Gestational Diabetes is characterized by a high blood sugar count while you are pregnant. This may occur only while you are pregnant and can go away soon as you give birth. Sometimes a woman who had gestational diabetes acquires diabetes after giving birth. Increased hormones in pregnancy contribute in the development of “insulin resistance” wherein glucose is not properly absorbed by the cells by the lack or in efficient production of insulin from the mother’s pancreas resulting in the accumulation of glucose in the blood. The baby will not have diabetes at birth when the mother is diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy. The risk of gestational diabetes to the baby is that the baby may produce insulin at a great extent that he will grow too big which poses the risk of premature delivery.
Most doctors advise pregnant women to eat healthy and monitor their carbohydrates intake to prevent developing gestational diabetes in pregnancy. This is important to keep the baby’s growth and development at a normal rate and to avoid premature delivery that can put the life of the baby at risk.
To keep track of your diet you have to know what foods to avoid, those that can be taken in moderation and those that are advisable to increase in intake. It is advised to control the intake of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are those foods rich in starch and sugar. Take in moderation protein and fats as these are needed for the development of the baby. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables as these are good sources of vitamins and minerals and they contain less carbohydrate.
For pregnant mothers it is necessary to increase the caloric intake as compared to their previous non-pregnant state because the mother is now nourishing both her body and the baby inside. But this should not be interpreted as the mother should eat as though she is eating for two. A pregnant mother should choose the foods she eats. It should contain necessary nutrients helpful for the baby like iron, folic acid and calcium. Furthermore, if the pregnant woman is diagnosed with gestational diabetes she would need to monitor her diet and blood glucose closely.
An example of a diet of a pregnant mother with gestational diabetes is as follows:
Breakfast (should be between 300-400 calories)
1 cup low fat milk
1 small fruit
½ bread (preferably wheat bread)
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
Lunch (should be between 400-500 calories)
1 cup of soup
2 whole grain breads
2 slices of cheese
Non fat yogurt
Dinner (should be between 700-800 calories)
6 ounces of chicken breast
1 baked potato
2 cups of vegetables
1 small fruit
1 cup non fat milk
Snack (300 calories/ as needed or advised by doctor)
1 cup pretzels
1 cup melon or any medium sized fruit
1 cup baked tacos or tortilla chips
6 pieces of crackers
Small changes in your eating habits should also be considered to manage gestational diabetes.
- Take small frequent snacks throughout the day. Instead of eating heavy meals 3 times a day it is helpful to eat light snacks in between meals as this prevent your cells to starve and suppress your hunger so you’ll eat in moderation and will feel full easily.
- Spread out your carbohydrates on your meals in a day. Don’t concentrate them in one meal. Again moderation is the key to a healthy diet.
- You might need to have a light snack before going to bed at night to keep your blood glucose from dropping overnight.
You will know that you are doing well in following your gestational diabetes diet when you gain weight at the normal rate every trimester. It means that you are adding healthy pounds to the baby and not just merely getting fat.
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