It is clear that everyday stress in the 21st-century Western world is high. As adults, we often think of “stress” as a reaction to a traumatic event such as losing a loved one or being fired from a job, as well as from the pressures of everyday life including meeting deadlines in a high-paced work environment, personal relationship difficulties, and the all too common “glorification of busy.”

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a pregnancy complication defined as impaired blood sugar regulation beginning in pregnancy, and is no longer present after delivery. Although prevalence varies, a recent study by the CDC reports that as many as 9.2% of pregnancies are affected by gestational diabetes.