Women who have been diagnosed with Gestational diabetes or diabetes of pregnancy, are known to be at a high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease after giving birth.
Should such mothers avoid any further pregnancies? Investigators at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria looked into the question.
Their study, reported on in the European Journal fo Clinical Investigation in November 2012 included 72 women...

• 21 had been diagnosed with this form of diabetes in at least two pregnancies,
• 41 women had been diagnosed with diabetes once and had not had any further pregnancies, and
• 10 women had never been diagnosed with the condition.
  

Although women who had been diagnosed with Gestational diabetes fared worse than women who had never had this condition; having more than one pregnancy was no more harmful than just one pregnancy.
Nineteen per cent of women with a history of Gestational diabetes demonstrated:

• insulin resistance,
• secretion of a high level of insulin to overcome the resistance, and
• high blood sugar levels

after being given sugar five years after giving birth.
The number of pregnancies they had did not affect their insulin sensitivity or blood sugar levels.
Those women who had more than one case of this form of diabetes, did not suffer any more high blood pressure or heart disease than women with only one case.
From this information it was concluded women who have suffered Gestational diabetes should not be advised to refrain from further pregnancies.
Rather, they should make lifestyle modifications to prevent developing Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States, between 7 and 18 per cent of pregnant women have Gestational diabetes.
Thirty-five to 60 per cent of them will develop Type 2 diabetes in the next 10 to 20 years.
The NIH recommends women who have been diagnosed with diabetes of pregnancy be tested for Type 2 diabetes 6 to 12 weeks after giving birth and at least every 3 years after that.
They need to reach their pre-pregnancy weight 6 to 12 months after their baby is born and continue to lose weight if they are overweight or obese...

• choosing healthful foods such as fruits and veggies and drinking water can help keep off any excess fat.
  
• the NIH goes on to recommend at least a half hour of physical activity on a minimum of 5 days per week to help keep off excess weight and prevent insulin resistance.
  

Children of women with Gestational diabetes are also at risk for excess fat and Type 2 diabetes.
The NIH recommends breastfeeding as one way to prevent future problems.
Mothers can also set a good example by making healthy food choices, staying active, and maintaining normal weight for both themselves and their families.