Gestitional Diabetes

I have diabetes and I know just how hard it can be to know what to eat. espeically if you are hungry and you don't want your blood sugar to go up. Here are some idea's that might help you. Wheat bread is better than white. Eat as many veggies as you want. I used to eat lots of mini carrot sticks. Celery dipped in peanut butter is good. I used to eat bagel with cream cheese or cottage cheese on it. Milk will ALWAYS make your blood sugar to up.

I too had tons of Nausea when I was PG. I used to be a bank teller and you really can't run off to the bathroom to much. I found that crystal light lemonade was my life saver. I would sip that stuff all day. The stronger the better. It just really calmed my stomache.

I hope this was of some help....L.

PS: if you have anyother questions my e-mail is: ____@____.com

I had gestational diabetes that was found when I was 9 weeks along and ended up going on insulin at 12 weeks so I am very educated on the subject. Be glad you are so far along and will only have to deal with it for a few weeks. I had to follow a very strict meal plan along with the insulin and testing my blood sugar 4 times a day. You will get used to poking your fingers soon, just make sure you rotate through you fingers and test on both sides to avoid them getting sore. Always prick the side of your finger it is less painful due to fewer nerve endings. I will send you a link with a meal plan to follow and just make sure you read the packaging on everything you eat 1 carb choice is any food that contains 15g carbs or less per serving. Also watch the fruit and vegi choices you make they can be loaded with carbs. Also exercising helps lower your blood sugar, if you could take a 30 min walk each day that will help keep your levels down. I did water aerobics everyday, talk to your doctor and see what form of exercise is best for you.

You should see if your insurance will cover diabetic counseling, I know it sure helped me I got to meet with a nutritionist which really helped me understand what I should be eating.

Here is the link with the basic plan you should follow:

http://www.allina.com/ac/pregcc.nsf/page/basic_meal

http://www.allina.com/conditions/pregnancy/carb_choice_ex...

Send me a message if you have any other questions.

Don't be upset it really isn't that bad.

i don't know about gestational diabetes, but i do know some about thyroid. i take medicine for hypothyroidism. it was discovered when a psychiatrist was puzzled as to why antidepressants were having little effect on my depression and i was so tired all the time. make sure they are doing a full thyroid panel when they test you. i ended up switching to a family practice to handle the thyroid prescriptions and tests and that's when the experimenting started. one dr thought i should try increasing the amount of medicine and i started having trouble swallowing. at first it was just some tightness in my throat with foods, but it got increasingly worse. i went through an endoscopy (nothing much was found) and started taking prevacid, which did help. but dropping the dosage of the thyroid med helped too. i really thought for a while that the throat tightness was caused by too much thyroid in me from the medicine. but then i forgot to refill the prevacid during the holidays and after a couple of days without it the tightness came back. i tried to use pepcid instead but it wasn't as effective. so i can't really tell if the throat tightness is thyroid, acid reflux, or a combination. i haven't wanted to do any experimenting with meds to find out because i'm pregnant now. but i have had very little vomitting with this pregnancy, whereas with my other two i was very sick and also had trouble keeping down the glucose drink. i wasn't taking prevacid with the first two. so that's not really an answer, but something to think about and look into. i do think you need to go to the dr about it right away, possibly getting second and third opinions if it feels like they are guessing. good luck! and let me know what the dr finds, because it may help me too. ____@____.com

Hi A.,
While I don't know anything specific about gestational diabetes, I was surprised to read that your doctors recommended Splenda. All artificial sweeteners are chemicals and therefore, produce side effects. NutraSweet and Equal are the worst. The chemicals in them are neurotoxins and they turn into formaldehyde in your body (yes, the same thing used to preserve corpses). There is concern about exposure to these chemicals for children in-utero and after birth. Splenda (sucralose) was introduced after the first two, but now research is coming out on it too. I have attached two links you may want to take a look at.

