Background. The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been increasing worldwide in recent years, affecting up to 25% of all pregnancies. The presence of a condition that complicates the course of pregnancy worsens the emotional state of the pregnant woman and negatively affects the health of both the mother and the child in both the short and long term, necessitating a comprehensive study of this condition. Objective. The study focuses on the comparative intra-group and inter-group study of the psychological and clinical characteristics of women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during pregnancy and after childbirth. Study Participants. 445 women with a mean age of M (SD) = 32 (5) years participated in the study. They were assessed at the pregnancy stage (30 women with GDM and 415 without) and later after childbirth (22 and 263 correspondingly). Methods. The following instruments were used: the Adult Self-Report; the Pregnant Women’s Attitude Test; the Maternal Attitude Test; the Maternal Antenatal and Postnatal Attachment Scales; a socio-demographic questionnaire. Results. Women with GDM differed statistically significantly from the comparison group on several indicators: they had a higher pre-pregnancy body mass, were twice as likely to undergo operative delivery, stayed longer in the maternity hospital, and initiated breastfeeding later after childbirth. Postpartum, women with GDM showed increased levels of anxiety, depression, and DSM-associated antisocial disorders, whereas in women without GDM these indicators decreased. The dynamics of attitudes toward pregnancy/motherhood and the child were positive in the comparison group and negative in the GDM group. Conclusions. Women with gestational diabetes mellitus show a deterioration in psycho-emotional state and maternal attitude in the postpartum period as compared to women without GDM. The results confirm the importance of managing pregnancy and providing postpartum support with mandatory consideration of the psycho-emotional state in women with gestational diabetes mellitus. © Blokh, R.A., Blokh, M.E., Muhamedrahimov, R.J., 2026.