So confused (and down) about gestational diabetes

[lisacaton1980]

Hi, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes a couple of weeks ago and even though I changed my diet my readings were between 5.0 and 10.8 (instead of the advised 7.8). I've now been put on medication twice a day and some of the foods which I was eating without tablets, and were giving good readings, have now swapped and become high readings.

I saw the consultant on Thursday (when they prescribed medication) and they have mistakenly kept all my literature.

I'm getting so down about this as really been trying. What food can you recommend? I've been having:

breakfast - egg on toast
lunch - salad with ham/tuna/cheese
dinner - meat and vegetables

Thanks

 

[K123]

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes about 3weeks ago and am finding it really hard too. My readings are a little high, especially in the evenings, so I'm probably going to be given metformin to take at night on Monday. I'm also confused as foods I can eat with no problem at lunchtime give me much higher readings in the evening.

Food wise I'm tending to have 2 Weetabix for breakfast and something like a jacket potato with tuna and cheese and lots of salad for lunch. Evening meals are often meat + veg + small amount of potato or pasta with a big side salad. Snacks are fruit with a little cheese or nuts, popcorn or for when I'm out I've found some biscuits called Nairns museli breaks suit me ok. Bread causes me more problems so I've been avoiding that, but I was advised to have some carbs at each meal still.

 

[VickyLou]

Low carb is best for diabetes or anything diabetes related. Look up foods with a low GI.

I have my test tomorrow, I'm hoping it's clear but I have a feeling it won't be. Could you tell you had it before you had the test done? Did you feel unwel or different in anyway? Thanks

 

[K123]

I wasn't surprised to be diagnosed as I was borderline for GD with my son, but had no symptoms and have never had glucose in my urine at any of my ante-natal appointments. Hopefully you'll be ok, but I think it is more common in women with PCOS.

The advised diet is low carb, but not no carb which wouldn't be advisable during pregnancy. Carbs should be wholemeal/seeded/brown whenever possible, and it's a case of trial and error to find out what works for you. Potatoes with skins on are absolutely fine for me, bread and pasta need to be very small portions and rice is a complete no no. GI is really useful - but you need to think about GI of the total meal/snack not just individual foods. Fruit is a really important but high GI food group, but if eaten at the end of a meal or together with something like nuts or cheese as a snack it will have a lot less of an effect on blood sugars.

 

[Wtbam]

Just thought I would add something you might not know (and I couldn't believe), weetabix is actually really high on the GI scale!

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes about 3weeks ago and am finding it really hard too. My readings are a little high, especially in the evenings, so I'm probably going to be given metformin to take at night on Monday. I'm also confused as foods I can eat with no problem at lunchtime give me much higher readings in the evening.

Food wise I'm tending to have 2 Weetabix for breakfast and something like a jacket potato with tuna and cheese and lots of salad for lunch. Evening meals are often meat + veg + small amount of potato or pasta with a big side salad. Snacks are fruit with a little cheese or nuts, popcorn or for when I'm out I've found some biscuits called Nairns museli breaks suit me ok. Bread causes me more problems so I've been avoiding that, but I was advised to have some carbs at each meal still.

 

[K123]

I know weetabix are - all cereals/bread etc are - but they were advised to be one of the best quick breakfasts as they're high fibre and have no added sugar unlike most other breakfast cereals. They suit me and have never given me high readings so I'm sticking with them, but I know they may not suit everyone. I think a more ideal GD breakfast would be something like scrambled eggs on toast but I don't have time to prepare that in the morning while getting me ready for work and my son ready for childcare...

 

[midori1999]

I've had GD in two pregnancies, which weren't able to be diet controlled at all and it's sadly pointless to try and make sense of the readings as hormones will largely affect them, as will the. Amount of sleep you've had, the amount of exercise you have done and other things.

You do need to limit your carbs to control your readings, but it's also very important to eat some carbs from low GI sources at each meal. Things like whole grain, seeded breads, whole grain basmati rice, pasta, sweet potatoes, beans, pulses etc. higher fat also helps slow the release of carbs, so try to use full fat options.

 

[lam_76]

I have type 2 diabetes and when i was pregnant i found that going for a walk after i had eaten helped, even if it was only 15 mins or so it definitely made a difference to my numbers. As a pp said, its all trial and error to find out what suits you, and some foods that were fine suddenly make the numbers go high.

 

[Wannabe Mommy]

I had GD during my pregnancy and ended up on insulin and metformin because my fasting levels were consistently high which meant it couldn't be diet controlled.

Honestly it worked out great, I ended up eating better and losing weight so by the time I had my baby I was below my pre-preg weight.

Bread was just a no-no for me, it didn't matter what I paired it with or what type it sent my numbers high.

My advice is to always pair carbs with protein so if you are having toast have egg, nut butter or meat with it. The protein helps your body to break down the sugars.

Dried fruit is high in sugar so swap for nuts, seeds or fresh fruit/veg.

Boiled eggs are brilliant snacks, high protein and really filling.

Watch out for cereals, dressings, drinks, yoghurt a, instant oats and other quick processed foods as they have a lot of hidden sugar. I was shocked that a low fat yoghurt had 25g sugar which is a big tablespoon!!!!

If you look up low GI you can still have treats, I loved croissants with Nutella when I needed a chocolate fix.