Gestational Diabetes

Gestational Diabetes questions and answers

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Q: What are some breakfast ideas when you have gestational diabetes?
I'm 33 weeks pregnant and was recently diagnosed with a touch of gestational diabetes. I am no longer allowed to have more than 15g of carbs for breakfast before 10:00 am. So I have been reduced to some fruit and a glass of milk or yogurt for breakfast. Prior, I was a milk and cereal, muffins, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, and toast eater for breakfast. Now I am starving again after I've been at work for an hour with this reduced carb breakfast. It's hard to have the energy I need to keep up at work when I haven't had a filling breakfast. I start at 8:00 and I don't get my lunchbreak until 1:00 usually. I can bring a snack to tie me over until lunch, but I still can't even eat that until after 10. So do you have any good ideas of foods that will fill me up better but still be within the 15g of carbs guideline?

A: who the heck is your nutritional advisor on this problem? You really should get someone to give you good advice on this--a second opinion. and just what is a "touch" of gestational diabetes? I was 'borderline'. is that what you mean? Get yourself a glucose monitor and test yourself. I did. it wasn't fun. it wasn't cheap. but I was able to eat a healthy meal three times a day. just stay away from processed sugars and juice. Use no- or low fat dairy products, no butter or margarine, no sodas--not even diet--the fake sugar is bad for you too. I think for breakfast I had bran flakes with skim milk and a piece of whole wheat toast with fruit spread, and a cup of de-caf tea. You have only 7 weeks to term--make good choices. And the really fun part is that you should continue with the diabetic diet for the rest of your life because you are high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Lose weight, exercise daily. good luck. have a happy baby.

Q: Since I have gestational diabetes, should I be careful about what I eat after I deliver my baby?
I have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and I am easily controlling my blood sugar with diet and exercise. Should I continue with my special diet even after I deliver my baby? Or can I finally eat what I want? Why or why not?

A: The diabetes goes away after you have the baby so you can go back to eating what you want but you are at a higher risk of developing diabetes later in life so you may still want to take caution with that and eat healthy.

Q: How early would gestational diabetes set in?
I'm at 7 weeks and I've been EXTREMELY thirsty throughout the past 4 weeks or so. I know that could be a symptom of gestational diabetes, and I have every intention of asking my dr. about it, but for now. What's the usual time it starts or symptoms start showing?

A: they normally test for it at about 28 weeks, i had it with my last child, and i would say maybe about 15 weeks i noticed i was feeling very weird after eating, but being as i was as sick as a dog during my pregnancy anyway, i just put it down to being that, also i was very itchy down below.. didnt have the thirst thing though,i would suggest that you cut back on salty foods and try to drink plain water as soda's and fruit juice can make thirst worst! it could just be your changing hormones causing the thirst but it is best to get it tested if your concerned.

Q: What to expect on my first gestational diabetes specialist visit tomorrow?
My wife and I have a specialist to go to tomorrow for gestational diabetes...its our first time meeting them and my wife is 32 weeks along..what should we expect from a visit? are they going to do an ultrasound or just normal blood test and such?

A: Are they testing her for gestational diabetes, or does she have gestational diabetes? If she is being tested for it, the specialist will have her drink a glucose drink which tastes kind of like a sugary soda. Your wife will have to drink the drink within 5 minutes. She must then wait an hour and then the specialist will take a blood sample to see how fast your wife's system processes sugar. If the reading is abnormal then your wife's practitioner will have her come back for a three-hour glucose tolerance test to see if she really does have gestational diabetes.

Q: Can I cause myself to get gestational diabetes by eating too much sugar?
I am eating everything that I need to, as far as nutritional value, but I'm also eating candy and sweets because I'm having some major sweet cravings. It's not causing me to gain a ton of weight, I've only gained 4 lbs at 27 weeks. I have my glucose screening a week from today, just wondering if I'm going to cause myself to get gestational diabetes.

A: No you wont!! Gestational diabetes is actually caused by hormones the placenta makes. Some women can continue to produce enough insulin to counteract those hormones and others can't thus giving them gestational diabetes. Eating sweets will NOT make you or give you gestational diabetes. There are risk factors making it more likely you MAY get GD but nothing will actually give you GD. Its all due to the placenta. You are more at risk for GD if you have a family history of diabetes, have previously had a large baby, are from certain ethnic backgrounds, are over 35, have previously had GD, are overweight or obese or have PCOS. And again these just put you more at risk but doesn't mean you will actually end up with GD. (I had GD with my last pregnancy and currently with this one)

Q: What are some good meal and snack ideas for gestational diabetes?
I was recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I would like some good meal and snack ideas. If you can help, I would be very appreciative. Thanks!

A: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/gest_diabetes/sub5.cfm I found this website,they have meal sample. Hope this help.

Q: How many weeks is normal for delivery with gestational diabetes?
I am 33 weeks along with gestational diabetes. I have been doing very well with my blood sugar levels and my diabetes is controlled by diet. Is it likely that my doctor will let me carry to 40 weeks?

A: They will put pressure on you to induce early. I'm a type 2 diabetic and went 40 weeks + 1 day for my first pregnancy, and my daughter was 7 1/2 pounds. It's not always medically necessary but a lot of doctors nowadays seem to push diabetic moms into early induction.

