Issues with gestational diabetes diet

[Kyten1978]

Ok well, I was diagnosed with GD 2 weeks ago. I went to the training and got all the information, such as what types of carbs to eat and in what portions. All well and good, so I start trying to regulate my blood sugar and I have found that I cannot have any carbs really. I was given a diet of eating 3 meals and 3 snacks a day, 2 to 4 hours apart. The dietician told me to eat 30g carb for breakfast, 45 g for lunch, and 60 g for dinner. Plus 15 g for snacks. Well I have found that the only way to keep my blood sugar down, I can't have more than 20 g and NO bread, pasta, rice, fruit, ect. of any type. Even low GI whole grain types.

This is annoying to say the least. I will do everything I can to make sure this LO is healthy, so if I have too I will live on just vegetables and meat but I am not sure that is healthy for LO.

I already take 2000 mg of metformin a day because I have PCOS and insulin resistance when I am not pregnant.

I am sorry this is so long, but if any one can tell me if there is something else I can do or medicene the doctor can give me to make this better. Hopefully not insulin because I am terrified of needles. I can barely prick my finger and that needle is hidden.

Please, any advice would be appriciated.

 

[LoveSanrio]

Ok well, I was diagnosed with GD 2 weeks ago. I went to the training and got all the information, such as what types of carbs to eat and in what portions. All well and good, so I start trying to regulate my blood sugar and I have found that I cannot have any carbs really. I was given a diet of eating 3 meals and 3 snacks a day, 2 to 4 hours apart. The dietician told me to eat 30g carb for breakfast, 45 g for lunch, and 60 g for dinner. Plus 15 g for snacks. Well I have found that the only way to keep my blood sugar down, I can't have more than 20 g and NO bread, pasta, rice, fruit, ect. of any type. Even low GI whole grain types.

This is annoying to say the least. I will do everything I can to make sure this LO is healthy, so if I have too I will live on just vegetables and meat but I am not sure that is healthy for LO.

I already take 2000 mg of metformin a day because I have PCOS and insulin resistance when I am not pregnant.

I am sorry this is so long, but if any one can tell me if there is something else I can do or medicene the doctor can give me to make this better. Hopefully not insulin because I am terrified of needles. I can barely prick my finger and that needle is hidden.

Please, any advice would be appriciated.

First off I know it is overwhelming at first. It took me a bit to get the hang of it as well. What kind of bread, rice, and pasta are you trying to eat? Let's start off there. Also, a lot of people can't handle fruit. I don't even touch it. It is nothing but sugar really, natural sugar yes, but still sugar. I also can't eat oatmeal at all.. it is just a trigger for me.

Your recommended carb count sounds kinda high, but it is supposed to be tailored to you individually. That doesn't mean that will be what works for you though! I eat 15g carbs for breakfast, 30g for lunch, and 40g for dinner (60g is probably too high, and even my dietician told me that). Sometimes less depending on what I can get in. I don't do much carbs for my snacks because I just don't need to. I will usually just have a little peanut butter, or some sugar free jello for snack.

I can eat bread, but it has to be whole grain with lots of fiber, and only ONE slice. No white bread. I don't eat any rice at all, and no pasta either. No matter the pasta I look at, including whole grain, it is just packed with carbs and starch. That works for me. Also, I like to use lettuce leaves as a replacement for bread, and it works great!

Then you have your free foods (you can eat them anytime) like meat, eggs, sugar free jello, salad, SOME veggies. I try to use these to my advantage and then fill in my carb counts with other items so that I don't go hungry. Also, cheese and peanut butter are your friend! Cheese is protein!! So are eggs and meats!

When you eat your carbs, make SURE you eat a protein with it! It will help your body to break down the carbs more slowly, which in turn helps keep your sugar in check. Also eat the protein first if possible.

I love to eat eggs, sausage, and some turkey bacon for breakfast with a cup of coffee. So, I put some shredded cheese on my eggs and it helps to control my numbers for that meal.

Feel free to ask me any specific questions and I will try to help you however I can. Hang in there!

 

[Kyten1978]

Well The only bread I have tried is whole wheat, high fiber english muffins. They have 18 grams of carbs not adjusted by fiber content. I have eaten them just with an omelet with ham and cheddar cheese. I have avoided any white, refined breads, pasta and rice because I know they have a high glycemic index. I guess my main issue really is there is no rhyme or reason to my blood sugar readings. I can eat something one time and my sugar be fine, but the next time it is thru the roof. For example, I made meatloaf with potatoes and carrots for dinner. I skipped the potatoes and after that meal, which came out to about 24 grams of carbs my blood sugar was 102. The very next day I had the leftovers (same portions) and my sugar reading was 156. So I can't plan what is ok for me to eat because there doesn't seem to be a pattern.

