BTDT- those diagnosed with gestational diabetes

So I got the dreaded call today that I do indeed have GD. My number was 213 so they arent even having me go in for the 3hr.. I got in on Friday for a consult with the nurse but was just wondering if I could get some feedback from you ladies who have been through this..

1- When I test myself, what should my # be?

2- They told me absolutely no juice...this is going to be soooo hard..I mean, if I have one 8oz cup a day is it that bad?

3- Aside from water, what else can I drink?

4- What are foods that I can eat?

TIA

Re: BTDT- those diagnosed with gestational diabetes

I have GD this pregnancy. I failed the 3 hour, but only 1 of those hours and only by a few points. I did see a nutritionist and I test my blood sugars 4x a day. In the morning (fasting) my number needs to be less than 90. 2 hours after every meal, the numbers should be between 80 and 120.

I never drank a lot of juice but I will say I have cheated and have had about 4 oz in the morning sometimes and my numbers are still ok. I drink mostly water, seltzer, crystal light iced tea and diet soda. Again, I hardly failed the 3 hour - I am just being cautious because I have high blood pressure in pregnancy as well as siblings who do have diabetes.

Even after candy, my highest # has been 157, so it sounds like you are pretty high and juice is definitely a no -no. Your nutritionist will go over sample menu items and portion sizes. I say away from pasta, breads and candy.

You can do it! It just becomes routine!

Re: BTDT- those diagnosed with gestational diabetes

My first pregnancy I had GD. It wasn't do bad the dietician taught me if you eat fiber with the carb it keeps sugar from being absorbed. For example I could have a slice of pizza if I had with a large salad.

In mornings I would have hard boiled egg with a stick of cheddar cheese. Then my snack threw out day would be a yogurt, 1 cup of popcorn, cheddar cheese sticks, apple. Then at night before bed snack was very important bc at night when sleeping was most important. She had me eat a whole wheat 6 inch pita with some peanut butter on or 1 cup of popcorn.

Eta: plus if you take half hour walk after eating it helped your numbers.

Message edited 1/31/2012 6:57:32 PM.

Re: BTDT- those diagnosed with gestational diabetes

1- Depends on the person, but for me I had to be under 80 fasting and under 120 TWO hours after meals.

2- yes, it is that bad IF they told you absolutely no juice. when they put serious restrictions on you, i'd follow them. mine was absolutely no ice cream or frozen yogurt. imagine how hard that was in the summer!

3- aside from water, i drank seltzer, iced coffee, unsweetened iced tea

4- all about balance. pair carbs with protein and veggies. i ate a LOT of cheese and beans for protein, because most meat was difficult for me. low carb wraps worked for me. you have to play with it and see what works for you. they will give you a helpful booklet at your consult. also think about what you want in terms of carbs. for example, I could have 15 wheat thins (which I hate), or 3 carr's whole wheat crackers (which I love) and both would yield the same numbers. I chose the carr's whole wheat crackers with a slice of pepperjack cheese on each - because it was actually something I liked. that was my morning snack pretty much every morning. i also ate a LOT of chobani. my dietician was hesitant about letting me have it but when she saw it didn't skew my numbers, she gave me her seal of approval. i chose the flavors lowest in carbs.

good luck


eta: just want to note that i NEVER had a nighttime snack and my fasting numbers were excellent. i believe she called them exemplary just noting this because many people DO need to have a nighttime snack in order to keep their fasting numbers in range. just another example of why it is so important to figure out what works for you personally, because it may not necessarily work for most people!

Message edited 1/31/2012 9:03:54 PM.

Re: BTDT- those diagnosed with gestational diabetes

Thanks ladies. All your information has been quite helpful. Whats funny is that Ive been testing myself today and so far my numbers seem to be pretty good.

after 4hrs of my lunch it was 57 ( I think too low actually)

I then ate 2 tuna sandwhiches and 2hrs later it was #94

For dinner I had rice, beans and some ground beef and two hours later my # was 84.

Granted, I didnt have any sugary drink or snack so maybe thats why my numbers have been good. Hopefully they will stay this way.

Message edited 1/31/2012 9:06:13 PM.

Re: BTDT- those diagnosed with gestational diabetes

I had GD with my first pregnancy. Luckily I don't have it with this pregnancy but I am still testing 4x a day to watch my numbers because of my history.

They wanted my Fasting Glucose to be under 95 -- that is the first level after you wake up in the morning, before you have anything to eat.

2 hours after meals they say 80-120.

I have to say that the hardest part of it for me is NOT eating for 2 hours after a meal. What happens if I want dessert after dinner? Lol, that part sucks.

I try to focus on whole grains --- whole grain breads, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa, barley, etc instead of having it all be white bread, white rice and white pasta.

And if I am having a carb for a snack (such as pretzels) I pair it with some protien such as string cheese, 8 ounces of skim milk or a hard boiled egg.

Yes, exercise can help a LOT. I have tested before walks and after walks just out of curiosity and there is a considerable difference there. So if you haven't been taking small walks, you might want to work a few in a week.

I think I have some carb/protien suggestions in my email that I saved after someone posted them for me here. I will try to find them and repost for you to use as a guideline until you see the nutritionist.

Re: BTDT- those diagnosed with gestational diabetes

I have heard that the complex protiens in beans actually are very beneficial to diabetics. Some diabetics try to work beans into their regular diet just for the way that they can stabalize their blood sugar.

As far as drinks ----

I have one cup of coffee in the morning that I put splenda into.

I will occasionally have an iced tea, unsweetened, with just lemon.

Other then that I do drink mostly just water and my 2 glasses of skim milk a day.

Re: BTDT- those diagnosed with gestational diabetes

This is the info I had saved...I believed LightupOurLife is the one who posted it. One carb/starch - 15g.

For breakfast:
1 starch, 1 meat/substitute, 1 fat

For snack:
1 starch, 1 fruit 1 meat/substitute, 1 fat

For lunch:
2 starch, 1 milk, 1 nonstarchy vegetable, 2 meat/substitute, 2 fat

For snack:
1 starch, 1 fruit, 1 meat/substitute, 1 fat

For dinner:
2 starch, 1 fruit, 2 nonstarchy vegetables, 3 meat/substitute, 2 fat

For snack:
1 starch, 1 meat/substitute, 1 fat