Irritated; Need advice about gestational diabetes

dec2018mom

So I got the call on Wednesday about having gestational diabetes and was told that I'd need to come in for my appointment I'm guessing with the nutritionist. 
I've not received a call to schedule that appointment yet, so here I am...on the day where I go buy groceries and I've got absolutely no clue what I need to buy. 

I've always bought lots of fruits,veggies, fruit juices, and cereals, but I'm hearing some of these may not be good to have with GD. 
I know that I need to watch my sugar intake and I can do that, but its so much easier to do this with some sort of plan or insight. 
When I was called I wasn't even told what my numbers were. I feel like I'm left in the dark about all this and researching hasn't helped because everything I've read is basically saying that my nutritionist will advise me what I need to do and not do based on the numbers that I had and my height/weight. 

The nutritionist/diabetes section of my doctors office will only see me on Thursdays, so hopefully it'll be this coming Thursday. I feel like I'm harming my baby the longer I wait. 
Obviously I know that I need to make better choices than what I was making before, but ugh. I want my baby to have the best nutrition possible. 

Any of you lovely ladies care to share what sort of meals and snacks you have often? I know that everyone is different and some of you can have things others can't. I just figured I'd try to make the best choices that I can and hopefully with your guidance I can make better choices than I would have on my own with the research I've done! 

jemtaylor

Almonds are a great snack, I was told to cut anything other then water to drink other then a glass or two of milk. Lots of fruit and veggies. I was told grapes can be high in sugar but other then that fruit is good. Potatoes, bread and ceral make my blood sugar spike. Look at the labels to start to get an idea of sugar content but also how much carbs. I'm just learning but my understanding is carbs are sugar in your body. And big help us walking or excerise 30 mins a day at least or try 10-15 mins after each meal. And most importantly as it's been very overwhelming for me is breath making small changes will make big differences. Taking it one step at a time and stressing can make blood sugar levels higher apparently. Good luck!:)

dec2018mom

jemtaylor said:

Almonds are a great snack, I was told to cut anything other then water to drink other then a glass or two of milk. Lots of fruit and veggies. I was told grapes can be high in sugar but other then that fruit is good. Potatoes, bread and ceral make my blood sugar spike. Look at the labels to start to get an idea of sugar content but also how much carbs. I'm just learning but my understanding is carbs are sugar in your body. And big help us walking or excerise 30 mins a day at least or try 10-15 mins after each meal. And most importantly as it's been very overwhelming for me is breath making small changes will make big differences. Taking it one step at a time and stressing can make blood sugar levels higher apparently. Good luck!:)

Thank you! I just can't help but to freak out a bit. I was certain that I wasn't going to have GD and then to get the news was just awful. I'm going to just eat as healthy as possible and see what my nutritionist says. I'll also try to get an idea of the carbs/sugars in different things while I'm at the store. I'm hoping this won't be as hard as it sounds.

robr0303

You'll get your gulcometer at your appointment and learn how to use it. For now since you don't have one you'll just want to watch the carbs that you eat. I know before I thought it was sugars. I was looking at sugar free candies and whatnot. But it's not it's all about the carbs. And carbs are everywhere. You will want to count your carbs. 15 grams of carbs equals one carb count. In the morning you are more sensitive to carbs so you should have between 1 and 2 carb counts. Ceral has a lot of carbs and milk has carbs too. I stick to 3 eggs, cheese with ketchup. And then I can have fruit or Icecream to make up for the lack of carbs two hours later you can have a snack of 1 carb count. Two hours later for lunch you can have 3-4 carb counts. Two hours later 1 carb count. Two hours later 3-4 carb counts and two hours later 1 carb count. Now is the time to start reading the labels and looking at the total carbs. There are differences between carbs too some won't spike your sugars so high as others but this is trial and error. You don't want to cut all carbs out and don't skip meals. When I started following a diabetic diet with my last baby I didn't gain any wt the last 2-3 months of my pregnancy. All I did was look at carbs. I didn't count calories or fats. It's not like wt watchers were you can safe you points for a bigger meal. If you only eat two carb counts at lunch you don't get to have a bigger snack or dinner. Most veggies have minimal carbs but if you have 2 or more servings of them you'll need to count them. Fruit has carbs. You can look up the amount of carbs in them online. At your appointment they should give you a booklet that you can keep with you, a little carb cheat sheet so you will have a list to refer to. Sometimes it feels like I counting down till I can eat again while other times I'm satisfied with my meal for longer amounts of time. I have to set a 2 hour timer on my phone. I eat more meats and cheese for snacks then I can have carbs to make for a bigger snack or meal. At your appointment they will go into so much more detail. I hope this helps.

