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I was just diagnosed with gestational diabetes and am very lost. Does anyone have meal ideas? I feel like my choices are dwindling and I don't get to see the nutritionalist until the 6th of September. Also do you ever get cracks in the corner of your mouth that hurt? I tried to find info on the net but nothing got that specific. Any advice is welcome as I am currently worried and clueless. It worries more that I am affecting the baby then anything about me. Posts: 601 | Registered: Sep 2002
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My mom had gestational diabetes with both my brother and I. I could try asking her for meal ideas, but I know she didn't eat much at all during her pregnancies (due to constant "morning sickness"). I know she ate ice cubes!
Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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Try anything Atkins oriented and you won't have a problem. For sweet treats, try sugar free jello with some whipped cream. Yummy and low carb. (Iffen you like Jello, that is.)
But for meals, just aim for really low carb. Good luck. (As a side note, you might want to keep a pretty tight rein on your weight and have your blood sugar checked after the baby. Apparently, you have a 20-50% chance of developing diabetes in the next 5 years, so Atkins might be something you might think about for the future as a way to stave off diabetes. )
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I was also diagnosed with gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with Matthew. My midwife hooked me up with a clinical dietician, who gave me great ideas. This was covered by my insurance, as well. The biggest downer was not being allowed to have orange juice. Had to be encased in an orange if I was going to drink it.
The effect of gestational diabetes on your system is basically no different than other forms of diabetes, depends on severity. The important thing for me was to be very alert about monitoring my blood sugar. I was self-testing about 10 times per day: before each meal, immediately after, and an hour or so later (memory fails). I was on a 1,500 calorie per day diet from months 6 - 8 1/2.
Spacing the meals, and being very careful of portion control were very important.
My midwife actually lent me a monitor for the length of my pregnancy, all I paid for were the lancets and testing sticks. Some insurance covers that as well.
You can email me at coyotegirl at lycos dot com if you want to chat or have further questions I can help with.
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I have had it with two out of my three pregnancies. My brother has had diabetes since he was 7 or 8. Watch your carb intake. Eat as many whole grains as you can. Any refined flour or sugar will send your sugars up. Whole wheat bread can be tricky, make sure it is real whole wheat and not refined in anyway. Limit sweets, eat them with your meal (as long as your meal is primarily meat and veggies not breads...) so they metabolize easier. Try to get whole wheat pastas and tortillas as well. Load up on the fiber filled veggies and keep fruits to a minimum, though don't cut them out because you need the nutrition from them.
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Depending on how much carb you can have, all these suggestions here are good. One thing I would add is that the timing of food is at least as important as what you eat. I can't eat any carbs in the morning without causing a spike in my blood sugar. But that same food later on at night will do fine. So pay attention to that too. Joey (my endocrinologist) said that's quite common to have poor carb tolerance early in the day and better later on towards afternoon and evening.
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Oh, and I love these low carb shakes . One of them makes a good meal or snack, and gives you almost no carbs at all.
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So far it seems that my "spike time" is right when I wake up. The doc told me it needs to be between 60-95 but I am getting around 110. I am going to try cutting back my bed time snack and see if that helps. Did you guys have to deliver early or "c" section?
Posts: 601 | Registered: Sep 2002
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The cracks in the corner of your mouth may be from high blood sugar. When you're high you get very dehydrated and a lot of times your lips will get superchapped. Make sure to drink lots of water! Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Thanks! That makes me feel better. At least I don't have the creeping crud or something! I am drinking so much water that I just started getting home delivery so I don't have to keep going to Sam's Club! My water at my house tastes bad. Posts: 601 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Yeah, lots of water is the only thing that gets my blood sugar down when it goes high, too!
110 fasting sounds way good to me. My doc says so long as it's 120 or less he's happy. Of course double digits would be even better but I just rarely ever see those now. I don't get those even if I fast for a whole day. Just the glucose my liver generates along with my insulin resistance keeps me in the low hundreds at least, usually.
Heavy exercise can drop it way down, so keep that in mind too. I guess since you're pregnant they don't want you to do aerobic exercise enough that you breathe too hard to carry on a conversation. But walking or yoga or something is a really good way to improve your numbers. It has a twofold effect. The exercise itself lowers it when you do it, and the increased muscle mass decreases your insulin resistance. Since gestational diabetes is in many ways just like type 2 diabetes, (and you'll probably get type 2 later on in your life), it probably responds very well to exercise too just like type 2 does.
