Our weekly thread to discuss issues with other moms, share recipes, complain about pricking your fingers, or worry about blood glucose levels.
Basic Diet Info Most of Us Are Following
Disclaimer: this is for informational purposes only. We are Internet strangers, not your doctor or nutritionist. Please use this information only as a guideline for what many of us are doing for our diets while managing GD. Your specific eating plan/dietary needs may differ.
Eating schedule:
- Breakfast: 15-30g carbs, 1-2oz protein (no fruit before lunch)
- Morning Snack: 15g carbs, 1-2oz protein (no fruit before lunch)
- Lunch: 45-60g carbs, 3-4oz protein
- Afternoon Snack: 30g carbs, 2oz protein
- Dinner: 45-60g carbs, 3-4oz protein
- Bedtime Snack (eat within an hour of bedtime): 30g carbs, 2oz protein
Carbs to count toward meal allotment: - all grains
- all fruit
- corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, peas, carrots and beets over 1/2 cup
- milk, yogurt, ice cream, cottage/ricotta cheese
- all sweeteners (honey, agave, sugar, maple syrup)
Serving sizes:
Generally 1/2 c of grains, veg, and fruit = 15g carbsExceptions to equal 15g carbs: - 1 c dairy
- 1/3 c rice
- 1 c berries
- 1 c cut melon
- 1 med/fist-sized uncut fruit (apples, oranges, peaches, pears, etc)
- 15 grapes
1. How far along are you?
2. Anything new on the medical front (doctor appointments, nonstress tests, ultrasounds) this week?
3. How are you feeling in general?
4. Any issues with your numbers, meds, or food intake?
GTKY: Have you scared yourself silly doing too much Dr. Googling about GD?

DD1 - 8 years
DD2 - 6 years
BFP3 - 3/31/14, Harmony Test 6/5/14 - It's a BOY!
Re: GD check-in 9/22
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
2. Anything new on the medical front (doctor appointments, nonstress tests, ultrasounds) this week? I go to the dr to go over my readings next Friday. Was supposed to be sooner, but he is going out of town.
3. How are you feeling in general? I have been feeling fine. Only problem is I get hungry after meals and it's close to my 2 hr. After meal reading, so I don't want to screw that up.
4. Any issues with your numbers, meds, or food intake? All of my numbers have been in range. (Knock on wood) So, I am hoping when I meet with my doctor that he will cut my reading down from 5 a day to like 3. I asked him about GD diet and he was adamant that it was wrong for me and to stay low carb. I need to grocery shop for more snack options. I plan out meals when I shop and realize once I'm home that snack time has been left out!
GTKY: Have you scared yourself silly doing too much Dr. Googling about GD?
totally!! I just want to make sure I do everything right. My thing right now is that I read if you squeeze your finger for blood it will give you false readings. So I am trying not to squeeze, but I have to milk my finger to get anything. The instructions say to milk it, but studies say squeezing leads to false low scores. Should I get a bigger gage lancet? Oh well!
Usually the meds lower all your numbers, but it tends to run out around 16 hours after you take it. My fasting numbers are too high and some of my dinner numbers were borderline, so they have me take it with dinner. So far, all my numbers have been fine except when I know I ate too many carbs at dinner.
In terms of doctor appointments, at 32 weeks I have to start weekly nonstress tests (NST) and biophysical profiles (BPP) to make sure the baby is growing and moving normally. Those were the biggest PITAs, because DD1 kept me on the machines so long for the NSTs. I am legendary in the office, apparently, and when I came in 20 months later with DD2, I literally had two techs look and me and say, "Oh no!"
@Emilysan16 I talked to my nutritionist about low carb vs GD diet because I'm gluten free and it's hard to find GF alternatives that don't use a lot of rice/corn/potato starch and spike my sugars. She said if I want to do more paleo/low carb that's fine, as long as I'm eating enough.