I appreciate the info you gave me though. I had GD with my son but that was 12 years ago and I didn't have the insulin resistance then. It seemed to be alot easier back then to control. Getting older stinks.

 

[LoveSanrio]

Sorry to hear you are having such a hard time with it This is my first time having it, and luckily, my last baby.

I would definitely talk to your DR and see what they suggest. It sounds like you may end up needing insulin to help you control your numbers.

 

[Butterball Ma]

I have the most trouble with my breakfast readings, but metformin has brought mine under control for the most part. It does seem like your GD is very touchy...that sucks! I have no tricks to give you, since you're pretty much eating what I am :/

 

[Kyten1978]

Thank you both for your comments. I will be having my anatomy scan and doctors appointment on Wednesday. So I will see what she recommends.

 

[mhk425]

You have to be sure that you are getting enough total carbs for the day (typically 170-175g is recommended) as well as enough total calories or you could end up spilling ketones. Ketones can be dangerous for the baby. If you can't eat that amount of carbs without getting highs, your doctor will likely put you on medication, which is ok! I eat the same thing every day, which is super boring, so I don't have any great advice on foods for you. Good luck though!

 

[Kyten1978]

I had my appointment and ultrasound on Wednesday and the baby is doing great. Everything is measuring right except her belly which is in the 74% percent. Not to high yet but seeing as I am only half way it is a little worrying. The doctor agrees that I am having too hard of a time controlling my sugars so she has told me to stop the metformin for a week and see if it affects my numbers. Then they will start me on a different medicene, Galubaride, (probably spelled wrong). Because as it is with what I am eating to try to keep the sugars down I am borderline Ketotic. So another week and then maybe I can eat more than meat.

 

[cupcake]

thats what i wanted to tell u , u dont want to go into ketosis, you must eat some carbs and if the only way you can do it is on insulin then that might be the way to go.

 

[Ninagrrl]

It does seem like you are having a hard time. I'm diabetic and have been for 4 years, I'm also planning on going to school for nutrition next fall and have done a lot of independent research on both diabetes and gestational diabetes. For one, the same meal can give you different numbers if your base numbers are different. For example, say you ate a lunch that put you high, then you had a regular snack and your numbers were roughly the same or a little lower then lunch and then really high for dinner. Then you eat leftover the next night but you had been lower for lunch and afternoon snack then the day before... Your numbers are likely going to be lower. Don't look at single numbers, you have to look at all readings surrounding those higher numbers to get the bigger picture.

It's likely that you will need to be put on insulin. Honestly, I've done my research and glyburide doesn't work for everyone. Some women it's successful but there is a high percentage that build up a tolerance for this medication within a couple of weeks. Mine worked for a week and then my averages went sky high so they put me back on metformin. I hope for you that it works, but if it doesn't don't panic. Insulin WILL bring your numbers down no matter what is going on with your GD.

Also, are your fasting readings high, mornings, middle of the day or night on average? If you are high for your fasting and morning then a slow acting insulin will most likely cure or at least lower drastically and will also effect your other daily readings.

For example: A typical day on 1000mgs metformin 2xdaily

Fasting: 125
Breakfast: 140
Lunch: 130
Dinner: 125

A typical day on 1000mgs metformin 2xdaily and 15 units of humulin (insulin)

Fasting: 75
Breakfast: 90
Lunch: 105
Dinner: 95

As you can see, the change of just one dose of slow acting insulin changed my numbers a lot. You just need to find the right combo of meds.

Also, believe it or not but one of my triggers is grain in general but I've noticed that Wheat puts me in astronomical ranges compared to rice, corn or other grains and it turns out I have a wheat gluten intolerance so maybe tying to figure out WHICH grains in specific trigger you might help, cause then you can avoid just that one grain and still eat the others. For my mother it is both wheat gluten and corn that bothers her so she avoids both.

You can't live off of meat and vegetables, it isn't healthy for the baby. You can do that when you aren't pregnant and can even safely put your body into ketosis if you know what you are doing and how to monitor your ketones but it is not something you can do to sustain a pregnancy and is very unhealthy for both you and baby.