Judy Bolaños cuddles with 2½-month-old Victoria.

Lisa Bonnefoy was overweight when she became pregnant with her fourth child. The excess weight never bothered her -- until she learned she had gestational diabetes.

"It was a real wake-up call," Bonnefoy says. "I knew it was time to do something for my health and my baby's."

About seven percent of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes, a type of the disease that occurs when women's bodies aren't able to meet the increased need for insulin during pregnancy.

"Gestational diabetes increases the risk of having a big baby who will need to be delivered by cesarean section. It also can result in the loss of babies," says Diane Harman, RN, CDE, Program Director of the Diabetes Resource Center at Valley Hospital Medical Center. "Although gestational diabetes typically goes away after delivery, these women are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life."

Bonnefoy sought help at the Diabetes Resource Center, where specialists teach pregnant women about meal planning and timing and using diabetes medication. The staff also develops postpregnancy diet plans to help women lose excess weight and prevent diabetes in the future.

"Most women with gestational diabetes can control their blood glucose levels with diet alone and go on to have healthy babies," Harman says.

"I'm able to control my blood sugar without medication," Bonnefoy says. "I've lost weight safely, I feel great and I have much more energy. I'm going to go back to the Center to get a new diet plan after I deliver. I want to lose more weight and keep checking my blood sugar levels so I won't develop diabetes down the road."

Are You at Risk?
Women at risk for gestational diabetes include those who:

• Are older than age 25
• Are obese
• Have close family members (parents or siblings) who have diabetes
• Had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy
• Are of Latino, American Indian, African American or Pacific Islander heritage

To find out more about the services available at the Diabetes Resource Center -- including classes you can take -- please call 477-6530.

The Valley Health System c/o Valley Hospital Medical Center 620 Shadow Lane Las Vegas, NV 89106