Attn diabetics.. I need some help please!

[ggill]

pair protein with your carbs. If you want carrot sticks for a snack eat a cheese stick with it. I ate a lot of eggs and cheese. Eat mini meals so 5-6 x a day opposed to 3 big meals. Always eat some protein, it keeps your sugar more level. Also I am surprised they would tell you no carbs. You should still be eating fruit and some whole grains. I had GD with both boys and saw different nutritionists both times and they never said not to eat carbs. It is all about balance. IMO I would go with what the nutritionist say vs a midwife or doctor. Good luck!!

[DillyDay]

mm.. i was told stay in portion amounts. so could have pasta and rice and such. just stay in PORTIONS for them so like.. 1/2 cup of rice was one portion of it. and more fruits and veggies. it's easier if you do side salads instead of rice/pasta/potatoes. and you can have a lot of fun with salads! Just watch the dressings you use, they have a lot of sugars. and often 1 TBSP is 1 portion. honestly, it was mostly following the food guide for what to eat and such and following servings and portion controll. you'll be fine.

[ouchienurse]

An easy rule our diabetic educator uses is no portion larger than your fist. Make a fist, judge the portion and odds are you'll be ok. Everything in moderation.

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[badmisterkitty]

Who told you you can't have any carbs? That's wack. Your pregnant body needs some carbs. (I'm sure there are others who would disagree, but every Dr and nurse educator I have seen the 3 times I've had GD have stressed that the body needs some carbs and even scoffed at me a little when I described a few 'no carb' meals that I eat.)

The idea with GD is you have insulin resistance. Exercise reduces the resistance. So if you want to eat some spaghetti, go for a walk afterwards to make your body produce insulin and process those carbs.

If you are monitoring your blood glucose, you'll easily find the foods that affect you more than others. For me, a few things that affect me more than others are bread, grapes, and anything with straight sugar in it. You'll also notice there are times of day your body is more proficient at handling sugar and carbs. For me, it's morning. I can eat a 2-carb breakfast without effect, but not a 2-carb lunch.

Things I like to eat -
salads with lettuce, tomatoes, cuke, green olives, dressing and croutons.
WW low carb tortillas with melted cheese
sandwiches
WW or low carb (Dreamfields) pasta & sauce
grilled chicken with some sort of steamed veggie
black beans with brown rice & salsa/cheese/sour cream
for snacks - fruit in 1-cup portions like berries, melon and apples, nature valley protein bars, sunflower seeds, cheese sticks, nuts of all kinds, and occassionally even a little pack of fruit snacks

I also eat a lot of PB on bananas, banana "Ice cream" made with PB, frozen bananas and a little cocoa, I drink milk, water and plain soy milk.

You can really eat anything, though, even a small dessert, as long as you are making the effort to work off the carbs afterwards.

Now, that said, I am insulin requiring. If diet and exercise aren't working, insulin is a safe and effective way to regulate your blood sugar. The trouble with GD, though, is that by the time you get a handle on it you are ready to deliver.

[drunkenmonkeysmommy1]

My dh is diabetic. He can have carbs in moderation, and of course some are better than others. Whole grain over white bread,etc

[z2akids]

While I would listen to your midwife until you can get in to see a diabetic counsellor/nutritionist, I expect that you will be told you can have carbs in moderation. Please don't pick a fad diet or anything like that. Pairing protein with carbs slows the digestion of the carbs and helps your body be able to keep up with the carbs. That will depend on how severe your GD is.

Best of luck in working out your diet. It will be so important to your health and that of your baby. You will figure it out and winding up with a healthy baby who does not need to spend time in NICU will be the best reward!

[Agla]

If you follow the nutritionist's advice and keep a food journal and frequent testing you will learn quite a bit about what foods causes your blood sugar to go up.

Even some foods suggested by your nutritionist may not work for you as everyone is different. People have already given you some great ideas about what foods may work.