jemtaylor

That's all you can do. It's like a truck hitting you. But start with small changes and then when you have your app you can say this is what I'm trying to change and see what other advice they have.

rad3585

You will feel better after you see your nutritionist hopefully. I know I did. Until then, just work on cutting out white carbs like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes. You can substitute these for brown versions, but keep your portions small. Also, stick to berries for fruit or a small apple, since fruit can have many carbs. When you do eat carbs, try pairing them with a protein so it absorbs slower into your bloodstream. Until you meet with your nutritionist all you can do is do your best. I felt much more "in control" after meeting with my nutritionist and getting monitor.

ali0608

I felt much better once I saw the nutritionist. I typed up my meal plan a few days ago on the high risk pregnancy board if you want to check it out.
For breakfast, I always eat eggs and toast. Snack: small banana and string cheese.
It's all about carbs; not just sugar.
Once you learn about it, you will realize it's controllable. Good luck!

dec2018mom

Thank you everyone for your responses. I can't tell all of you enough how much I appreciate your advice. @robr0303‌ Thank you for explaining the way carb counts work. I think that confuses me the most. It sounds like you ladies are managing well.

I hope this diet makes it to where I don't gain more weight the last 11 weeks or so. My doctor would be pretty happy with that since I started overweight and gained probably 15lbs since I got pregnant.

I'm pretty happy that I get to do this diet for a solid reason...otherwise it would be tough to stick to. Maybe I can continue some of the things I learn after Emily is born.

2undertwo2bee

My plan is 30 carbs for breakfast 15 for snack 45 for lunch 15 for snack and 45 for dinner. I do cheese and grapes or apples for snacks a lot. Cereal even though within my carb intake spikes my levels but waffles do not. I've had to play around to see what spikes it. I eat a lot of sandwiches and veggies for lunches with humus breakfast in boring and do eggs and bacon major days or a waffle sometimes and for dinner I usually just do a large protien a carb of regular size and a veggie. Once yoh get the Hang of it it becomes second nature. Good luck!

dec2018mom

ewiltz1921 said:

My plan is 30 carbs for breakfast 15 for snack 45 for lunch 15 for snack and 45 for dinner. I do cheese and grapes or apples for snacks a lot. Cereal even though within my carb intake spikes my levels but waffles do not. I've had to play around to see what spikes it. I eat a lot of sandwiches and veggies for lunches with humus breakfast in boring and do eggs and bacon major days or a waffle sometimes and for dinner I usually just do a large protien a carb of regular size and a veggie. Once yoh get the Hang of it it becomes second nature. Good luck!

Thank you! My biggest concern at the moment is trying to figure out how in the world I'll squeeze in time for the snacks. At home it wouldn't be an issue, but at work we are treated like children and aren't allowed to eat at our desk.

Do any of you ladies have a set schedule of when you eat? I wake at 5:30am, so I'll eat before work. My 1st break is 8am and lunch is at 10:15 but sometimes up to an hour late since my boss is a bitch. Last break is at 1:15pm and I get off at 3. Wondering if it would be okay to possibly skip a snack at work and just have it at home after work?
Hubby and I typically have dinner around 7.

jforneri

Like others have said so well, just keeping a steady intake will do it. Skipping a snack will be ok as long as you don't attach it to a meal later, which could cause a spike - my sister is a type 1 diabetic and a general rule of thumb is no more than 40 carbs per serving (though her situation is a little more extreme). Maybe explain to your employer that due to your GD, you will need to have a small snack occasionally at your desk? Even a sugar-free juice box is a quick solution -100% Apple is our go-to for stabilizing low sugars.

ali0608

mrsphillips610 said:

ewiltz1921 said:

My plan is 30 carbs for breakfast 15 for snack 45 for lunch 15 for snack and 45 for dinner. I do cheese and grapes or apples for snacks a lot. Cereal even though within my carb intake spikes my levels but waffles do not. I've had to play around to see what spikes it. I eat a lot of sandwiches and veggies for lunches with humus breakfast in boring and do eggs and bacon major days or a waffle sometimes and for dinner I usually just do a large protien a carb of regular size and a veggie. Once yoh get the Hang of it it becomes second nature. Good luck!

