I’m 31w2d pregnant with my fourth and final pregnancy. However I’m beyond discouraged this go around. I had gestational diabetes with my last pregnancy (he’s 13m now), but this one is so much worse. This go I’m on two different insulins and honestly it’s scary. We’re monitoring it closely with the doctors but can’t catch a break. I just need good vibes, words of wisdom, something.
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The thing that helped me was the protien drinks
I had it also ! Two insulins for me too. Focus on your diet as much as you can. I understand your frustration though…it is so hard and frustrating even when you eat healthy numbers can still go up. Hang in there hopefully it will be gone when the baby comes.
Oh, and exercise as much as you are able. That will help with your A1C and help you get your figure back to more normal quicker after birth. Mommy & me classes are great for you and your little one/s, especially swimming, while you are pregnant. Treadmill or cycle those little pedals while you are at your computer or watching TV. Take a ballet class, Tai chi, or yoga—but ask the teacher to modify it for pregnancy—there are some poses that aren’t good for you.
Are you ordinarily diabetic? You should be able to control gestational diabetes with diet. My insurance paid for a session or two with a dietitian. She was awesome and worked with my likes & dislikes. I learned so much I didn’t have it the second time around and incorporated a lot of the diet into my life.
Lots of little meals are key: eat 6x a day: breakfast, healthy snack, lunch, healthy snack, dinner, healthy snack. Snacks can include low fat milk, nuts (plain almonds are great), mozzarella sticks, beef sticks or jerky, plain yogurt (add fruit & nuts), plain or buttered popcorn, peanut butter on a piece of celery, hummus and carrot sticks, deviled ham on cucumber slices, a small bowl of cottage cheese. You can have 8 animal crackers if you’re craving sweets, but in addition to a protein, which could be a glass of milk.
My big problem was too much fruit juice. It’s full of sugar, no fiber, & goes right to your bloodstream. For breakfast, take a few ounces (like 4) and add water to dilute it to look like a full glass, and have with food if you need to drink juice. OJ is an especially big jolt of sugar. Better to have small portions of fresh fruit because of the fiber.
There are a ton of different teas loose or in bags (NOT sweet tea) available to drink hot & iced and loads of flavors of unsweetened seltzer water you can have when you’re bored of plain water. If you want a drink, a dry white wine with unsweetened seltzer (like La Croix) to make a spritzer is your best bet, or brüt champagne. Skip the diet drinks as much as you can. They’re addictive so you always want more, and artificial sweeteners are carcinogenic. You only have to do this for a few months, so it’s doable.
Eggs, meat & cheese are good for breakfasts. I liked Nutri-Grain Almond cereal (1/2 cup—measure it) with milk. Regular Cheerios are better than the whole grain ones because of the sugar. Most other cereals have too much sugar. Be an avid label reader. There seems to be sugar in everything these days. Plain hot cereal (oatmeal, grits, cream of wheat, etc) is good; add a little butter & 1/2 a banana, sliced, or fresh berries.
For lunches & dinners look at vegetarian foods, especially bean dishes. Add beans to your salads. They have protein and fiber and not a lot of calories. Many soups are low cal, low sugar & have lots of vegetables. Make your own with leftovers.
Double the colorful vegetables, eat regular portions of lean protein and halve the carbs on your lunch or dinner plate. Use spaghetti squash instead of pasta with meatballs, sauce & Parmesan. Eat a half a small baked potato with broccoli, cheese, Salad Toppings and/or crumbled bacon or chopped ham on top.
More diabetic diet tips for when eating/ordering out:
Order the thin crust or cauliflower crust pizza & add more meat, cheese & vegetables. Get the bowl vs the sandwich version of meals, like at Chipotle or CAVA. Get the grilled chicken sandwich & toss the bun if possible. Order the unsweetened iced tea, plain milk or water at fast food places. Just have a few tablespoons of rice (get brown rice if possible) with Chinese food.
Wendy’s has lots of salads and chili plus broccoli cheese or sour cream & chive , or chili & cheese baked potatoes.
Coffee and milk/cream is also fine to drink if it doesn’t bother you, but skip the sugared flavorings. No caramel macchiatos until the baby is born!
Get burgers & dogs without the bun. Baked potatoes with the skin is best, then mashed, and worst, French fries. Eat a child-sized portion and save the rest. Order from the kids menu if you want. Happy meal nuggets with apples & white milk, for example.
Taco salad vs. tacos. Baked fish, shrimp or other seafood is usually a good choice. I get a to-go box right away at restaurants and shut half the carbs (potatoes, rice, corn, even peas) inside so I won’t be tempted or eat mindlessly. I also put half the meat away in the box if it’s a lot. You can ask for no bread basket if it’s too hard to resist. I eat all the salad & colorful vegetables. Then I add colorful vegetables to the leftovers and have another meal or two.
When grocery shopping: If you have to have bread, get thin sliced 100% whole wheat. Half a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese is OK but not great. Get whole wheat pasta vs. white & only eat a little.
When cooking: I double the vegetables in any recipe and halve the carbs anyway. Put meats & cheeses in your green salads. Skip potato & pasta salads, pancakes and waffles. Make quiche & pot pie without crusts.
Bonus: Cutting carbs & sugars is good for the whole family!
BTW: Congratulations and good luck for an easy pregnancy, labor and delivery.