolerance first documented during pregnancy. It is usually a short-term type of diabetes and the most common health problem among pregnant women. GBM is caused by the way pregnancy hormones affect the mother. GDM accounts for 5-7% of all pregnancies (American Diabetes Association, 2010). During pregnancy the placenta develops and becomes the main link between the mother and the baby. It is used to make sure the baby has and receives enough nutrients. The placenta produces several hormones that make it difficult for insulin to control blood glucose and block the action of maternal insulin in her body (American Diabetes Association, 2010). Hormonal changes during pregnancy make the body less sensitive to insulin. Insulin is responsible for opening cells so that glucose can enter by regulating the amount of glucose in the blood while glucose is the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. During pregnancy, the body needs to produce three times more insulin to control blood sugar. GDM is usually found by the second trimester of pregnancy and increases until the end of pregnancy. Usually within a few hours of giving birth the condition resolves on its own (American Diabetes Association, 2010). In people without problems, the intestines and stomach digest the carbohydrates we absorb into glucose, which is the body's main source of energy. After digesting food, glucose moves into the bloodstream. To move glucose out of the blood and into the body's cells, the pancreas produces a hormone called insulin (Mayo Clinic, 2010). If you have gestational diabetes, your body doesn't produce enough insulin during pregnancy... middle of paper... 1). Gestational diabetes. Retrieved from http://www.babycenter.com/0_gestational-diabetes_2058.bcBennett, L.B., Bolem, S. Wilson, L.M., Bass, E.B., Nicholson, W.K. (2009). Performance characteristics of postpartum screening tests for type 2 diabetes mellitus in women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review, 18(7), Retrieved from http://lib-proxy.calumet.purdue.edu:2461 /ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=15&sid=af725124-1c4c-4d18-9e92-35d14ad23d66%40sessionmgr4&vid=15Diabetes Information Hub. (2011). Retrieved from http://diabetesinformationhub.com/GestationalDiabetes.phpMayo Clinic. (2010). Gestational diabetes. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gestational-diabetes/DS00316Steady Health. (2011). Complications of gestational diabetes. Retrieved from http://www.steadyhealth.com/about/complications_of_gestational_diabetes.html