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My husband and I have taken up walking at night. The doc said they are more interested in time then distance right now. I try to go for 15-20 minutes at least. Or until the belly gets too heavy to support anymore. Posts: 601 | Registered: Sep 2002
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I have that little cracking thing by my mouth. I think it's just because of the weather actually. It seems like chapped lips basically.
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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(((dawnmaria))) Lots of good suggestions, when you eat try to have the protein and carbs together (like a sandwich or a stir fry). Don't snack on just carbs. I know it's tough, there is usually at least on protein I "go off" every time I'm pregnant. Sometimes it's eggs, sometimes it's peanut butter.
The nutritionist will probably try to put you on a low fat high fiber thing, because they are trained to respond to diabetes with weight and cholesterol control. At least, that was what went on with this lady I roomed with who had GD. I lived with her for about 2 weeks- due to being in the military in the middle east we spent our last 4 weeks of pregnancy as quasi-inpatients. Anyway, that was almost 12 years ago so maybe things have gotten better.
In addition to New Atkins, the Zone is similar idea of avoiding insulin. Again, if you really want a certain thing that is probably not good, have it with some "good for you" stuff. With means immediately after.
Do you like almonds? They are a pretty good source of protein. Watch out for the soy stuff. Isolated soy protein may not be good for the baby. How far along are you?
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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The cracking/irritation at the corners of the mouth is called angular chelitis or perleche . It occurs in a range of severity.
Sometimes the underlying cause is Vitamin B deficiency, as Tammy indicated above. More frequently it is just secondary effects of wetness and stretching because of location. Many times the cracked area becomes superinfected with either yeast or bacteria (staphylococcus or streptococcus) -- the latter especially if there is honey-crusted scabbiness.
A good initial way to try to clear it up is to take an over-the-counter multivitamin regularly (just to be sure, and good for you in general) and rub a little antifungal cream (Nystatin, diaper rash cream) on both sides of the outside of the mouth a couple times every day or so. It only takes a tiny amount. Don't make a point of swallowing spoonsful of it. If that doesn't work, try an antibacterial ointment like Neosporin instead.
[ August 26, 2004, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
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I would not jump to deeply into Atkins like diets, but I do agree with limiting refined flours and sugar. A true Atkin's diet will put you into ketosis and that is not really a good thing. It is an emergency measure your body uses if there aren't enough carbs around, and it is very hard on your kidneys. Hardly something to be doing while you have diabetes.
Besides, you don't need ketosis. You aren't trying to lose weight right now. Ketosis will make your body metabolize your fat and yes, your muscle too, more effeciently.
Steps up higher onto soapbox, and getting irrelevent to gestational diabetes: Most weight loss articles I've read are raving about low/no carb diets. But most FITNESS articles I've read are saying they aren't good for you. Very difficult to build your muscles while you are on a diet that breaks down muscle.
I think AK has good advice about knowing when to eat your carbs. I see nothing wrong with a low fat/ high fiber diet. Especially the high fiber during pregnancy, as constipation can be a natural effect of pregnancy and be increased by prenatal vitamins.
Posts: 438 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I wanted to bump this because of what Amka brings up, "real" Atkins is probably just as bad as high starch because of the stress of not enough carbs. Also, too little carbs will deplete your neurotransmitters- this happened during my last pregnancy.
On the soy, I think Silk is fine but 8th continent is made from the soy protein isolate. It may be healthy for menopausal women but may not be so good for babies.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Mama Squirrel had gestational diabetes during both pregnancies, but it's been a rough few days at work since we got back from vacation, and she hasn't Hatracked at all. I'll be sure she sees this thread tonight, though (even if she has nothing different to add).
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I don't have anything to add about the main topic, but I can recommend the best lip balm that I have ever used (which is saying something - I've spent hundreds of dollars in my search for the holy grail of lip balm.)