Thank you! My biggest concern at the moment is trying to figure out how in the world I'll squeeze in time for the snacks. At home it wouldn't be an issue, but at work we are treated like children and aren't allowed to eat at our desk.

Do any of you ladies have a set schedule of when you eat? I wake at 5:30am, so I'll eat before work. My 1st break is 8am and lunch is at 10:15 but sometimes up to an hour late since my boss is a bitch. Last break is at 1:15pm and I get off at 3. Wondering if it would be okay to possibly skip a snack at work and just have it at home after work?
Hubby and I typically have dinner around 7.

I think your schedule seems fine. Easy at 5:30, check blood sugar at 7:30, snack on your first break, lunch, then snack on your second break or when you get home. It doesn't need to be exactly 2 hours after your meal. It needs to be at least 2 hours after your meal. Especially when you have such a big gap in between lunch and dinner.

neiheiselrachel

I was concerned I had GD after failing my first test so I began researching and asking around. I have found veggies like carrots and bell peppers with hummus dip is a great snack that's very filling and has little sugar in it. Also, just read labels, certain breads (like ezikeil bread) due to grain type is better for you than regular bread and has lower sugar. I always keeps nuts around for snacks too. And although some fruits are higher in sugar content and you need to limit, natural sugar is better than any food with additives. Avoid most white foods and juices bc those will spike blood sugar. I am no nutritionist and would def wait to see what your nutritionist has to say but those are some of these things I found to be good healthy alternatives. Good luck!! I'm sure you will do great and hopefully will be able to control it all through diet alone!

dec2018mom

Thank you for the tips ladies! I've got several questions to ask when I go in for my appointment thanks to all of you. I feel more prepared with being able to ask these things!

mistyjewel88

Look into Atkins shakes and bars. Don't taste to bad and are very low carbs. Also you can play around with things you usually eat and see if they spike your sugar. Dream fields pasta raises sugar slow. Everyone is different. Eats lots of meat and if you like eggs eat up. Good luck.

2undertwo2bee

If your sitting at a desk maybe she would allow you to bring some nuts to snack on. I would explain the situation and the importance of snacks to help keep your sugar levels even. Nuts wouldn't be messy and would be pretty quick to eat. Your levels are super important since with gd your at higher risk for your baby to have heart defects and other problems. Maybe even a drs note if your boss needs one.

blastie

Swap out refined for unrefined whole food whenever possible & high protein & high fiber. Protein & fiber both slow the breakdown of food/sugar into your bloodstream so you don't get the blood sugar spike/crash.

Veggies are carbohydrates, but also provide fiber & other nutrients. Some have more sugar than others.
One of my favorite lunches is salmon (fresh caught or canned) over romaine lettuce & chopped tomatoes.

Also, watch out for sugars in things like condiments- salad dressing, ketchup, etc.

Once you get used to reading labels, it gets easier.

molls332233

Peanut butter is always my go-to snack! My doc told me it is a GD patients best friend! I eat it with apples, whole grain crackers, or sometimes just a spoon :-)

molls332233

I also love smoothies. My two go-to ones are peanut butter, banana, and almond milk or banana, strawberry, and almond milk. Im trying a new recipe tonight as a snack, greek yogurt, clementines, banana and almond milk. Supposedly it tastes like a creamsicle :-)

xxyourstrulyxo

I'm Type 1 diabetic. I think everyone on this thread before me has given pretty great advice. But if you'd ever like to message me feel free Like everyone has said, carbs are all sugar. The lower the carbs, and more protein a snack has, the less your blood sugar will spike. Everyone has given really good suggestions so far.