Yes, you have to cut down on real sugar too. But it doesn't have to be replaced with chemicals. I'm not trying to worry you and I’m sure your doctors will say it’s safe, but given that you are pregnant, I just didn't feel right not passing this info along. My view is, why take the chance? I just think it’s very unfair what limited information we are given about what we put in our bodies. You may want to check into some organic stores. They still have sweet items; they just aren’t sweetened with this stuff.

www.sweetpoison.com
http://www.issplendasafe.com/top7reasons.html

Also, if you are concerned about your thyroid, there is a fantastic endocrinologist in Aurora, CO. He is always named a "Top Doctor" and he's great with diabetes and thyroid conditions. I was told mine was fine too and in fact, it was not. His name is Dr. Robert Rees-Jones. Phone: ###-###-####.

http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/colorado.htm

I have attached a link from Dr. Steven Hotze of the Hotze Health & Wellness Clinic in TX. He also talks about artificial sweeteners in his book, but I didn’t see a link to it on the website. He is a doctor and is just as opposed to them (including Splenda). Anyway, I attached his link because he offers a lot of information about thyroid conditions as well as a “test yourself” quiz.

http://www.hotzehwc.com/ebookwomen/

Best of luck & health!

I've had gestational diabetes with two pregnancies, along with the nausea and swallowing issues you discribe. So I feel for you!!! My advice would be just do the best you can. And you will get used to the blood sugar monitoring... it just takes time. It's different for everyone what foods will work. For instance, my mom could eat whole grains and be fine with the resulting blood sugar level, but I can't even eat a tiny bit. Potatoes would shoot me up too. Anyway, you'll have to be patient with yourself, and test what limited carbs will work. Anything processed has to go, regardless. So all food has to be made fresh now. What worked for me was to grill boneless pork chops or chicken tenders... even steak, with very little seasoning. And steam green beans, or peas, etc. in the microwave. But I had to stay completely away from pre-cooked anything. Fresh fruit worked really well for me too. But some people's sugar shoots up with fruit... again, you'll have to experiment. But my biggest piece of advice would be to keep it simple and fresh. Some snacks I found that worked to keep my levels steady were those peanut butter with cracker sticks snack packets in the cracker isle, and trail mix from Walmart... it had peanuts, almonds, raisins, and m&ms in it. If I think of other snacks (snacks work better than bigger meals) I'll let you know. You may ask your doctor for a referal to an endocrinologist. They have dieticians that can help you with meal and snack ideas. I had one both times and it helped so much. Good luck!!!

Hi A.,

Sorry you are having such a hard time with the finger pricks. I had gestational diabetes with all 6 pregnancies. The first one started at 28 wks and I delivered at 30 wks, so that wasn't to bad. But, with each pregnancy, with was earlier and earlier. By the last two, it was my first sign of pregnancy. Also, with the first one, my sugar went down right after delivery. Each one took a little longer after delivery to go away. The sixth baby left me with type 2 diabetes. I also had rather large babies, 9lb 34 wks!

Your OB should have sent you to a nutritionist. It is very important you keep your sugar under control. Did your dr give you so much time to get it down? I believe I was put on insulin at 160. Also, pricking my finger 8 times a day. So, I feel your pain:( It is important for your health and the health of the baby to keep control your sugar. A couple of my kids had to stay in the NICU because they could not control their sugar. Don't want to scare you, but just want to let you know how important it is to excercise and watch your diet. You don't want an insulin drip during delivery and then have to leave without your baby. I would also stay away from Splenda. Although some will say diet soda is fine, I found that it does raise my sugar. I ate a lot of Cheerios, no sugar for breakfast, and I don't want to look at another one for as long as I live!! The nausea, I found, came more when my stomach was empty. Did they tell you to eat more often. 3 meals and 3 snacks to keep you sugar stable. One before bed with protein, this helps keep you level throughout the night. Also, drink a lot of water, stay away from a lot of juice. If you have juice, don't eat fruit with that meal. If you ever get dizzy, you need to check your sugar right away.

I hope this helped and didn't scare you. Good luck!

Hello. I had Gestitonal Diabetes with both of my pregnancies. It was very challenging but on the up side it goes away when your baby is born. A coupel suggestions, I wouldent use artifical sweetners they are not good for you or your baby insted you can use Stevia, its a natural sweetner that will not raise your blood glucose levels. Pricking your finger at first is hard but you will get used to it. Also you should try and meet with a nutritionest and they can give you a meal plan and snack ideas that will keep the diabetes under control. Once you regulate you glucose levels the dizzy spells and nausea should go away. And if they come back its a good sign that glucose levels are off. Another thing that will help is exercise. I know that being pregnant and haveing a little one it seemes impossible but even taking a walk or a swim can help and you wont have as much "baby weight" to lose. Hope this was somewhat helpful. Best of luck!

