Expert endocrine care for gestational diabetes, Type 1, and Type 2 diabetes during pregnancy — coordinated directly with your OB.
Summary: Gestational diabetes is a type of high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy, requiring specialized care to ensure the health of both mother and baby. At UCF Health, Dr. Ye Wint Kyaw provides expert endocrine management in Orlando, FL, specializing in personalized glucose targets and coordinated care with your OB/GYN.
You Just Got Some Unexpected News. Here’s What It Means — and What Happens Next.
A gestational diabetes diagnosis can feel overwhelming. In a moment, a routine glucose test turned your pregnancy into something that feels complicated, risky, and uncertain. You’re wondering what this means for your baby, whether you’ll need insulin, and whether you did something wrong.
You didn’t. And with the right care, you and your baby can have a healthy pregnancy.
Dr. Ye Wint Kyaw specializes in supporting women through gestational diabetes, pre-existing diabetes, and complex blood sugar management during pregnancy. His job is to work alongside your OB, keep your blood sugar in a healthy range, and make sure you feel informed, supported, and confident throughout your pregnancy.
Comprehensive Diabetes Care Throughout Pregnancy
WHAT WE TREAT
Comprehensive Diabetes Care Throughout Pregnancy
Dr. Kyaw provides specialized endocrine care for women at every stage of pregnancy and beyond. Whether you’ve just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, or you’ve been living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and are planning or already in a pregnancy, this practice is designed for you.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) develops when pregnancy hormones affect how your body uses insulin, causing blood sugar levels to rise. It typically appears in the second trimester and is diagnosed through a glucose tolerance test. Most women have no symptoms — which is why screening matters.
GDM is one of the most manageable pregnancy complications when monitored carefully. Dr. Kyaw works with you to set personalized blood sugar targets, adjust your care plan as your pregnancy progresses, and coordinate with your OB to protect both you and your baby.
Type 1 Diabetes in Pregnancy
Pregnancy with Type 1 diabetes requires an even higher level of care. Insulin needs shift dramatically — often increasing significantly — as pregnancy progresses, and tight blood sugar control is critical from preconception through delivery and postpartum. Dr. Kyaw has deep experience managing insulin-dependent diabetes through the complex hormonal changes of pregnancy.
Type 2 Diabetes in Pregnancy
Some women enter pregnancy already living with Type 2 diabetes, and others discover they have undiagnosed diabetes during their glucose screening. Either way, the management approach during pregnancy differs significantly from standard Type 2 care. Certain oral medications are not recommended in pregnancy, insulin protocols change, and monitoring is more intensive. Dr. Kyaw provides individualized care plans built for pregnancy-specific needs.
Pre-existing Diabetes: Planning for Pregnancy
If you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and are planning to become pregnant, a preconception consultation with Dr. Kyaw can significantly improve your outcomes. Optimizing blood sugar control before conception — particularly your HbA1c level — reduces the risk of birth defects and complications. The earlier you plan, the better.
Postpartum Diabetes Follow-Up
Your care doesn’t end when your baby is born. For women with gestational diabetes, postpartum blood sugar screening is essential — up to one-third of women with GDM have persistent glucose abnormalities after delivery, and the lifetime risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is significantly elevated. Dr. Kyaw provides postpartum follow-up care and long-term screening planning so your health doesn’t fall through the cracks after delivery.
Schedule Your Consultation
Speak with our team to coordinate your care with Dr. Kyaw.
Call 407-266-DOCS (3627)— WHY ENDOCRINE SPECIALTY MATTERS IN PREGNANCY —
Why Your OB Refers to an Endocrinologist for Diabetes in Pregnancy
Your obstetrician is an expert in pregnancy. An endocrinologist is an expert in hormones and blood sugar. When those two things intersect — as they do with gestational diabetes and pre-existing diabetes — the best outcomes come from both specialists working together.
Obstetricians manage the full picture of your pregnancy. Endocrinologists like Dr. Kyaw focus exclusively on optimizing your blood sugar — a moving target that changes week by week as pregnancy hormones shift, your baby grows, and delivery approaches.
Blood sugar targets in pregnancy are tighter than at any other time in life. Managing them requires specialized training, frequent dosage adjustments, and real-time monitoring expertise. This is Dr. Kyaw’s specialty — and it’s why OB physicians throughout the Orlando area refer their highest-need patients to UCF Health for endocrine co-management.
