Patient guide / Gestational diabetes
Checking Blood Sugar During Pregnancy
Finger sticks and continuous glucose monitoring
Your monitoring plan should work for your life.
Finger-stick testing
A check at a planned time.
A wearable sensor
A picture of changes between checks.
Both can provide useful information. Choose a plan you can follow and review with your care team.
Chukwuma Onyeije, MD · OpenMFM
Updated September 7, 2026 · Clinical review pending
01 / Why monitoring matters
Readings help your team support you and your baby
Gestational diabetes means high blood sugar first diagnosed during pregnancy. Checking your levels helps your team plan your care.
- CheckFollow the schedule you agree on.
- UnderstandReview patterns alongside meals, activity, and medicine.
- Adjust togetherYour team can change your plan as pregnancy progresses.
A reading is information, not a grade. Tell your team when checking is difficult.
02 / How the methods work
A meter and a sensor measure in different places
Finger-stick testing
A small drop of blood goes onto a test strip in a glucose meter.
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)
A small wearable sensor measures glucose in the fluid under your skin. Readings appear on a compatible display.
03 / Seeing the pattern
A sensor shows what happens between checks
It can show changes between meals and while you sleep.
Scheduled finger sticks still give your team useful information. A sensor adds context.
04 / Comparing your options
Each option has benefits and practical demands
| What matters to you? | Finger-stick testing | Continuous monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Daily routine | A finger prick at each planned check | Wear and replace a small sensor |
| Information | A glucose value when you test | Ongoing readings and direction of change |
| Things to manage | Meter, strips, lancets, and a checking routine | Device setup, possible alerts, and possible skin irritation |
| Cost and access | Ask about covered supplies | Ask about coverage, replacements, and a compatible display |
The best choice also depends on your treatment and preferences.
05 / Understanding differences
Different numbers do not always mean a device is broken
Blood and fluid under the skin can have different glucose values, especially when glucose changes quickly.
An unexpected difference can still matter for a treatment decision. Follow your checking plan.
06 / What to do next
Have a plan for symptoms or unexpected readings
- NoticePay attention to how you feel and what the device shows.
- CheckIf symptoms and the sensor disagree, use your meter as your team and device instructions advise.
- ActFollow your treatment and contact plan. Do not wait for an online data review if you need help.
Ask your team for clear low-glucose, high-glucose, and urgent-help instructions.
07 / What research tells us
Benefits are not the same for everyone
What a sensor adds
A fuller view of glucose patterns, with fewer routine finger pricks for some people.
What remains uncertain
Studies in gestational diabetes have mixed results. Researchers are still learning who benefits most.
Choosing finger sticks can be a reasonable plan. Discuss what you need with your care team.
08 / Making the plan workable
Your team can help make the data manageable
- Agree on reviewWho will look at the data, and how often? Sharing data does not mean someone watches it continuously.
- Plan for interruptionsKeep the meter and supplies your team recommends for sensor problems or checking a reading.
- Talk about burdenAsk for help with alerts, skin irritation, costs, or worry about the numbers.
09 / Your next visit
Questions to Ask Your MFM Specialist
- Which readings will guide my treatment?
- When should I check with a finger-stick meter?
- What should I do for low or high readings, or if I feel unwell?
- Who reviews my data, and how do I reach the team?
- What will supplies cost, and what if coverage changes?
10 / Complete with your care team
Leave with your own written monitoring plan
Print and write on the guide. This presentation does not collect or save your health information.
11 / Sources and support
Use this guide alongside your care team’s advice
This guide is for people with gestational diabetes. If you had diabetes before pregnancy, follow your individual plan.
Educational information does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For urgent symptoms, follow your emergency plan and seek urgent care.
- GuidelineAmerican Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. 15. Management of Diabetes in Pregnancy: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026. Diabetes Care. 2026;49(Suppl 1):S321–S338. doi:10.2337/dc26-S015.
- Device instructionsDexcom. What is the Dexcom G7 Continuous Glucose Monitoring System? US patient information and safety statement. Accessed September 7, 2026. Device-specific instructions; not a class-wide recommendation.
- GDM randomized trialLinder T, Dressler-Steinbach I, Wegener S, et al. Glycaemic control and pregnancy outcomes with real-time continuous glucose monitoring in gestational diabetes (GRACE): an open-label, multicentre, multinational, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2026;14(1):50–61. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(25)00288-8.
- GDM randomized trialAmylidi-Mohr S, Zennaro G, Schneider S, Raio L, Mosimann B, Surbek D. Continuous glucose monitoring in the management of gestational diabetes in Switzerland (DipGluMo): an open-label, single-centre, randomised, controlled trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2025;13(7):591–599. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(25)00063-4.
- GDM randomized trialElkind-Hirsch K, Armatta M, Griffen C, et al. Continuous glucose monitoring in early gestational diabetes improves maternal and neonatal outcomes—The Steady Sugar trial. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2026;28:691–700. doi:10.1111/dom.70254.
Author attribution: Chukwuma Onyeije, MD / OpenMFM
Targeted literature check and revision: September 7, 2026 · Clinical review pending