SINGAPORE – When Madam Cheryl Goh became pregnant with her second child in 2024, she assumed it would unfold much like her first pregnancy five years earlier.

Back then, she had breezed through the oral glucose tolerance test, which measures how the body processes sugar, “with flying colours”.

So, when she found out at week 26 of her pregnancy that she had exceeded the threshold for gestational diabetes, she was in disbelief.

“I was so sure I’d be all right,” says the 40-year-old bank executive. “I thought it had to be an error.”

She insisted on doing a second glucose test a week later. She spent those seven days trying to “eat clean” by cutting sugary drinks and desserts. But the repeat test showed even worse numbers.

“That was when reality hit,” says Madam Goh, whose two children are six years old and 16 months old.

Looking back, she believes her diet and age likely played a role. She has always had a sweet tooth and enjoys bubble tea, fruit juices, ice cream and carb-heavy meals. During the pregnancy, morning sickness pushed her towards even more sweet foods because they were the only things that made her feel better.

After her diagnosis, she found comfort in the common reassurance she heard from her parents and friends: It will go away after you deliver.

But after giving birth at National University Hospital (NUH) in July 2024 and completing her six-week post-partum oral glucose tolerance test, Madam Goh received another shock. The results were “really high”.

“I expected things to go back to normal, but that was when I knew that I had to take action for my health,” she says.