I was just diagnosed with gestational diabetes, at 37 weeks. Is there anyone else out there who has gestational diabetes? I am looking for some support and tasty snack ideas!!
I haven’t been diagnoised for it, but am being treated for it. I failed the 1 hour test (152) and refuse to do the 3 hour test as I have a needle pobia. I am supposed to meet with a dietician, change my diet for a week and then do the 1 hour test again. I have my first appointment with my dietitian on Tuesday.
I’m not surprised I failed initially as I eat a lot of carbs. I am not a protein kind of girl. Hoewever, I have been making an effort to eat more protein. So far I’ve replaced my morning snack, an apple, with low-fat string cheese. And in general, I’m trying to eat more meat (rather than one slice in my sandwich, I’ll put 3).
Hopefully I’ll have a better idea of what I should and shouldn’t eat on Tuesday. Then maybe I’ll have some good snack ideas!
celina: Thanks for the response! I hope you don't have it!
Well, here is what I am going through so far....
Every morning, I have to test my urine for excess protien (ketones). If you eat too much protien, your blood becomes acidic and that is also very bad for the baby.
I am supposed to eat 3 meals and 3 snacks per day:
Breakfast = 15 - 30g carbs
Snack 1 = 15 - 30g carbs
Lunch = 30 - 45g carbs
Snack 2 = 15 - 30g carbs
Dinner = 30 - 45g carbs
Snack 3 = 15 g carbs
Counting carbs has been truly educational for me. 1 piece of honey whole wheat bread from Trader Joe's has 28g carbs! Even a serving of mixed greens has 4g of carbs. One small pancake is 15g. One small red skinned potato is 15g.
First thing in the morning and 1 hour after each meal, I have to use my glucometer to test my blood sugar (BS). This is FOUR times per day and my fingers are numb from all the blood being drawn! I never thought I could do this, but it hasn't been as bad as I thought.
I feel like I have been eating plenty - but I am CONSTANTLY hungry. And I am CONSTANTLY craving sweets. I have a total sweet tooth and LOVE carbs. It's also seems really hard to control your BS. For example, for breakfast, I ate 3/4 piece of toast, scrambled eggs with feta and 1/2 chicken apple sausage. I tested at 137 and I need to be under 130. The doctor said if this continues, I may need insulin in the morning. I am sick of eggs for breakfast already!
This is my second pregnancy and during my first, I successfully avoided artificial sweetener, alcohol and caffeine through my whole pregnancy... I have decided to re-introduce artificial sweetener because it's killing me!
Wow, I'm not having to count carbs like that at all! I met with a nutrionist and she gave me a meal plan based on my weight and how many calories I should consume. 3 meals and 2 snacks a day and it's usually a balance of carbs and proteins (and I can have as many fats and veggies as I want as "they don't affect blood sugar"). For example, for breakfast I'm suposed to have 2 servings of carbs and 1-2 servings of protetins, so I have 3/4 cup of unsweetened cereal (I add Splenda) 1 cup of milk, and 1 hard boiled egg. There are ideas listed on the sheet under each food type category, which makes it really easy to follow. 12 cherries=1 serving of carbs, 1 piece of bread=1 serving of carbs, etc. It hasn't been *that* bad, really, but I am definitely looking forward to not being pregnant and being able to eat whatever I want again! The worst part of the whole thing is that I have to go to the lab every 2 weeks for blood draws. I have no idea why I cannot check my own sugar. Of course, I haven't asked, either.
jki , I have just been through a pregnancy with Type 1 diabetes. Similar to gestational, but I have to check my blood glucose every day ( I was checking 10-12x/day while pg) and I take insulin everyday.
I know watching what you eat, checking ketones and checking your glucose is a pita, but it sounds like you are doing everything you can to stay healthy.
It's also seems really hard to control your BS. For example, for breakfast, I ate 3/4 piece of toast, scrambled eggs with feta and ½ chicken apple sausage. I tested at 137 and I need to be under 130. The doctor said if this continues, I may need insulin in the morning.
That is probably one of the most frustrating parts of having diabetes, sometimes you just don't know why your blood sugar is high. I know for some pregnant diabetics the morning is the hardest, blood sugars seem to be harder to control. Could it be that your fasting glucose (what your blood sugar was when you woke up in the morning - before you ate breakfast)was already high?
One thing that helped me a lot was to write down everything I ate over a period of a few days. I took the information to a nutritionist and she helped me to figure out what was making my blood sugar spike at certain times. You could probably even check over the log yourself if you don't have access to a nutritionist. I remember during my pregnancy, there were days when I was 'grazing' most of the day and I didn't even realize it!
In terms of snacks, I know that Carb Options (I think they sell that in the US, I'm in Canada), makes peanut butter that contains Splenda. Peanut butter is an awesome snack, and is a good source of protein. My Diabetes Nurse Educator always suggests peanut butter as a good snack. As well, maybe you could ask your Dr. about protein shakes? I know they sell some that are low in carbs. Cheese is another good snack, but you have to be a little more careful of that one as dairy will make your blood sugar rise.
If you, or anyone else has any questions, I'd be more than happy to help out if I can. Hang in there!
celina , I eat peanut butter with whole wheat crackers, or whole wheat bread, or celery. The whole wheat part is important. White bread is full of sugar, whole wheat or any type of grain bread is better.
One thing I was thinking about that might help some of you choose a snack is the glycemic index. Here is a link to what the Canadian Diabetes Association has to say about the glycemic index.
This is what the Glycemic Index is:
The Glycemic Index is a scale that ranks carbohydrate-rich foods by how much they raise blood glucose levels compared to glucose or white bread. When you eat food that contains carbohydrates, the sugar (glucose) from the food breaks down during digestion and gives you energy. After you eat, your blood glucose level rises; the speed at which the food is able to increase your blood glucose level is called the “glycemic response.” This glycemic response is influenced by many factors, including how much food you eat, how much the food is processed or even how the food is prepared (for example, pasta that is cooked al dente – or firm – has a slower glycemic response than pasta that is overcooked).
You can probably Google 'glycemic index' to get a more complete list of foods.
LeslieR:
Perhaps you don't have to check your own blood sugar since I am a lot further along than you are? What kind of cereal do you have in the morning? My dietician said I probably wouldn't be able to tolerate cereal for breakfast, but that I could probably have a bit as a snack.
Kates:
Thanks for your informative post! My mom has Type II diabetes - but she is SO good about her diet that the tastiest thing she eats is swiss chard.
My fasting BS was 81.... the doctor said I need more protein in my late night snack. I do keep a log of what I eat for each meal/snack, how the carbs break down and what my BS measurements are. It does help but I'm so new at this, it's hard to tell what is making the numbers go up or down.
Following along, just finished my 3 hour yesterday, will hear the results on Tuesday. My number was 155 from the 1 hour test, and the lady at the lab seemed pretty confident that I would pass my 3 hour test. Now I'm not so sure, after seeing that someone had their number at 152...
Guess I'll have to wait until next week to see if I'm joining you!
BTW - my arms look like I'm a druggie! Track marks! LOL!
Gestational Diabetes master thread
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Even a serving of mixed greens has 4g of carbs. One small pancake is 15g. One small red skinned potato is 15g. 
I have a total sweet tooth and LOVE carbs. It's also seems really hard to control your BS. For example, for breakfast, I ate 3/4 piece of toast, scrambled eggs with feta and 1/2 chicken apple sausage. I tested at 137 and I need to be under 130. The doctor said if this continues, I may need insulin in the morning. 
I have no idea why I cannot check my own sugar. Of course, I haven't asked, either.