I would hope your doctor gave you more information than to simply reduce your carbs. Almost everything you eat will break down and turn into glucose so that your body can use it for energy. If you haven't talked to a dietitian yet, you should. They should have a booklet available that gives you information on carbs per serving on various types of foods and usually will set up a plan for you to determine how many carbs you could have each day. Read the labels on everything you eat - carbs are always listed. You will find that foods sweetened with splenda or other alternative sweeteners don't always effect the amount of carbs you get per serving - they just cost more. You want to eat healthy for you and your baby. Good luck.

Hi A.,
I too had gestational diabetes with all of my pregnancies. Have they sent you to a nutritionist to explain how to count carbs and what kind of carbs are healthier, as well as serving sizes? That's an important first step. Secondly, read the labels of everything you eat. Left untreated, diabetes can be devestating to you and your unborn baby. I only gained 15 lbs. with my first baby and 25 lbs. with my twins, but it was a constant struggle with my appetite and my sugar levels. The simplest advice I can give you is to limit your carb intake to 15g/serving - 4 servings for a meal and only 2 servings at most for a snack. As for the lancets - my kit contained a pen to hold the lancet that adjusted. Twist the pen so it makes a smaller prick on your skin, and test a finger that you don't use as often. Good luck!

I am a diabetes educator at a Hospital. I did not have any problems with diabetes, with either of my pregnancies, but I can certainly relate because I had other dietary issues. You have had some great feedback. The best advice is to see a dietition that works with diabetes. Caffiene does affect your blood sugar, especially after you eat. Remember that a carb, is a carb, is carb, healthy or not, all carbohydrates break down into suguar in the blood stream, with the exception of fiber. So, if you crave something sweet, you can probably have it, but you cannot have it at the same time as bread, pasta, milk, potato's, or other high carb foods. Become an expert at looking at food lables. Several ladies have mentioned carb servings, depending on your doctor, most women are allowed 45-60 grams of carbohydate in a meal if you are being active, and 15 grams in a snack. If you are not being active, you may need less. Gestiational diabetes is closely related to type 2, so exercises is one of the most important things you can do to control it, it is almost as effective as taking a pill. I would try alternate site testing for you blood sugar checks, remember the farther from the pad of the finger, the fewer the nerve endings. There is a trick to alternate site testing, you cannot squeze it to get more blood, you have to "blot" it with your lancing device by pressing down several times to make the blood come to the surface. Use the clear cap on your lancing device so you can see when you have enough blood.

Hi, A..
I had g.diabetes with all four pregnancies. The first time I ended up on insulin. But for the next three pregnancies, I had a diabetic serving size chart, how many of each food groups, glycemic index information, and I think most importantly I did low-impact aerobics 5 - 7 times per week, same time of day every day. My sugars were kept in balance with each subsequent pregnancy doing this. It is important to use your glucometer to make sure it's working, but hopefully these ideas might help you, too.

I had gestational diabetes and I was able to control it with watching what I ate and walking for 15 minutes after each meal, even if it was up and down the hallway. My dietitian said that I needed to keep around 30 carbs for breakfast 45 for lunch and 60 for dinner, and then 15 for a snack between each one of the meals. I was able to keep it under control without having to get the shots. Hopefully you will be able to as well. Good Luck, L.