— ABOUT DR. KYAW —
Meet Dr. Ye Wint Kyaw, Endocrinologist
- Burmese
- English
Dr. Ye Wint Kyaw is a board-eligible endocrinologist with over 10 years of clinical experience, specializing in complex diabetes management during pregnancy. He completed his Endocrinology Fellowship at East Carolina University, where he served as Chief Fellow — a recognition of both clinical excellence and leadership.
Dr. Kyaw’s approach to pregnancy diabetes care is built on three principles: precision, collaboration, and compassion. He sets individualized blood sugar targets for each patient — not one-size-fits-all guidelines — and adjusts medications and monitoring protocols in real time as pregnancy progresses. He works directly with your obstetric team to ensure your care is fully coordinated from your first trimester through your postpartum period.
His patients describe him as a specialist who takes time to explain, answers the hard questions without judgment, and makes the complexity of diabetes management feel manageable.
— HOW CARE WORKS —
What to Expect: Your Care Journey with Dr. Kyaw
Many patients aren’t sure what seeing an endocrinologist involves, especially during pregnancy. Here’s how it typically works:
Step 1 — Referral or Self-Referral
Most patients come to Dr. Kyaw through an OB referral after a gestational diabetes diagnosis or when pre-existing diabetes requires specialist co-management. You can also self-refer if you have diabetes and are planning a pregnancy, or if you’d like a second opinion on your current management.
Step 2 — Initial Consultation
At your first appointment, Dr. Kyaw will review your complete medical history, current glucose readings, medications, and pregnancy timeline. He will establish personalized blood sugar targets specific to your trimester and situation, explain what monitoring will look like, and answer every question you have. This visit is about understanding your full picture — not rushing through a checklist.
Step 3 — Ongoing Monitoring & Adjustments
Blood sugar needs in pregnancy change significantly — sometimes week by week. Dr. Kyaw uses real-time monitoring data, including continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) where appropriate, to make dosage and management adjustments before problems develop. You’ll have a clear protocol for what to do between appointments, and direct access to the team when you have concerns.
Step 4 — Coordinated Birth Planning
As your delivery approaches, Dr. Kyaw coordinates with your OB to ensure your blood sugar management plan is in place for labor and delivery. This includes insulin protocols, target glucose ranges during labor, and newborn monitoring plans for your care team.
Step 5 — Postpartum Care
Your care continues after delivery. Dr. Kyaw provides postpartum follow-up to confirm glucose levels have normalized, screen for persistent or new-onset diabetes, and create a long-term prevention plan. Women with a history of GDM benefit significantly from ongoing screening and lifestyle support — and that’s exactly what this practice provides.
Schedule Your Consultation
Speak with our team to coordinate your care with Dr. Kyaw.
Call 407-266-DOCS (3627)— PATIENT REASSURANCE —
The Questions Every Patient Asks — Answered Honestly
You probably have fears you haven’t said out loud yet. Most patients do. Here are the ones we hear most often — with clear, honest answers.
No. Gestational diabetes is caused by pregnancy hormones that interfere with how insulin works — not by anything you did or didn’t do. It can develop in women who eat well, exercise regularly, and have no family history of diabetes. Feeling guilty is understandable, but it isn’t warranted. What matters now is how you manage it, and you have excellent support to do exactly that.
When blood sugar is well-managed, most women with gestational diabetes have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. The risks associated with gestational diabetes — including larger birth weight, low newborn blood sugar, and NICU care — are significantly reduced with proper monitoring and treatment. That’s exactly what coordinated endocrine care is designed to achieve.
Not everyone with gestational diabetes needs insulin. Many women manage blood sugar effectively with dietary changes and exercise. When insulin is needed, it is the safest and most effective option available during pregnancy — it does not cross the placenta and does not affect your baby directly. Dr. Kyaw will explain clearly whether insulin is necessary in your case, and will make sure you feel comfortable and confident with any treatment.
For most women, gestational diabetes resolves after delivery. However, it does indicate an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life — which is exactly why postpartum follow-up and screening matters. With the right lifestyle support and monitoring, many women significantly reduce or prevent that long-term risk. Dr. Kyaw’s care doesn’t end at delivery.
This happens, and it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Blood sugar in pregnancy is genuinely difficult to control because it responds to factors beyond diet — including hormonal shifts, sleep, stress, and activity levels. The goal of ongoing monitoring and real-time adjustments is to respond quickly when levels shift, not to expect perfection.
