Moms with Gestational Diabetes

When I was pregnant with my now 16-year-old daughter, I had it, too. I had a weekend stay in the hospital to see if I could control my blood sugar by proper diet alone and, as I was able to do so, did not have to take shots. The diabetic diet is actually one that would benefit everybody; it's well-balanced and healthy, so it's good for averybody whether or not they have diabetes. The shots are really nothing, if you have to start them, and the diabetes is gone as soon as you have the baby. Having gestational diabetes can be a red flag for the possibility of you actually having diabetes later on. I did have to go on insulin shots when my daughter was around 12, but I no longer have to take these now and have my blood sugar under control with oral medication. Good luck and pleas keep in touch!!

Hi K.! My son is now 2, but I did have gestational diabetes when I was pregnant too. My doctor sent me to a 4 hour class with a nutritionist who gave me some paper work and diet suggestions. I also had to take my blood/sugar levels a minimum of 4 times per day in order to ensure I was keeping it at the safe level my doctor had given me. It was frustrating at first because I felt like I had to give up all the foods I liked, but a couple of weeks into it, it was more of a game to find cool new things I could eat without shooting my sugar level too high! I basically figured out that the correct levels were maintained as long as I did not eat any breads, or foods that contained alot of bread. I could eat a steak or porkchops, vegetables covered w/ cheese sauce and sugar free chocolate pudding w/ 1 tblsp of peanut butter and 1 dollop of whip cream (to satisfy my HUGE sweettooth) and this would be fine, however... 1 totinos pizza and that would be too much. (only 3 small slices would be fine though!) It was not too bad and looking back, it really just teaches us to eat a little healthier. There is tons of information on the internet and lots of books if you wanted to read up on it. (I always feel better once I feel more informed about something) Everytime I have any questions, I just do a web search and start reading! Let me know if there is anything I can do!

I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my son in 2005. It is a scary thing to hear at first, but it is very manageable. I'm sure that your doctor has instructed you to take the nutrition class which will show you how many carbs you can have per day and teach you how to test your blood. The hardest part for me was sticking to the diet which ended up not mattering anyway because we were unable to control my blood sugar with diet alone and I was put on insulin. Absolutely NOTHING is wrong with my son so, don't stress even if you have to go on insulin. My little guy was 8lbs 15 oz when he was born and he is a very healthy child. Follow your doctor's advice, relax and enjoy these last few weeks of your pregnancy, they are the MOST fun!!

Hi K.,

I'm L. and I live not too far from you -- I'm down here in Bradenton, about 40 miles south of you. I had gestational diabetes five years ago when I was pregnant with my now four-and-a-half year old son. When I was diagnosed I was not all that surprised, because diabetes runs in my family. Plus, I was over 40, and I imagine older moms are more likely to develop diabetes than younger moms. For me, it was no big deal because I did not have to take insulin -- I controlled my sugar levels with diet, and of course checked myself several times per day with those sugar level monitors (I forget what they are called...the ones where you prick your finger for a few drops of blood and then the little meter reads your levels.) Doing the blood sugar "finger pricking" was not my favorite activity in the world, but it wasn'tawful. And I did the diet plan that they teach in Sarasota Memorial Hospital's diabetes education department and I thought it was a very good eating plan for anyone, pregnant or not, diabetic or not.

I see that your request was dated April 6, so I am sure you've had time to research gestational diabetes and start your treatment plan. Stick with it and I'm sure things will turn out great. They did for me...my son has been healthy since day one, and after my pregnancy the diabetes went away.

Happy baby! When's your baby due? If your due date is in August, try to hold out for 8/23 (my birthday)

L.

PS: I'm sure you know that the generally accepted statistic is that women who've had gestational diabetes are at higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes later in life. Oh well. I've been thinking about that lately, and I plan to get back to testing myself, just to monitor my sugar levels and maybe improve my diet.

Good morning!

I had gestational diabetes during my last pregnancy (2003). At first I was a little worried but I was very fortunate to work for a diabetic supply company, so, I kind of knew some of the ins and outs of diabetes to begin with. One thing that I would stress is to follow your diet plan. More than likely you will have a meeting with a dietician who will show how to eat properly. Maintaining your sugar levels is what's important and this is done by your diet. Your probably be provided a meter by your insurance company. If for some reason you don't get one (I don't know your insurance situation), please feel free to contact me at my work ###-###-#### ext 208. I will see what I can do to help you get a meter and some test strips. We have a charity offshoot from our business company that was helping Tampa Medicaid mothers with diabetes last year. So please call if you need!

One thing I experienced was the feeling of being left out of the "get-to-eat-what-you-want" thing. I did stick to my diet but I must admit I would allow a little treat now and then. It just wouldn't be the biggest baddest dessert but it would be a little something sweet.

Just keep an eye on your blood sugars and keep a running log of your testing. It will help you, your dietician, and your physician maintain your health and the health of your baby. Near the end of my pregnancy I did have more ultrasounds because they wanted to keep an eye on the size of my son growing inside me. So don't be alarmed!

