Info/Advice On Gest Diabetes?

Hi A.! I had it with both of my pregnancies, and it's not that big a deal...just a pain because you can't eat whatever you want.
You'll have to monitor your carbs....they'll let you have about 15-20 with breakfast, 25-30 grams with lunch, and up to 45 grams with dinner. You'll monitor your blood sugar throughout the day with the finger stick, it doesn't hurt. Start scouting out low carb items. If you like toast or want sandwiches, the "nature's own double fiber" is safe, peanut butter is safe, all meat, eggs, cheese....it's kind of like being on the Atkins diet.
I always said if something has to go "wrong" in pregnancey, choose this. It's manageable, you just have to be careful.
By the way - Bryers has a low carb ice cream, and I would measure out a cup and a half of it at the end of the day as my "treat" - and my blood sugar never went up because of it. :-) Hang in there!

I had it with all three of my pregs and I managed it with diet. Make sure that when you are having a snack it has less than 15 carb grams. It sounds like you are off to a great start. I saw a dietician every week at Baylor Grapevine and had to get weighed and turn in a food journal along with my sugar levels. If you are checking your sugar with a glucose moniter, keep a food journal too. When you wake up in the morning if I remember correctly, your sugar should be below 90. Then take your sugar readings 1 hour after each meal. After eating breakfast, lunch and dinner I think it should be below 130. You can look back and determine what you had that your body might not have processed good and/or what you thought was a good choice may not have been. Also try and walk daily. I know its hard and it's getting hot but it will help control sugars too

Good luck and keep us updated.

Hi A.,
My husband is diabetic and I am an Independent Shaklee Distributor. I've done a little research on some of this stuff. I don't know specifically about gestational diabetes, but this is a bit about what I have learned...

It's not about sugar, but carbs. You need them, but in the right proportion. Read your labels and pick up a book that gives you this info. You want to eat balanced meals and snacks. don't go more than 4-5 hours without eating at all. This way you will keep your glycemic index balanced and even. You want to eat three meals a day with a balance of protein, fat and carbs (pick healthy carbs if you can. Beans or fruit verses candy, etc...)

Aim for this distribution:
40-45% of your calories should be Complex Carbohydrates. Pick low glycemic carbs with lots of fiber like whole grains, beans and plant based phytonutrients found in fresh fruits and vegetables.
25-30% of your calories should come from lean protein foods like soy, low or nonfat dairy, fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids and lean poultry.
25-30% of your calories should come from healthy fats like olives, nuts. avocados and seeds. Just be careful about your portions.

You can have small healthy snacks between your meals, but you should space about 2 hours without eating.
For Example:
Breakfast, 2 hours later small snack, 2 hours later lunch, 2 hours later snack, 2 hours later dinner......or there about.

We did not take a class at Baylor, but we did at presby....it really helped....... this is the way we should all eat.
Best of Luck.

I had Gestational Diabetes with both of my pregnancies. They are now 9 and 6. It was a very easy regiment to follow. I cut back on my carbs, increased my veggie and protein and that made the difference. I also added a nightly walk. It really helped me manage my weight. I had 1/2 cup of no sugar added blue bell ice cream with a tablespoon of peanut butter every night right before I went to bed. It was a great reward for me doing what I was suppose to and it kept my blood sugar regular throughout the night. I am sure you will do fine. Just need to make a few minor adjustments. As someone else said, a week will not make a difference based on what you have told us.

A., you've gotten pretty good advice, but i just wanted to throw out there that i meet w/ a dietitian at the maternal fetal care center at big baylor campus and see valerie--she is AWESOME!!! she is exclusively one on one (no classes) and she has been so helpful. i had GD w/ both my prev pregnancies adn kept them diet controlled; however, we found out w/ this pregnancy that i was actually diabetic even before we found out we were pregnant, so it's probably the "real thing" which sucks!!!
i'm vegetarian so i've had to work a little harder to get my proteins in, and i'll be honest--when i don't exercise my #s tend to be higher. many of us have been down this road, so dont be discouraged and please ask any questions!!!!

Been there, done that. :) My Dr was out of Big Baylor so I went to the same diabetes center. It was a positive experience. I was in total denial and was kind of angry that I failed the test. The nurse assured me I was not the first one to go through this.

In the scheme of things, it's a very manageable thing to get -- way better than something like pre-eclampsyia which cannot be managed by diet or insulin. I was a good girl and kept records of all my blood sugar levels, ketone levels and what I ate. I didn't eat any artificial sweeteners (hate them personally) and was able to work in my daily chocolate. My pregnancy was pretty uneventful. I did end up with an induction (and subsequent c-section) at 38 weeks. I caught a cold around 36 weeks and my blood sugar got a little out of whack. Rather than deal with insulin, my Dr just had me hang in until 38 weeks. The good thing about having GD is that you get a lot of attention and ultrasounds in the last trimester.

You'll get the hang of what sets your blood levels off (for me it was things like french fries) and what combinations work (proteins help keep your carbs lower).
The diabetes center will give you a meal plan to work with. You'll meet with them individually and may also meet as a small group. They'll tell you how many carbs you can have a day given your weight/height/etc. It's not bad. Don't think diet as in nutrislim or anything. I actually ended up eating ALL the time on the diet. It's not like a starvation diet by any means. You just need to be aware of how many carbs you are taking in each day.

You'll need to test yourself several times a day. That made me a little nervous, but working with the nurse it was no big deal as it turned out. Once you do it the first time, you realize that it doesn't hurt. (This was 5 yrs ago so those meters have improved btw). I also had to pee on these little sticks every morning to make sure I got enough carbs. If you get too many carbs, it makes you sleepy and isn't good. If you don't eat enough carbs, it's really really bad for you and the baby. The key is balance.

As far as how to eat right now, just keep doing what you're doing. A week isn't going to make or break you at this point; however, once you do get your meal plan stick to it religiously. Don't give up all carbs, because that's bad too. Keep in mind, carbs are found in more than just bread or pasta -- things like potatoes, peas, corn, fruit, etc all count. Maybe try upping your protein intake. Veggies are typically low on the glycemic index so you can pretty much (with a few exceptions) eat a lot of these. I could tell if I had too many carbs if I got sleepy after a meal. Of course, with an older child you probably feel that way already even without the food.

Good luck!!