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Thanks again goes out to all of you! I have had a better day today. My levels are going down a little more each day so I feel like I am doing SOMETHING! Thanks for all the lip info! I will neosporin tonight and I religiously use the Burt's Bee's! It usually is the best relief, now I just want it to go away! I am very lucky in the fact that tomorrow we at 30 weeks so I don't have that much longer to go especially if they decide we should go early. Less time both excites and scares me! Am I ready?! I do know this, my hubby is under strict instructions to go get me a bacon cheeseburger and large fry from Roy Roger's as soon as I deliver! I will feel so much better when she gets out so I can make sure she's ok! Then I have to get on the ball to get in shape so I don't get diabetes for good. Once you get Gestational though, will you get it with every pregnancy? I want at least one more munchkin! Posts: 601 | Registered: Sep 2002
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I delivered Matt natural at 37 weeks. The obstetrician stripped the membranes on Monday afternoon, and I delivered Wednesday. I think Matt might have cooked another week or so, but no more. My blood sugar was back to normal immediately, and has stayed okay for the last several years. Need to get it rechecked, though, because Adult Onset Diabetes runs in the family on both sides.
I had a lot of trouble staying hydrated the whole time. My lip troubles were mainly attributed to not getting enough fluid into me.
Way too long a day. Sorry if I'm half incoherent and answering questions from days ago.
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I got GD with the first, did not with the second and did with the third. I was told you get it every time but obviously for me, I didn't. I think a lot of it has to do with how well you watch your diet with this one and then with the next one. The second pgcy I was much better about eating right. The third I didn't watch it well enough. Exercise will definately help you metabolize your food better, it builds muscle after all Nuts are very good to snack on, just watch those m&ms Posts: 1132 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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I have to admit though, when you are losing too much weight while pregnant, anything you can eat that will stay down is good. I had a friend who could only eat taco bell burritos for a while. Wierd. But usually in those cases one isn't in too much trouble of over eating.
Posts: 438 | Registered: Apr 2004
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As Pop said, I had GD with both kids. Because of a job change I had a different doc for each pregnancy. With Mooselet the doc said to do Atkins for the remainder of the pregnancy. He said eggs and bacon every morning for a couple months would not kill me. I had to check my sugar levels four times a day. With Superstation I was put on a diabetic diet (I actually preferred the Atkin's, it was easier). I only had to check my sugars twice a day. Always morning fasting and then rotating between the after breakfast, after lunch and after dinner.
I know some women whose GD alternated pregnancies. Mooselet was one day early (no induction or c-section). Superstation was five days late (was going to be induced, but labor finally started twelve hours before the scheduled induction). I did end up in the hospital with both kids having early contractions. With Mooselet I was put on bed rest. With Superstation I was just told to take it easy. With Mooselet I am sure it was work stress and his medical issues that caused it, not the GD.
Feel free to e-mail me if you have more questions.
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Thanks Mama, I hope they tell me to take it easy. I am so sick of my job and they don't know it yet but I am not coming back! I think Atkinn's would probably be easier then this but I hope after seeing the nutritionalist I have more options. If I could just get this fasting number down I'd feel great. The rest of the day's numbers are doing fine!
Posts: 601 | Registered: Sep 2002
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dawnmaria, the fasting number is the one that's hardest for you to control. I've found that decreasing my total daily carbs by 10 gms each time my fasting blood glucose is over 120 works great for me.
I basically watch every single bite that goes into my mouth, and count calories and nutrient values, carbs, and protein grams of every single thing I eat. Hunger or lack of hunger is input that I must pretty much completely ignore in this process. (If I'm very hungry and it's not time for me to have something, then I will get a vitamin and drink a lot of liquids, maybe. If I'm very hungry for a whole week at a time, I look again to be sure I'm getting all the nutrients I need. Otherwise hunger or lack of hunger is not allowed to affect food intake.)
I choose foods and the timing of meals as though it were medicine. It's boring and tedious but it's SO much better than being sick all the time that there's no real temptation to do differently. Plus it's very good training for the will. I get to feel sort of like Patience in Wyrms, that I am rather tough you know and not soft. A vanity, I guess, but it feels nice so I indulge myself in it. Posts: 2843 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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I've tried to explain that very thing to my friends (food=medicine). But it's nice to know that other people have to think that way too.
Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
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