Monitoring blood glucose levels and ketones

Is your gestational diabetes management plan working?

To measure your success at lowering your blood glucose level, you need to check your levels four or more times during the day with a small device called a blood glucose meter.

There are several different types. Your health care provider or diabetes educator will help you select a meter and teach you how to use it.

Besides monitoring blood glucose levels, your health care provider will also ask you to check your urine for ketones.

Source: Allina Health's Patient Education Department, Gestational Diabetes: When You Have Diabetes During Pregnancy, third edition, ISBN 1-931876-21-6
Reviewed By: Reviewed by Allina Health's Patient Education Department experts
First Published: 11/27/2006
Last Reviewed: 01/20/2014