Really you will need to really grasp the idea of what a serving size is and make very deliberate choices about what carbs you choose.

So for example if I'm having a (measured) piece of bread of with my breakfast I can't really have a hash brown at the same meal. I have to choose one or the other. I make very specific food choices and just grabbing something and putting it in my mouth is not something I do any more.

While hard at first you might find that you enjoy his way of eating. I don't really miss the sweets and only occasionally the heavy carb loads I used to do.

Good luck. Please take care of yourself.

[04liquidS]

Originally Posted by badmisterkitty Who told you you can't have any carbs? That's wack. Your pregnant body needs some carbs. (I'm sure there are others who would disagree, but every Dr and nurse educator I have seen the 3 times I've had GD have stressed that the body needs some carbs and even scoffed at me a little when I described a few 'no carb' meals that I eat.) The idea with GD is you have insulin resistance. Exercise reduces the resistance. So if you want to eat some spaghetti, go for a walk afterwards to make your body produce insulin and process those carbs. If you are monitoring your blood glucose, you'll easily find the foods that affect you more than others. For me, a few things that affect me more than others are bread, grapes, and anything with straight sugar in it. You'll also notice there are times of day your body is more proficient at handling sugar and carbs. For me, it's morning. I can eat a 2-carb breakfast without effect, but not a 2-carb lunch. Things I like to eat - salads with lettuce, tomatoes, cuke, green olives, dressing and croutons. WW low carb tortillas with melted cheese sandwiches WW or low carb (Dreamfields) pasta & sauce grilled chicken with some sort of steamed veggie black beans with brown rice & salsa/cheese/sour cream for snacks - fruit in 1-cup portions like berries, melon and apples, nature valley protein bars, sunflower seeds, cheese sticks, nuts of all kinds, and occassionally even a little pack of fruit snacks I also eat a lot of PB on bananas, banana "Ice cream" made with PB, frozen bananas and a little cocoa, I drink milk, water and plain soy milk. You can really eat anything, though, even a small dessert, as long as you are making the effort to work off the carbs afterwards. Now, that said, I am insulin requiring. If diet and exercise aren't working, insulin is a safe and effective way to regulate your blood sugar. The trouble with GD, though, is that by the time you get a handle on it you are ready to deliver.

You need some carbs, but you can get them from lots of veggies and a limited (due to sugar content) amount of fruit instead of grains.
I have been following the Paleo diet/lifestyle for a month now and it's been great. I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and insulin resistance and this is a good option for both of those (along with regular Diabetes). I also have a sensitivity to dairy and wheat, so this is the best bet for me diet wise
Grains and dairy can both cause your blood sugar to increase, so Paleo keeps blood sugar more stable since those are eliminated. Also, you eat more protein which will help as well. You also eat plenty of healthy (polyunsaturated) fats like olive oil, real butter, avocado, coconut oil, etc. You don't count calories. Just eat when you are hungry and don't overeat.

If you are interested, this website has some good links more info http://www.fitbomb.com/p/why-i-eat-paleo.html

[04liquidS]

I also wanted to mention something else that isn't related to diet. My son was 9lbs 9oz and spent 9 days in the NICU for severe hypoglycemia when he was born, even though I passed two GD tests and my urine test strips always looked good. At the beginning of my pregnancy, I had a disagreement with my midwives regarding whether or not I should continue taking my Metformin during the pregnancy. They wanted me to stop at 10 weeks, I wanted to continue because of the higher risk of me developing GD and because Metformin can help with lactation in women with PCOS. The midwives had me see a maternal fetal medicine doctor who also said I should stop it at 10 weeks. So I did. And my son ended up huge and in the NICU. So you can bet if I have another baby I won't be stopping my Metformin the next time. Anyway, you may want to look into the possibility of taking Metformin to help control the GD. You may have to research it and show your doc/midwife what you find because mine didn't seem up to date on the latest research.