Q: What are the chances of getting gestational diabetes?
Hi Everyone, Im about to start trying for a second child and have some concerns about diabetes. I had gestational diabetes with my first child and was insulin dependent for the last 8 weeks of my pregnancy. I was wondering if anyone knew the chances of getting it the 2nd time around? Also, I've been hearing about women who had gestational diabetes for 2 consecutive pregnancies and then ended up keeping diabetes for their lifetime. Does anyone know any information on this as well?

A: if you get gestational diabetes, they do say you have a higher risk of getting it in subsequent pregnancies, and also type 2 diabetes if you don't watch your weight and eat well after pregnancy. I had insulin dependant gestational diabetes with my twins, and was SURE i was getting it with my subsequent child....especially knowing i was eating sooo badly at the time......but i didn't end up having it again.... they did however make me do the fasting glucose challenge for that pregnancy! Good luck!

Q: What is the probability of being induced due to gestational diabetes?
i am 35 weeks pregnant and just found out i have gestational diabetes. At my last doctors apt the baby was 4 pounds and they estimated at the time of deliver he would be 7 1/2 pounds so everything was looking perfect. Now with the new of having diabetes, im curious if they will induce me. Is it common to be induced if you have gestational diabetes or do they normally go full term?

A: My dr will let you go full term if the baby doesnt get too big for you to deliver safely. He monitors the size weekly starting at about 36 weeks.

Q: What is the relation of gestational diabetes and weight gain?
Today, I went to have my glucose screening test done along with my 27th week check up and saw that I gained about 10 lbs in a month! I was horrified and cannot figure out what would cause such a thing since I don't eat much junk food and try to eat smaller, more frequent meals. So far, I have gained 15 lbs this pregnancy, my doctor thinks it could be gestational diabetes, I cannot help but be scared to death about this, I have the feeling that I am not trying hard enough to maintain a healthy baby. Does anyone have any advice or input about the relation of the two? Also, the heart rate of my baby was 170, probably from the flat orange soda glucose liquid, but I am very concerned about all of it. All other tests during pregnancy have been normal, and I am Rh Negative. Diabetes does not run in my family, and no one else had gestational while pregnant. Thanks

A: There's more relation to preeclampsia and large weight gain, but right now you're doing fine! Gaining weight is just a part of pregnancy. While it's scary to think about, your body is doing what it should be doing. Your doctor is monitoring SO many aspects of your health (getting tired of peeing in the cup yet?) and if your doctor isn't worried, you shouldn't be. And the heartrate is fine. :-)

Q: Has anyone heard of taking chromium or an herb for gestational diabetes?
I hear all these remedies for type 2 diabetes but none for gestational diabetes. I tried asking this question in the pregnancy section but no one answered. Any information would be helpful and appreciated. I'm seeing a dr and dietician and doing all i can to keep blood sugar down but it's not working as well as i'd like.

A: 'Judge Judy' Thats the most nonsense I have ever heard, even SkepDoc has his limit of talking nonsense. Chromium is in fact an essential mineral, which is exactly that 'essential', and can only be obtained from diet. It is absolutely paramount that you control your blood sugar levels, by following the reccommendations below, but before you read those, you need to have an understanding of why they are reccommended. If there is too much sugar circulating in the bloodstream that is not immediately being utilised as energy by cells, it will not only acidify the bloodstream, microorganisms will have a picnic and proliferate. This is the reason why diabetics are prone to so many infections {like Candidiasis}, sometimes to th point whereby their limbs must be amputated due to fermentation and decay of flesh, by harmful microorgansisms. The brain is the only part of the body that cannot adapt well to- or compensate for - erratic changes in blood glucose{a type of sugar} levels. This is the reason why symptoms of blood sugar disorders are as varied as the many functions of the brain, which is invovlved in every sensory, motor, perceptual, cognitive and emotional function in the system. If he brain is not 'fed' properly , it is easy for it to become emotionally, physiologically, biologically and physically unstable, leading to mental illness like 'the common cold' of psychiatry, or clinical depression to be exact. Diabetics usually have nutritional dificiencies, most notably 'Vitamin B-3 and the minerals Chromium and Vanadium' {Source 1}. Whether or not these nutritional dificiencies contributed to causing diabetes or is a result of diabetes, this is the common medical dillema of the cause and effect debate. Anyhow, leave that to the debaters, in either case, what needs to be done is to supplement a good high-strength multivitamin and multi-mineral {preferably in a amin acid chelated form, as it is more bioavailable {in english...easier for the body to absorb and use}}, 'Mineral' is a good brand, which can be purchased cheap on ebay or organicpharmacy.org, and 'Higher Nautre - Advanced Nutrition Complex' brand for the multi-vitamin. Optimal Diet for Diabetics High in Animal Protein - which will nourish them without straining the pancreas. Herbs like Neem, Stevia, Licorice, have been shown to balance blood-sugar levels. ======================================... Suggestions The following reccommendations will help: - Replace table sugar with Xylitol, this has a Gylceamic Index value of 8, whereas Sugar has a GI of 64! - Cinnamon - this spice has been shown to reduce blood-sugar levels, consume a spoonful with meals. - Bitter Melon, this is officially used in the Phillipines Health Care System, and is prescribed by doctors there, to regulate blood-sugar levels. You can make a delicious indian dish from this, by boiling and stuffing with mince meat. - Eat lots of Oats - they contain beta-glucan which is a powerful anti-diabetic nutrient - Chromium - this works with insulin to help it bind to hormone receptor sites on the plasma membranes of cells. Chromium also helps prevent the shape of insulin being deformed, and chromium also is in the make-up of the insulin receptors on cell membranes. 400-600mcg of Chromium per day Hope this helps.