Hi everyone, just come across this forum- what a great resource and everyone seems really helpful. I was diagnosed with GD 3 weeks ago (week 29). I just wondered if anyone can reassure me. I was normal weight at conception- first weigh in from midwife 55 kilos, (8st 9lb) BMI 23. Last week (week 31) I was 61kilos, (9st eight) BMI 25.8- so I don't think I've put on a huge amount of weight. I am controlling my blood sugar through diet but only by eating very very little, as my diet was already quite good. I know there's no direct correlation between bs and calories but I find that I've generally been eating under 1000 cals per day. When I questioned whether this was ok for the baby the dr was quite dismissive, and said it was fine, that he didn't want me to put any more weight on between now and the birth, (and gave me a lecture about having to continue to eat like this after the birth to prevent full blown diabetes) but I am worried about ketosis? (Also miserable and hungry! :lol: ) Anyone been in this situation?
Hi, I'm a newbie, advice please!
- Thread starter seahorse10
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Grazer
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Hi and welcome! Not had much experience with GD - well, I am a man! :lol: However, I have quite a lot of experience with diabetes.
By the way, you won't go into Ketosis on the level of carbs I'm talking about. That normally only occurs with very low carb intake, less than 30 grams a day I believe.
Good luck
You're right, but there IS a very extreme relationship between carbohydrates and BS (you'll see us refer to BG, blood glucose) You need to eat what's right for your baby, but modifying your cabs is the way to control BGs. You say you don't eat much; you don't need to restrict your food intake in cals to control BGs, just the carbs. That would also control your weight. You don't need to go low carb, particularly while you're pregnant, but being careful about the type of carbs you eat (cut down on the starchy ones) and reducing the total carb intake a little will probably do wonders. People with more experience of GD will I'm sure be along soon. Obviously, the health of your baby and yourself will override any diabetes advice that is in conflict. Carb content can be seen under "nutritional info" on the packaging of most food stuffs, or can be looked up on the internet for loose food. Remember, all fruit and a lot of veg has carbs too. The GDA of carbs for a women is 250grams; you could perhaps see how a limit of 150 affects your BGs SUBJECT to your medical team saying that's OK for the baby. This sort of diet would also be good after the baby for keeping the demon diabetes at bay!seahorse10 said:
By the way, you won't go into Ketosis on the level of carbs I'm talking about. That normally only occurs with very low carb intake, less than 30 grams a day I believe.
Good luck
Hi, I've had 8 babies now, and GD for at least 4 of them. If you are hungry, you need to eat more! I found a low carb diet with lots of protein was very filling, and I didn't feel hungry. A good typical diet was omelette for breakfast, with cheese and onion and mushrooms, then salad with meat or fish at lunch, then for dinner I would substitute a pile of broccoli and cauliflower for the starchy carb the rest of the family had. The collins gem counting carbs book is very useful to look up which foods and drink are low carb. The new atkins diet book also has low carb meal ideas, which I found helpful. You sound quite slim, so I don't know why the Dr was putting the scarers on you.
Thanks both so much for your help, that's so useful and make things seem much more simple than the nurse or dr (who were slightly contradicting each other!) I'm sure I'll get the hang of it and you are right Grazer that reducing my carb intake even slightly does makes a difference- conversely I'm amazed that the tiniest slip (e.g. a tiny pancake with canderel on Pancake Day or a yoghurt) will send my BS sky high. Good tips from you both and blimey Dipsy, 8 babies! You must be a complete expert by now!
Exercise reduces blood sugar, and illness can raise it. It can be a bit random at times too! It isn't just food you need to think about, but activity too. Oh, and if you skip a meal, your liver dumps a heap of sugar into your blood, so it increases. :roll: If you can manage a walk or something each day, it helps enormously, and being fit for the birth always helps with that too. Hope it all goes well - do let us know!
Thanks Dipsy- it's all a bit of a vicious circle isn't it- I'm normally quite active but been feeling so exhausted that even walking is difficult- plus getting bad groin pain when I walk any distance. Have probably been more likely to skip meals due to nausea which isn't helping! Feels like the diabetes is getting more manageable though, am generally keeping it under control, apart from a couple of spikes for no apparent reason.. not so much longer to go now!
Whether a patient has been diagnosed with diabetes or is in the pre-diabetes stage, it is never too late to make healthy changes. Maintaining a diet that is low in sugar and fat along with regular exercise will help you combat this disease. you should also maintain your blood pressure under 130/80.