Good luck! And congratulations on your new baby-to-be!

Sincerely,

R. Poirier

I had it with my 1st 2 pregnancies but they did not diagnose me til I was almost 27 weeks, I wish they could have done it early like they did with you. I gained a lot of weight with my oldest cause they did not diagnose it early enough.
It is not that bad, you just follow the diet that the nutritionist gives you and check your blood sugar regularly. The diet they put me on was 60g of carbohydrates for 3 meals and 30g for 3 snacks inbetween.
My kids were 8lbs 2oz and 7 13 with diabetes, and my youngest, whom I did not get diabetes was 8lbs 15.5oz. So for me the non gest diabetes baby was larger.

If you have any questions you can email me.

K.,

I had gestational diabetes with my only child. i found out when i was 6 weeks pregnant. also, i hated it because i had to use insulin. it sucked, i hated injecting myself and i was only 19 when i was pregnant. i got use to it but then at the same time i had to see a nutritionist. seeing the nutritionist wasnt bad because she was a close friend of mine but the dieting and eating healthy was tough to do. but i followed her directions and i never gained a pound until the last two months of pregnancy. i gained a total of ten pounds. i measured everything using the palm of my hand. i baked everything i ate or bbq. if i ate out, i orderd a salad with fat free or light dressing. sometimes, i would pig put because i just wanna eat but then the next day get back to the original dieting. but dont worry after you give birth you won't have diabletes hopefully and also they check your baby also, if he/she may have it. good luck with the pregnancy and congratulations.

I had it with both babies and thought it was going to be the end of the world. After meeting with the dietician and testing your blood for some time you will see what triggers your body. I found Mrs. Buttersworth sugar free syrup (I switched from two eggos with regular syrup to one waffle with sausage and sugar free syrup and it was fine.) We still use the Mrs. Buttersworth syrup because it's that good.
I also made a lot of Sugar Free chocolate pudding with 2% milk and then fat free cool whip, something I also continue with today. Just test your sugar. With my first daughter, she was born 8 weeks early and I gained 6 pounds and with my second born at 37 weeks I gained nothing. (Not recommended, but I was overweight to begin with) I don't test my blood anymore, but still use many diet tips and weigh 25 lbs less than before I started having kids. Also, my hubby now uses my meter to control his sugar because he tested his blood a few times when I was doing it and his sugar was crazy.
Good Luck
S. Gallo
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Hi K.,
I had gestional Diabetes when I was pregnant with my last baby.I went with a nutricionist and I had to follow very extrictly the diet because when I had five months old of pregnancy I started having labor pain because of the diabetes,the doctor was surprised because I was losing weight instead of gain it.Just stick with the diet and everything will be fine because right now your baby is the important thing in your life.

Hey K.. They told me that they had missed GD in me (although my glucola test score was 67, well below the 140 cut off for GD) and that is why I had a 9lb8.5oz baby. One website that has a lot of great information is http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/ Don't let the name fool you, it has great information for pregnant women of all sizes. http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/gd/gd_index.html is her section on GD. It has a lot of good information on there.

Hi K.,

First of all, Gestational Diabetes is temporary once you have your baby your blood sugar will go back to normal. I had Gestational Diabetes with both of my boys and it's not as bad as you think. As long as you stick with the calorie diet they put you on and make sure you monitor your blood sugar, by pricking your finger three times a day, so it isn't too high you will be fine. Most likely you may have to take insulin to keep your blood sugar down. One thing to remember is to make sure you stick with the diet which is basically eating bland food. It is only temporary it will go away as soon as you have your baby and they check that before you leave the hospital. Just watch what you eat and monitor your sugar because it will effect how big your baby will be when they are born, but they will be healthy and most likely will not have diabetes they check that too. My boys were 8 lbs & 4 oz and 8lbs and 15.6 oz. If you want to know more they have books on Gestational Diabetes at the library and your Dr's office also here is a website that gives information on Gestational Diabetes www.babycenter.com/refcap/2058.html, but if you need someone to talk to you can email me if want my email address is ____@____.com. Because I know what you are going through.

I hope this helps you out a little.

Sincerely,

R.

Hi K.,

I work for the American Diabetes Association and can tell you that there is no better source than our Web site... www.diabetes.org! I had a scare with gestational diabetes myself but was never diagnosed. The good news is that it will go away when the baby is born, but you need to be careful about managing it while pregnant and then pay attention to risk factors afterward, b/c you will have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes later.

Type 2 diabetes runs in both sides of my family and I had a big baby (9,6) so I am at a higher risk of developing type 2 myself later in life. My Dad was just diagnosed this past fall and is managing his quite well. Exercise is key, as is a healthy diet, which is always good when you're pregnant anyway.

Please call us here at the office if you need more help or local info! ###-###-####!

Good luck,
K.