A., I never had G. D , but I've studied nutrition for a long time, and I know that if you drink one quart of water for every 50 pounds you are, that should be a baseline of water consumption per day. I know of several type II diabetics that went on a water fast and thier diabetis was gone. Also you can add some lemon to your water to give it flavor plus it is very good for you. I agree with excersise also, get out and walk. I hope you feel better. I believe you got a lot of great advice. But stay away from artificial sweetners, they can make you nausiated, and are very bad for you. Also if you are worried about thyriod, there is a test you can do on yourself. Get some tiniture of iodine and make a test spot on your skin. I usally use my belly or thigh. make about a 3 inch sqaure of the liquid and see how long it stays on the skin, with a normal thyriod, will last 24 hours. If your test lasts less than 24 hours you need iodine that will help regulate your thyriod, so you actually can use the tiniture of iodine every day if you need it. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy

A.,

I am sorry that you have GD! A website that gives good diet guidelines when pregnant is www.blueribbonbaby.org This site is good for prevention of pregnancy complications and pointing you in the right direction, and since you have been diagnosed with GD, I would also recommend that you see a Naturopath and/or a nutritionist so that they can work specifically with you in helping you make good diet choices to give you and your baby optimal health for the remainder of this pregnancy and beyond. Also, since having GD is big red flag for type 2 diabetes, I would also recommend a supplement called Glucose Regulation Complex by Shaklee. I have a few precursors to type 2 diabetes, and I take this to prevent it getting to that point. If you are proactive now, you can prevent Type 2 diabetes, but you need to be serious as you are clearly on the road to that diagnosis. If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know!
Good luck and congratulations on your pregnancy!
H. Gaitten

I had gestational diabetes with both of my pregnancies. The blood sugar checking (five times a day!) was really scary at first, but I got used to it pretty quickly. I found that above the wrist on your arm or the the upper thigh are the best places to take blood. Since you use your fingers so much, it is not the best place to pick from and you can't always get enough blood for the sample. You are also eating more often and it helped me with my nausea and energy. It really is a better way to eat so I try to keep it up after my pregnancies. You should get a book from your doctor telling you what to eat and how to count your carbs at each meal. I don't know why you are having trouble swallowing. If your doctor isn't concerned, I would just chalk it up to the mysteries of pregnancy.

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles ... I just thought i would recommend a different sweetener. My dad is diabetic and my mom found an all-natural plant-based sweetener called Xylitol. It's available at health food stores and tastes SO MUCH BETTER than Splenda. It is kind-of pricey but I'd say worth it for it's benefits. The only drawback to it is that if you eat too much of it, it can cause diarrhea.

Good luck with the changes to your diet. It would probably be good to get a book on low-sugar diets, as there are so many hidden things that can spike sugar.

I had gestational diabetes with both of my pregnancies. I agree with going to a dietician. Your doctor should refer you to one. It just helps to understand how to eat. Portion sizes become important. For example, 15 small grapes = 15 carbs. But you need to have a plan for how many carbs you can eat at each snack or meal, the dietician will help you with that. Becareful with fruit, most fruit has a lot of sugar. don't worry. it's really not that hard once you learn how to eat for diabetes.

I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant and was able to control it through diet and walking. I really do think that the diet was a blessing in disguise, as I would have probably used being pregnant as an excuse to eat the whole tub of ice cream! I worked with the dietician the hospital recommended and she got a good meal plan going for me that was easy to follow and had me eating regularly scheduled low-carb snacks etc. I LOVE that there is splenda ice cream and it really tastes the same too! I don't have a problem with needles, but understand those that do. It looks like there are some more "friendly" testing gizmos that just need a little bit of blood and do the poking for you to make it easy. I thought of it a little bit like a science experiment and realized that some sugar-free gum actually did effect my blood sugar. The monitor sure did know when I cheated, so keep with it. Remember that this should only last through the end of your pregnancy, and they told me the biggest side effect of the diebetes is a big baby. So it is self preservation to stick to the diet, (especially since this is a second baby too,) so its not too big! I actually think back on my pregnancy diet and journal as the one that I should really change my lifestyle to as it was healthier and kept me satisfied, but OH I love my white rice! (that was the hardest part) Stick with it (sorry for the pun) and I'm sure that you and your baby will be just fine.

My friend is a natural health nutritionist. I have blood sugar issues and she catered a diet to my needs. Check out her website at http://realpeople-realhealth.com.

HI A.,

YES I AM FAMILIAR WITH G.D. AND I HAVE FOUND SOMETHING THAT HAS HELPED SEVERAL OF MY FRIENDS WITH IT. GIVE ME A CALL OR E-MAIL ME ____@____.com OR ###-###-####.

