A McAllen woman is navigating life with gestational diabetes after being diagnosed last week.

Ashley Lopez-Gutierrez is learning how to check her blood sugar for the first time using a glucometer. She's also learning how to change her eating habits.

"Every day I have to go ahead and put the date first thing in the morning before I eat, before I drink anything, I have to use this," Lopez-Gutierrez said.

Her goal is to keep her blood sugar under 140.

Her journey to motherhood didn't start here.

"I had two early losses last year. We had two early miscarriages, so navigating that there was really tough. We weren't sure if we were going to be able to," Lopez-Gutierrez said.

Now seven months pregnant, she says the diagnosis caught her off guard.

"I was scared I was confused because I don't have a family history of diabetes," Lopez-Gutierrez said.

Lopez-Gutierrez says she was diagnosed after two separate glucose tests came back high.

Health experts say gestational diabetes can develop when your body can't keep up with the extra insulin it needs during pregnancy, causing blood sugar levels to rise. It can happen even without a family history of diabetes.

"Usually there are no signs or symptoms. The mom herself is probably not going to feel any different when she has gestational diabetes," OBGYN Dr. Jennifer Alonte said.

For Lopez-Gutierrez, that means changing her routine. Less sugar, watching her carb intake, and cooking more at home.

"Both my husband and I work full-time jobs; he's also a co-pastor at our church, so we're very busy, very on the go, so it's easy for us to pick up food on the way home. Fast food," Lopez-Gutierrez said.

She says it's a lot to learn, but it's a change she's willing to make for her health and the health of her baby.

"I know I would do anything for my baby. He's not even born yet, but he's having to make these changes. It's just a small sacrifice for him. It's not just me anymore; it's him," Lopez-Gutierrez said.

Watch the video above for the full story.

This April, CHANNEL 5 NEWS will educate viewers about diabetes prevention and treatment. KRGV will provide a 360-degree look into the diabetes epidemic in the RGV.

H-E-B and South Texas Health System are offering free diabetes screenings in the month of April. Check out the calendar at this link for times and dates when the screenings will be available.

Heart of the Valley: Diabetes is sponsored by Prime Health and South Texas Health System.