Yeah, I've heard that about the squeezing vs milking. I usually do the milking, but sometimes it's hard not to squeeze. Sometimes I find just adjusting the depth setting or pressing the lancet plunger thingie into my finger a bit more is enough to get a good sample. I'm just worried about callouses, having already been testing for 5 months. Just make sure you rotate your fingers and sides of your fingers to prevent callouses.
@Anna930 Of course you're welcome!
@kdm06c It's nice to have a place to vent about stuff without worrying about bothering everyone else. This is just our special pregnancy place.
I need to find my paleo chocolate pudding recipe. It uses 100% cocoa chocolate, canned coconut milk, eggs, and ground up dates (yes, it's sugar, but it's also fruit and you get to count off the fiber content). It's really good, and I couldn't tell the difference between it and regular chocolate pudding, honestly.
Going to check out some paleo recipes tonight. Thanks! And I will definitely be googling paleo chocolate pudding because, um. Yum!
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
2. Anything new on the medical front (doctor appointments, nonstress tests, ultrasounds) this week? Growth ultrasound today. Baby's measuring two weeks ahead and over 3.5 lbs. Doctor was't concerned but not much seems to concern him. He doesn't trust the measurements but still recommends another growth scan in 4 weeks. Following protocol I guess.
3. How are you feeling in general? Still feeling good. Having more contractions but nothing bothersome. The doctor said (with a smile) to stay hydrated and empty my bladder often to help reduce the contractions. It's ok, I don't really need to spend anytime at my desk getting work done throughout the day.
4. Any issues with your numbers, meds, or food intake? Numbers have been great and I'm thankful for that.
GTKY: Have you scared yourself silly doing too much Dr. Googling about GD? Not this pregnancy:o)
DS 06/2013
DD 12/2014
DS 06/2013
DD 12/2014
I just hate it when I see the too high numbers, because it makes me feel like a bit of a failure. Even though I know I ate how and what I was supposed to. So, the "cheating" was also a bit of "So there, body. Now I can eat more what I want and my numbers will be fine. Nah nah."
ETA: SO not happy with my after dinner numbers. I had maybe 40g of carbs (I'm allowed 45-60g), and my afternoon snack was within limits as well. I forgot to take my meds until after I finished eating, but this is a meal I've had once a week for months with no problems. My reading was 144! WTF? HOW is that possible?
28 weeks 1 day
2. Anything new on the medical front (doctor appointments, nonstress tests, ultrasounds) this week?
follow up fetal heart echo and first growth u/s. Here's hoping baby girl isn't huge.
3. How are you feeling in general?
exhausted, sore and cranky. The trifecta lol. Tired of having to be so careful with my diet.
4. Any issues with your numbers, meds, or food intake?
Nope. I'm gaining more weight than I'd like so I'm watching my calorie intake carefully right now.
GTKY: Have you scared yourself silly doing too much Dr. Googling about GD?
Nah. Due to my profession, the fact I had GD with my DS and that I've been diabetic for two years now, I'm pretty familiar with the whole deal. Sadly.
28 weeks 1 day
2. Anything new on the medical front (doctor appointments, nonstress tests, ultrasounds) this week?
My regular OB visit is tomorrow and there we will talk about extra appointments and test and what not. I'm awaiting a call for the nutritionist for my appointment with them.
Pretty tired but otherwise I'm pretty well accually
4. Any issues with your numbers, meds, or food intake?
Been watching my liquid calories heavily and trying to watch carbs since I failed my 1hour waiting to get my need to be number from the nutritionist.
GTKY: Have you scared yourself silly doing too much Dr. Googling about GD?
Not really beig a nurse I already know more than I wish I did. But looking on the bright side that it can be managed.
DS 06/2013
DD 12/2014
DS 06/2013
DD 12/2014
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
DS 06/2013
DD 12/2014
DS 06/2013
DD 12/2014
I think it's the contractions and constipation. Yup, only thing that explains it.
My endo mentioned something about being able to do a phone consultation with the nutritionist if needed, so I called them earlier to see if I could just do that. Waiting to hear back now.
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
ETA: medical advice from strangers has been the best advice so far lol!!
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