Gestational Diabetes
Every pregnancy I fail the 1 hr glucose test. I usually can squeak by and pass the 3 hour test but not this time. I failed and they diagnosed me with gestational diabetes. Because of the hormones the placenta needs to produce it can cause insulin resistance. My body isn't using the sugar or glucose in my blood as quick as it should and too much glucose going to the baby can make the baby grow too big too fast. It's considered high or higher risk to have GD and risks include: a larger baby, larger chance of c section because of a larger baby, higher chance of complications including still birth. So a wide variety of outcomes.
My OB seems me as borderline and is confident I can control it with diet modification and exercise. This is also my goal too because I want to avoid being put on insulin if I can. Nothing wrong with needing it- if your body needs it, you need it! But then they'll induce me around 38 weeks so I'd like to avoid that if I can. I got my glucometer, test strips and lancets. I prick my finger and test my blood glucose 4 times a day- morning, and 2 hr after every meal.
The information I got from my Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor was very basic. A general range of carbs, eat fruit and vegetables, whole grains, limit sweets and soda. I already ate pretty well and knew my counts would still be high unless I found some more tips and tricks. I found a couple of instagram accounts that I really liked following: Glucose Goddess, GD Nutrition and accounts like the sorts that were MUCH more helpful than the info my MFM dr gave me.
I found the order I ate my food in helped a lot. Veggies or salad first, meats or no carb foods, carb foods then fruit or things with sugar in them last. I couldn't eat dessert at night but I found I could eat a treat after lunch and test just fine. I even found ways to eat out! Salads, wraps, tacos- the nutritional menus were very helpful. Sometimes eating out I guesstimated carbs and got it wrong, oops. But for the most part my numbers after meals were good! It was my fasting morning test that kept being a little bit high. I tried changing the time of my bedtime snack and the food of my bedtime snack until I found the most success was eating at 9pm a no carb small snack.
My weight dropped and plateaued for a while which I hoped was from my drop in sugar intake and that the baby was still gaining weight just fine. It was hard because I often felt like I couldn't listen to my body and eat when I felt hungry because I had to wait to test. Or sometimes I would mess up the carb numbers and wouldn't stay full long enough but felt like I couldn't eat. I frequently felt like my options were a lot smaller and I couldn't just grab a granola bar really quick. Thankfully from the time I was diagnosed I only have to do this for a maximum of 8 weeks, so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it feels doable.
Breakfasts
- Eggs & toast
- Bacon
- Avocado toast
- Steel cut oats (fruit, chia seeds, greek yogurt, nut butter mix ins)
- Greek yogurt with chia seeds
- Apples & peanut butter or cheese
- Cottage cheese with crackers or cucumbers
- Pepperoni & cheese
- Hard boiled eggs
- Greek yogurt with chia seeds, nut butter and fruit
- Salad. Always a salad first. Load it up with veggies, any protein I have on hand.
- Soup & small grilled cheese
- Sausage & Kale soup - I loaded it with kale so it was like a salad too
- Small amount of leftovers
- Like I said, I could eat a dessert or treat after lunch so I tried Halo Top and Rebel ice cream. I was impressed for what they are. They actually tasted pretty good for how low in sugar and fat they are.
- I don't drink a lot of soda anyways but there are times when I just wanted something other than water. So I tried diet soda and man I do not love it. It fulfills the want but it almost tastes more sweet. I wouldn't choose diet if I didn't have to. Milk seemed to be fine too so that was great!
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