K.,

I had GD with my daughter. I did not find out until I was 23 or 24 weeks pregnant and it was not too bad. It took a few days to get used to pricking my fingers, but if you get on a good carb diet, then you can hopefully control it with that. I had to go on a pill during the last few weeks of my pregnancy. I got a nutritionist referral when I found out and she helped a lot with food choices. Good luck and know that it is all worth it.

K.

K.,
I had gestational diabetes during my pregnancy. It was SO hard for me because all I craved was fruit and I couldn't have it. I can give you so much advice on things to eat and things to avoid. Just email me ____@____.com

Dear K.,
With two out of three pregnancies I had GD. I controlled my carbohydrates per meal and snack. In the mornings I drank soy milk with the lowest carbs. I ate eggbeaters omlets or egg fratata. I usually added spinach or barley or something green that also gave me roughage or fiber. I used the whole fruit (instead of juice) for my spread or sweet. Whole grain crackers & cheese or peanut butter crackers for snack. Decaf coffee or tea. (fruit sugar instead of white sugar or splendor).
I limited my whole grain (mulitigrain not just whole wheat)bread to my lunch meal. Even 2 slices of wholegrain multigrain bread gives only 30 carbs. I tried to limit my max carbs per meal to 60. When I made salads I tried to limit the carbs to 15 or 20 per snack. Always I used nuts & salad greens and roots like carrots, parnips, beets, herbs and oil & vinergarette home made dressings to control. Afternoon smoothies were with protein powders or soy milk to balance the fruit carbs and made the snack more like a treat. Dinner with the family was without gravies that add extra carbs. No white potatos or white rice or pasta through the week. On weekends I had a little pasta out. NO FRENCH FRIES. I did eat sweet potatos with a little maple & a little unsalted (REAL) butter, nutmeg & cinnamon or allspice. When I wanted fries I ussed sweet potatos fried in Olive oil. I only used sea salt to bring out the freshness & jack up the flavor. Dissolve sea salt in water soak taters 10-20 minutes while chilling the water. Fry cold in hot olive oil. Drink fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice to make lemonade with this food. Sweetened with honey fruit sugar or splendor. Wonderful with eggplant slices or casserole instead of pasta. Soft Gourmet figs are wonderful with sweet potato and can be used as main dish, snack or dessert. These type foods keep you satisfied while holding your carbs at level you can manage. At least, 5 servings of whole fruit and 5 veggies not carbs each day. Limit the breads to no more than 45 carbs per day. Limit carb veggies to 2 half cup servings per day. It is easier to control cooked green vegetables that carb veggies. This helped me to get full meals with sending my blood sugars crazy. I had plenty energy and less toxicity also. I drank at least 4 glasses of water besides other liquids. It kept my kidneys functioning normal. I also walked for 5 to 10 minutes 3or 4 times a day around my house. This helped me to burn up excess carbs. I lived in the Arizona heat and could not go outside during the day. I just kept moving from room to room. I would rest with my feet up and a dark blanket over my body to kept the light off my babies as my body stretched and thinned itself. It helped the babies to take longer rest periods and have more development time. I did not have to take medication and did not have to stay in hospital after it was determined that I had GD. Again, manage salt, sweets, carbs. Try to keep carbs at about 100-120 per day. KEEP bowels movements to open to a minimum to ONE PER DAY. If you miss one day, eat more greens the day day and less bread or starches until you get regulated to once per day. Breads and starches are the main reason for sloughish bowel movements. You can do it. God bless! If you need to talk and want to contact me please do.

I had that...once you get used to the diet and glocose testing it's not that bad. You've probably built up a tolerace to the insulin your body naturally makes. After you have the baby they will check you a few more times and you should be fine. The first meal after your sugar returns to normal will taste fabulous!

Good Luck!

Hi K.:
I had gestational diabetes with both of my daughters. With the first I was about 120 lbs when I got pregnant. I then went "up" in weight and the doctor said my body could not process what it needed to with the new weight.

In both instances, my GD was controlled by diet and exercise. With my second daughter, the doctor had me check my sugar levels twice a day after she had given me an appropriate blood sugar level to stay within and a per day calorie diet.

I did follow my diet to a T. I learned what food gave me the best benefit for my buck and tummy :)! The one thing I wished someone would have told me was to check for a diabetes conversation chart. This allowed me to substitute different foods and stay within my diet. I looked for foods I liked that gave me a large bulk of food and still stayed within my diet. I never knew oatmeal could task to good. I got a lot and it is a heavy food that fell within my diet.

The doctors did tell me after my pregnancy, to go back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I have carried over some of the diabetic eating habits and it has led to us eating healthier.

For me, I had to think of it as not being on a diet; but eating properly anyway! Proper amounts, proper food groups, eat when I am hungry and stop when I am not and exercise! I here for support!

Both of our daughters were born with no problems, appropriate weight and no problems what so ever. Thank God.

Good Luck,
S.
____@____.com