J. F.

I had gestational diabetes and went to a nutrition specialist. They said any drink with sugar is totally out- soda, and especially juice. You need to watch carbs which really isn't that hard. You shouldn't have more than 30 carbs per meal and 15 per snack. The easiest way you do this is count pieces of bread. If you get a burger each piece of bun (or bread, fries, cookie, etc.) counts as 15 carbs, so you're done for that meal (no fries!) If you want a sandwich and cookie, you either have to take a piece of bread off the sandwich or wait till snack time for the cookie.

It gets pretty easy after a while and as long as you are very careful not to eat anything with lots of sugar you'll be fine. People with gestational diabetes usually will develop type 2 diabetes later in life, so it's a good lifestyle change to get in the habit of anyway. Try not to worry too much and do the best you can!

Testing your blood sugar with a prick on the finger will take some practice. Relax and let your motivation to do all you can for your baby be your thoughts. Poke your finger at the side, little ways from the fingernail and then it shouldn't hurt. Don't let this overwhelm you and do some reading on it to be educated about what you should do. Moderation with all your food, smaller amounts will go a long way to help with the blood sugar. Exercising will help keep the blood sugar down and make you feel better. Take the changes slow and steady and tell family and friends what you need to do so they can be supportive and understanding while you enjoy your pregnancy, even through the changes. You'll do fine!

I had gestational diabetes with my second baby as well. I met with a dietician as set up through my dr's office. This was more helpful that I realized. I did not understand that it was more about eating an evenly distributed diet than it was cutting carbs. She had me eating a specific amount of carbs and proteins at each meal and during 3 snacks. I would suggest meeting with a diabetic counseler if I were you. They also had me fax in my blood sugar levels once a week to make sure things were on the right track and did not need further intervention. I remember feeling awful after the blood glucose tests as well. They even lost the results from my fasting 3 hour test and I had to do it again. That was awful. hope that helps.

I had the diabeteswith my second. I found out pretty early. I had to test my sugar levels about an hour after every meal.
When I had it I was told to stay away from sugars, including natural sugars found in fruit. I was also told to stay away from starchy foods even the starchy veggies. I had to eat alot of protien and alot of veggies. Try to have protien with every meal. Protien can help balance out the sugar level. If you eat something starchy or sugary, be sure to eat protien with it. Eat three normal meals a day with mini-meals in between them. It also helps to eat a protien snack before going to bed, that way you do't wake up with your sugar level messed up. Keep in mind that just because something says "no sugar added" doesn't mean it is sugar free.

You'll have to prepare food fresh, or make it in advance and freeze it. If you have a sweet tooth, there are some pretty good sugar free candies and cookies you can buy, just don't eat more than the serving size on the package. Buy fat free, sugar free, low carb, etc. It will help. Try Sara Lee Delightful bread, it is low carb and tastes great. Also visit the American Diabetes Association Website, they have some pretty good recipes that you can make that should work for your diet.

The good new is, this affects the way I eat even now. Because I had to go for so long with such a strict diet I became accustomed to it. I lost alot of after my daughter was born, and I continue to eat healthier. I don'tlike fast food anymore, I don't like greasy food anymore, and I an only handle so much sweets. I am a healthier person because of it.

I would not do Splenda. It is really bad for you and the baby. I would look into healthy sugars at a Whole Foods or Vitamine Cottage. Also eat fruit instead. Make sure you get enough water. YOu might want to talk to a nutionist. They have free consultations at Vitamine Cottage.

The good thing is your sugar levels will go back to normal once the baby comes. Eat healthy and stay away from crabs.
C. B

Hi A.,
I don't have much advice to tell you but I just wanted to share my experience with Gestational Diabetes. I have 3 wonderful Boys and had it with two of them. With my first Boys they tested me at least 3 times for it and I ended up not having it. With my second Boy, I took the test and was borderline so I had to test my blood three times a day and watch what I ate. My last Boy I took the test and had to test my blood and take a pill for the G.D. They told me that one out of three women will develop type 2 Diabetes later in life so I would have to take the test once a year for the rest of my life. My Grandmother has tpye 2 Diabetes so it runs in the Family. All I could say is keep checking your blood and try a sugar free diet. The sugar free diet was the hardest for me to do. I hope everything goes perfect for you and the little one. Good Luck!! J.