One high blood sugar reading: what to do
One high reading is information for you and your care team. Make sure the check was done right, write down what you ate and when, and go on with your plan. Your team looks for highs that come back, for example at about the same time on several days, and changes the plan if they do.
What counts as high
The ADA goals in pregnancy are a fasting reading below 95 mg/dL (5.3 mmol/L), and below 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) 1 hour or below 120 mg/dL (6.7 mmol/L) 2 hours after a meal.1 Your clinic may use different numbers: use theirs. More on blood sugar targets.
First, make sure the number is right
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water and dry them well before each check.2
- Cold hands make it harder to get blood. Warm them before you wash.2
- Moisture, humidity and very hot or cold places can damage test strips. Keep the container closed.2
- Check at the time your clinic asked for: when to check after eating.
Write it down, with what happened
The ADA advises writing down each result together with what may have affected it, such as food, activity and stress.3 MedlinePlus says a reading with the meal, the time and any medicine dose next to it helps your provider more than a number alone.4 In First Fork, each meal entry has a note next to the reading, so the reason stays with the number.
Food is not the only cause. The CDC lists others, such as a night of too little sleep, stress, dehydration and hormones in the early morning.5
When one high becomes a pattern
- The ADA advises looking at your record for readings that are high several days in a row at about the same time. If that keeps happening, it may be time to change the plan with your team.3
- NICE (UK) advises offering medicine when the targets are not met with diet and exercise within 1 to 2 weeks.6 See insulin for gestational diabetes.
- Ask your team which readings they want to hear about right away by phone.3
The ADA also says that numbers can bring strong feelings. A reading is a way to see whether the plan works, not a grade for you.3 Log every reading, including the high ones: your team can only help with the numbers it sees.
If the high one is your morning number, see why your fasting number can be high.
Questions
Is one high blood sugar reading a problem with gestational diabetes?
One reading is information. The ADA advises looking for highs that happen several days in a row at about the same time; if that keeps happening, the plan may need to change. Ask your team which readings to report right away.
What should I do after a high reading?
Make sure your hands were washed and dry, write down what you ate and when, and go on with your plan. Tell your team if highs come back.
What can raise blood sugar besides food?
The CDC lists things such as too little sleep, stress, dehydration and hormones in the early morning.
Is it OK to leave a high reading out of the log?
No. Your team needs every reading, with what happened, to see a pattern and change the plan if needed.
Sources
- American Diabetes Association. 15. Management of Diabetes in Pregnancy: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026. Diabetes Care 2026;49(Suppl. 1):S321. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12690181/
- CDC. Monitoring Your Blood Sugar (May 15, 2024). https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/diabetes-testing/monitoring-blood-sugar.html
- American Diabetes Association. Check Your Blood Glucose (patient page). https://diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-care/checking-your-blood-sugar
- MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine). Managing your blood sugar. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000086.htm
- CDC. 10 Surprising Things That Can Spike Your Blood Sugar (updated September 11, 2026). https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/living-with/10-things-that-spike-blood-sugar.html
- NICE guideline NG3. Diabetes in pregnancy: management from preconception to the postnatal period (recommendations). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng3/chapter/Recommendations
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