Diabetes Resource Association

You are expecting a baby and you are celebrating the good news when you learn that you have gestational diabetes. This situation can be quite frightening for many pregnant mothers. The pregnancy by itself can cause a lot of anxiety and changes in the day-to-day life without the further complication that such a disease would bring in as well.

How Is Gestational Diabetes Diagnosed?

Most of the doctors will require you to check for gestational diabetes when you reach your 24^th week (before, the 28^th week was the latest). At this time there are a number of hormonal changes in the body which bring about resistance to insulin (especially the hormones that are produced by the placenta itself). At this time, the demands of the fetus on the insulin also increase bringing up the total requirement to up to three times the normal quantity. If the insulin required is not available in the body or from any external sources, the sugar remains in the blood. This is called as gestational diabetes.

Once the gestational diabetes is diagnosed, the doctor will prescribe a strict regime of exercise and a healthy gestational diabetes diet plan which will help both the pregnant mother and the baby to stay out of the dangers that this disease can actually impose. This disease should be taken seriously right from the beginning as any deviation can endanger the lives of both mother and child.

Can Gestational Diabetes Diet Plan Help In Fighting The Disease?

Diet is one of the most important tools in fighting diabetes. It has been observed through a number of medical research studies that a good and carefully prescribed gestational diabetes diet plan can be highly beneficial is keeping the sugar low and hence the diabetes symptoms at bay.  

Besides following a balanced and carefully designed gestational diabetes diet plan the woman should try to break her daily intake into many small meals so as to give the pancreas sufficient time to break the sugar in the blood before the next batch is sent. When you are pregnant, you will need a higher dose of glucose in the blood for nurturing the growing baby, while you also need to give the pancreas sufficient time to break down the ingested sugar, calories, and fat.

It was observed that having a tiny breakfast helps greatly in keeping the sugar in control. However, you should be careful that you do not overdo it otherwise while you are expecting hyperglycemia you will end up with hypoglycemia which is as dangerous.

Gestational diabetes is considered the third type of diabetes. Although it is similar to the Type II diabetes, its only difference is that it affects pregnant women only. As in Type II diabetes, your body can’t use insulin appropriately. And without insulin, your body cells can’t convert sugar in the blood into energy.

What Is The Most Important Factor In A Gestational Diabetes Diet?

The main issue in this kind of diet is the sugar level in your blood. Everything you do should concentrate in that detail. You must control your blood’s sugar. If you don’t do it, you will start to feel the effects in no time: fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting. You may even fall into a diabetic coma, a very dangerous scenario.

Any Other Advice for a Gestational Diabetes Diet?

The second most important thing to look for is the help of a professional dietitian and asks your doctor if there is no problem with the recommended diet. The dietitian will create a diet plan based on your age, condition, weight, height, physical activity, and the requirements of your unborn child.

In order to make the transition from your old diet to a gestational diabetes diet, the dietitian will consider your food preferences. That way you won’t be too much affected by the change. The first thing a dietician will take in account is how many calories you consume per day. Once she has obtained an average number, she can conceive a plan with alternatives.

Learn how to calculate the number of calories that each portion of food has, as well as the amount of fat, protein and carbohydrates contained inside. That way, if you feel tempted by something like a donut, you can rationally evaluate how harmful it be for you and your baby.

The dietitian will also consider a correct amount of minerals and vitamins for your body. That’s why it is very important to eat a variety of foods which complement with each other. And don’t be disordered with your gestational diabetes diet. You must eat every meal, even the snacks. Do not skip them! It is extremely important for you to maintain a balanced level of sugar.

As you can see, a gestational diabetes diet isn’t something that you can prepare by yourself and it an issue that shouldn’t be dismissed by a pregnant woman diagnosed with diabetes. You need a lot of inner strength to follow it perfectly. Remember that if you don’t, you and your baby face a higher risk of complications at birth. No mother wishes to live this scenario.