Q: I didn't pass the first glucose test, so I had to take the second blood test and I'm waiting for the results. It made me wonder if perhaps I could have done something in my pregnancy to prevent gestational diabetes. Some people have told me stress contributes to your glucose resistance?

A: Stress has no known relationship to the risk of developing gestational diabetes. In fact, of all the risk factors for gestational diabetes, there's only two you might have been able to plan around: your age and weight when you got pregnant. But, since research shows that only half the women diagnosed with gestational diabetes even have a risk factor, eliminating those issues might not have made a difference.

How much weight you gain during pregnancy is also a risk factor, but weight loss in pregnancy isn't recommended. Also, how much you work out while pregnant hasn't been found to influence your body's sugar control. The other risk factors can't be avoided: a family history of diabetes, ethnicity (Hispanic, African, Native American, South or East Asian, or Pacific Islander), and having polycystic ovary syndrome.

I suggest you stop worrying about something you might have done, and focus on eating well for a normal pregnancy while you wait for the results. Have small, balanced meals without a lot of simple sugars, and eat more than three times a day. I recommend a light breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus healthy mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. Avoid high-calorie drinks: A glass of juice and a glass of milk a day are OK, but skip sodas. Water should be your main beverage.

If you do develop gestational diabetes, have yearly glucose testing after the baby is born, because this diagnosis gives you more than a 50 percent chance of developing adult diabetes.