Gestational Diabetes - Tinley Park, IL

I went to a diabetes class at the hospital where I learned what and how to eat. You learn that you only get a certain number of carbs per meal. 3 meals a day and 3 snacks. Yes you will be hungry and you just might loose weight! That is ok since you totally change what you are eating and how much. I only gained 15lbs. They will have you track how many carbs you eat per meal. And they will want you to do some sort of exercise. I walked 2 times a day for 15-20 minutes. The best time to do this is after you eat, it will help your blood sugar levels. I also had to do the blood test 4 times a day, a morning fast and then 2 hours after every meal.No picnic, but after a while you get used to it. I had to call these numbers in to the high risk OB that monitored the levels. I also had a level 3 ultra sound once to check for the amniotic fluid level. With GD your levels can be low. As the pregnancy progressed I could actually tell when my sugar level was off.
I was able to have cake at my baby showers and go and have a nice dinner with my husband and my friends. I also went on vacation. You just need to watch what you eat. And make a note of the reason why your sugar count was high.
Towards the end I had to go to into the Drs office 2 times a week for non stress tests.

I bought a couple of cook books, ones for diabetes and one for low carb. The low carb was the best in my opinion.
We were allowed to have 45 carbs per meal. and 15 carbs per snack.

I liked to east Ensure Healthy M. snack bars. They come in a couple of different flavors and were great if you are on the run.I ate most everything with out buns, ate a ton of salad I felt like a was going to become a rabbit. The down side is all the wonderful fruit that is in season, that was very hard for me to stay away from. I also ate grilled chicken and pork a lot.
Breakfast was the hardest for me. I loved pancakes and waffles. I ate eggs, toast and milk.

After all this I have a happy beautiful 19 month old boy.
I was induced 10 days early because the Dr didn't want my son to be huge. My labor was normal, 9 hours from start to finish and he was only 7.5 lbs.
In the hospital they will take the babies blood every time he eats. I don't remember if it was before or after.

If you would like some recipes I would be more than happy to share them. I still use most of them.
Hope this helps!
Good Luck.

1 mom found this helpful

I would definately see a nutritionist/dietician who can guide you carefully. Your OB doctor can refer you to one. I found my dietician to be extremely helpful when I went through it.

I too am throwing in my GD story. Unfortunately, I had midwives that didn't catch it in time. I gained 60 pounds with my pregnancy and ended up giving birth to an 11 lb baby. My midwives kept telling me to load up on carbs, which I did. I definitely think this contributed to my weight gain and GD. I'm glad that the other moms who posted on here didn't have to go through what I did, and I agree that cutting down on carbs, but still eating a high fiber diet is the way to go. And definitely watch what you eat afterwards. I went on the South Beach diet once I was finished breastfeeding and lost all of the weight gained. It's an excellent diet.

I had Gestational Diabetes with both my pregnancies and was insulin dependant with the second one. I highly recommend the Better Homes and Gardens Diabetic Cookbook for recipes for dinners and such. :-)

When I was diagnosed they set me up with a dietician who sat down and figured out how many calories/carbs each meal/serving should be. I have to say it felt like I spent tons of time eating and never went hungry - it was more a matter of portion control and changing some of what foods I was eating. Both my children came out perfect weights (6 lbs, 15 oz & 7 lbs 10 oz) despite the angsty doctors warning me about big babies and all that. I figure my diligence in following the diet paid off, and there was room there for the occasional small "fudge" when there was an important event.

I think the key thing I will warn you against is the aftermath - once the baby is born try to resist jumping in and eating everything you "couldn't" have while pregnant. I have little willpower myself and now I'm paying for all those carbs and sweets I ate during the first three months AFTER my daughter was born. As soon as the baby is born they will check your blood-sugar levels and probably declare you back to normal.

Good luck!

I had gestational diabetes too. TO DEAL...I freaked out and balled for about a day. Then I regrouped and focus on what's most important: HOW YOUR BABY IS AFFECTED. If your OB hasn't already, as for a referral to dietician. I followed his recommendations EXACTLY. I bought a food scale, measured everything out into single portion sizes I walked at least a mile each morning and evening...I exercised mid-day too (keeping up with your son should keep you pretty active;-) ). I journalled all my food intake, exercise, insulin, blood sugar levels, etc. I never got completely comfy with the insulin injections, but I survived...Pricking my fingers for my sugars 4 times a day was no fun either. Anyway my somewhat militant behavior was all worth it when the nurses told me that they've "never had a baby of an insulin dependent mother, with more perfect blood sugar levels." Also, FYI there's a chance of induction if you've not already had the baby by your due date (they don't want the baby to sit and get fat in your tummy). I don't know if that helps...just my experience!

Hi J B

I had GD with both my pregnancies. The first one I was insulin dependant and the 2nd I was not. Eat food high in fiber. Whole grains, veggies etc. High protein foods are also very good as long as they aren't super high in fat. Just stay away from sweets for sure and if you are going to have carbs make sure to balance it out with enough fiber and protein. Also drink lot's of water. Also, try and eat smaller amounts more often to keep your sugar levels stable so they don't drop and then spike when you eat.

Do you know how severe it is? Are you just borderline or will you be put on medication? Do you have to test your blood every day?

I had to test my blood 4 times a day with both pregnancies. My second child they put me on Glyboride (spelling??). It's a small pill and you take a certain amount through out the day. It was much better then insulin but the insulin controlled my sugars better and kept the weight of the baby down better as well. Both my sons were born perfectly healthy. My first is almost 4 and my second will turn 1 in about 2 weeks.

If I can be of any more help just send me an email!!

Good luck and take care,

N.

I had GB as well. I think as long as you see a dietitian and they put you on Glybride it isn't too bad to follow. I did fairly well, and I love food just as much as the next person. You just have to go out for walks at least once a day and watch your diet. But watch it, because your blood sugar can also go low very fast. Mine had a few times where all the sudden I just felt like I was going to pass out if I didn't get sugar or carbs into my system. I would recommend that you keep a small snack in your purse.

my situation was very similar to mary's. its no walk in the park, but better safe than sorry and givign birth to 12lb baby.
in addition, i had to check my urine maybe every morning? i can't remember exactly, but i did have to take insulin and do the carb counting. and you do have to go to your dr. more frequently to report your numbers and make any necessary adjustments.
the good news is that it goes away right after birth, so you can pig out on all the junk you want!

I know this seems contradictory, but make sure that you eat enough carbs. When I had it, I was on a 45 (breakfast), 60 (lunch and dinner) and 15 (morning and afternoon snack) and 30(evening snack). The evening dinner and snack are especially important so that your morning numbers aren't high.. that's what they really look for to see if you need insulin. Find what works for you and use variations on it. Did they give you a session with a nutritionist? For me they did and gave me a chart on what carb counts were for things. You are also told NOT to have fruit with your breakfast (too much sugar too fast). And you have to count the carbs in milk too... definitely have to me more measured in everything you do. Also, you have to exercise. Even walking... or a pregnancy class exercise class, even a good hike up some stairs will bring down your sugars... if you need more help, feel free to email!

I had GD with my son and I was referred to a nutritionist and an endocrinologist to help me get it under control. The nutritionist was so helpful and it even helped me after pregnancy, since you will now be at a higher risk of developing diabetes as early as 5 years after pregnancy. I was put on insulin and had a strict diet since mine was caught later in pregnancy.

Its not easy having GD, but talking to someone like a nutritionist or an endocrinologist can really help you through.

Good Luck :)