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Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
KGsky
member
Former GD Moms (or current)
KGsky
member
I know I should probably post this on one of the tri boards, but I want a "been there done that" perspective. I tested very borderline for GD the last time, which the doctor said could have caused some of the rapid weight gain I experienced in my second tri.(I gained about 75% of the weight in maybe 2 months?). She also said my m/x was probably exascerbated by the spikes and drops in blood sugar. So I'd really like to know more about eating right to control blood sugar. I'm actually a little overwhelmed by all the info. I've been following a sample diet for the past two days, and I have to say, I feel pretty good. M/S is pretty minimal (although it was at this time with #1--but not for long) and my energy level is much higher just in the last two days. But, it was a two-day sample LOL. Can anyone recommend a book or online source that was helpful? I plan on talking to an RD, but until then, I'd like to see what I can do (before I start only craving starches and sugar!)
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Re: Former GD Moms (or current)
dlife.com is a great resource for info.
Thats great that it's helping you with the m/s. It's also a wonderful diet to use anyway. Just remember that GD is not caused by sugar or your diet. It is caused by the hormones produced in pregnancy. So if you are going to get it you are going to get it.
The key things that I remember are to eat smaller amounts more often. I am not a snacker, so I had trouble with this. But it was breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. Things that I enjoyed were sugar free chocolate pudding mixed with sugar free cool whip (tastes like chocolate mousse). And lots of protein like nuts, sunflower seeds, etc. Whole wheat instead of wheat bread, more cheese, less chips. And fruit is fine, but fruit juice is not. Splenda is also a great thing - use Splenda instead of sugar in iced tea, baking, etc.
I will say that while I was diagnosed as GD, I really don't think I was. Of the four readings, two have to be above or on the target number and one of mine was on the number. And I was at a carnival the night before and devoured a large french fry and funnel cake. But certain things I found triggered my spikes. For example, I could eat ice cream and nothing would happen. But french fries caused my sugars to spike. Very strange.
Oh yeah, I know, but had I gotten it last time, I would have been lost because I was completely caught up in this cycle of eating sweets and starches and nothing but. I just want to at least try to establish some healthier eating patterns, and I really think after trying this sample diet, this would be good for me GD or not (especially since I'm beginning this pregnancy overweight already). And thanks for the website!
All the info was VERY overwhelming to me but I will give you a few examples.
For breakfast I never had cereal. I would have 1 egg and a piece of sausage or a waffle with sugar free syrup. Sometimes If I was not that hungry I would have half a bagel with a little butter and then eat something bigger for my snack.
For my snacks I just stuck to south beach protein bars, cottage cheese, string cheese, nuts, sugar free jello, yogurt, hummus and crackers, tunafish and crackers.
Lunch I pretty much ate a south beach meal every day. But occasionally would have a roastbeef sandwich, egg sandwich, I would buy chicken and make a salad with it, or even grilled cheese.
Dinner I just always stuck to a meat and veggies.
Pretty boring but it worked for me. I don't get to bored eating the same thing all the time. But If I were you right now I would def be more aware of what I was eating but I would eat what I wanted until I had the test and it proved otherwise you know?
Ooooh! Thank you, this is really helpful. If I were an average weight and if I hadn't noticed an improvement in my 1st tri symptoms, I would follow your advice re: waiting until the test, but I really think the blood sugar thing (which is true for all pregnant women) has something to do with the tiredness and m/s. I definitely am having true "morning" sickness, in that I feel it more after that long stretch of sleep without eating. I've also noticed that on days when I'm waiting longer to eat between meals I'm feeling not so hot, and in the last couple of days I feel really good (which was not the case the first time around, even before the m/s). Just trust me when I say, I had a horrible diet the last go 'round, and it didn't work out so well for me (luckily, baby was ok)!
That is very interesting about your m/s...I had hypermesis and GD. I never thought about the two being connected. I will definitely try doing the GD diet from the beginning next time to see if it helps (I know it will help with my weight gain - ugh).
The key thing to remember is always balance the carb you eat with a protein. I became a creature of habit and ate a lot of the same things over and over.
I'm diabetic all the time, so I have lots of experience with this!
First, eat every 3-4 hours. Never eat carbs on their own, mix them with protien and fat. A great (super filling) snack is 3/4 cup honey nut cheerios, 3/4 cup pretzels and 1/3 cup peanuts or other nuts. South beach cereal bars are also great. Avoid high sugar fruit in the morning (berries/apples are fine). Avoid sugary stuff at night, but be sure to eat a bedtime snack. Triscuits and cheese keep my am glucose numbers in line the best.
Good luck, if you need help, let me know!
I honestly don't know if they're connected, but I do know that hyperemesis can be affected by blood sugar, and it's interesting you had both. I can say I was not so "good" today (waited too long to eat, ate sugary snacks at DD's recital) and I do feel different. A little nausea and that "off" feeling, kinda tired, kinda woozy. I definitely want to give this theory a try, since it seems to have some validity for now! Thanks for the carb/protein info. I saw something last night (not related to diabetes, about digestion) that said you shouldn't pair the two together. That's why this stuff gets so confusing!
See, I've always thought the food in the pictures on South Beach looked good! LOL Every time I see a sample recipe, I'm like
I remember last year taking my 2nd GD test right after Christmas, I ate so much sugar beforehand it was ridiculous! I thought that was my last hurrah for 4 months! In looking back on it, this was probably not a smart move...
I am being tested at my next appt but my doctor has had me follow my GD diet since my first appt. He says the likelihood that I will have GD again is high and that the diet is a great pregnancy diet for any woman to follow. I don't test and I do cheat but for the most part I am being good.
I dont have an online resource, I had just saved my information from my last pregnancy and my meetings with the dietition.