— FAQ SECTION —
Frequently Asked Questions: Diabetes in Pregnancy
Gestational diabetes is a form of high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy, caused by pregnancy hormones interfering with insulin function. It is diagnosed through a glucose tolerance test, typically performed between weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy. If you fail the initial screening, a longer oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) confirms the diagnosis. Some women with undiagnosed pre-existing diabetes may also be identified through routine pregnancy screening.
Blood sugar targets in pregnancy are stricter than at other times in life. General guidelines from the American Diabetes Association recommend fasting levels below 95 mg/dL and one-hour post-meal readings below 140 mg/dL (or two-hour readings below 120 mg/dL). However, Dr. Kyaw sets individualized targets based on your specific situation, trimester, medication, and risk factors — not a single standard for every patient.
Many women can effectively manage gestational diabetes through dietary adjustments — reducing refined carbohydrates, spacing meals, and monitoring portion sizes — along with moderate physical activity. However, a significant portion of women will need medication, including insulin or oral agents considered safe in pregnancy. Whether diet alone is sufficient depends on your glucose readings and how your body responds over the first few weeks of management. Dr. Kyaw will monitor your progress closely and adjust your plan accordingly.
Your OB is an essential part of your care team, but an endocrinologist provides a level of specialized blood sugar management that goes beyond what most OB practices offer. You should consider an endocrinology referral if: your blood sugar is difficult to control on diet alone; you need insulin or medication adjustments; you have pre-existing Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes; you experienced gestational diabetes in a prior pregnancy; or your OB recommends a co-management approach. Most high-risk OBs and MFM physicians in the Orlando area refer patients with complex diabetes needs to specialists like Dr. Kyaw.
When blood sugar is poorly controlled, gestational diabetes increases the risk of macrosomia (a larger-than-average baby), which can complicate delivery. It may also increase the risk of low blood sugar in the newborn after birth, preterm delivery in severe cases, and NICU admission. With well-managed blood sugar, these risks are substantially reduced. Your baby does not develop diabetes from your gestational diabetes diagnosis.
Continuous glucose monitors are increasingly used during pregnancy and are considered safe. For women with Type 1 diabetes in pregnancy, CGM use is associated with improved outcomes and is widely recommended. For gestational diabetes management, CGM can be a valuable tool for identifying blood sugar patterns that finger-stick monitoring alone might miss. Dr. Kyaw will advise on whether CGM is appropriate for your situation.
Insulin is the gold standard for medication management of diabetes during pregnancy and has a long safety record. Some oral medications, including metformin, are also used during pregnancy in certain situations, though insulin is generally preferred. Medications used to manage Type 2 diabetes outside of pregnancy — including several newer classes of diabetes drugs — are typically discontinued during pregnancy. Dr. Kyaw will review all your current medications and build a pregnancy-safe treatment plan from your first consultation.
For the large majority of women, blood sugar normalizes after delivery once the placenta — and its insulin-disrupting hormones — is no longer present. A postpartum glucose test, typically performed six to twelve weeks after delivery, confirms that levels have returned to normal. However, gestational diabetes is an important indicator of future diabetes risk: women with a history of GDM are significantly more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life, which is why ongoing screening matters.
Yes. With careful pre-conception planning and close management throughout pregnancy, women with Type 1 diabetes can and do have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. The key is optimizing blood sugar control before conception and maintaining tight glucose management throughout pregnancy. This requires close collaboration between your endocrinologist and obstetrician — a model of care that Dr. Kyaw is specifically trained and experienced in providing.
Visit frequency depends on your situation. Women with gestational diabetes managed by diet typically need less frequent visits, while those on insulin or with pre-existing diabetes often need to be seen every two to four weeks — or more frequently as delivery approaches. Real-time monitoring data allows adjustments between appointments, and the team is available when urgent questions arise. Dr. Kyaw will outline your individualized visit schedule at your initial consultation.
UCF Health works with a wide range of insurance plans. We strongly recommend calling our office at 407-266-DOCS (3627) or checking with your insurance provider directly to confirm coverage before your appointment. Our team can help you understand your options.
— FOR OB/GYN PROVIDERS —
Referring Physicians: Endocrine Co-Management for Your Patients
Dr. Ye Wint Kyaw welcomes OB/GYN, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and family medicine referrals for patients requiring endocrine co-management during pregnancy. He provides timely consultations, ongoing medication adjustments, and direct communication with your office throughout your patient’s pregnancy and postpartum period.
Common referral indications include: newly diagnosed gestational diabetes with suboptimal diet response, patients requiring insulin initiation or titration, pre-existing Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes entering or planning pregnancy, and complex management cases requiring specialized monitoring.
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