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Pregnancy

Feeling crap on a low carb diet

16 replies

Squidwoman · 01/07/2013 18:31

Anyone else? Not sure why I'm bothering. I feel dreadful. My GTT result was borderline anyway (7.9) and it seems the evidence that this will make any difference is inconclusive. I'm 31 weeks.

OP posts:

Report

clare8allthepies · 01/07/2013 18:34

How long have you been on it? I've low carbed in the past (before pregnancy) and it's very common to feel pants at the beginn

clare8allthepies · 01/07/2013 18:36

Doh! Beginning, especially if you were a bit of a sugar addict. Are you going completely hardcore on the carbs? If not then hav

clare8allthepies · 01/07/2013 18:37

Having something like pulses or porridge every now and again might ease things a bit.

(can't believe that took 3 attempts)

midori1999 · 01/07/2013 19:44

I would speak to the dietician again. It's important to keep up carb intake during pregnancy, even if diagnosed with GD, otherwise you can produce keytones which can be dangerous for the baby. You also need carbs for the baby to grow.

I have GD now and also had it in my last pregnancy. This time they've been more relaxed about carb counting, as have I as I couldn't diet control at all last time, even on too few carbs, so it wasn't likely I would last time either, but as a guide, last time when I counted carbs I was told to have around 40g for breakfast (about 2 slices whole grain toast) 50g of carbs for lunch and 50 for dinner, not including veg in that and then 3 snacks a day between meals of 10-15g carbs each.

Squidwoman · 01/07/2013 20:25

I was told 3x 40g for meals and 3x 10g for snacks which feels like very little for me. Don't have the monitoring kit yet as they can't see me for over a week. Feel a bit uninformed by midwife. Felt so feint this morning I had a tiny banana. I'm worried my baby is hungry!

OP posts:

midori1999 · 01/07/2013 21:02

Are you filling up on other things like veg, cheese, eggs, meat etc? That way you can still eat plenty.

Speak to them though, it's no good feeling ill.

Newmum0113 · 01/07/2013 23:27

I'm really worried now I have my GTT at the end of the month and all I'm craving is carbs. Particularly mashed potatoes smothered in thick onion gravy. Or pasta carbonara. Have been having the odd pack of crisps too which isn't like me at all!

I didn't think it was safe to diet in pregnancy. Am worried they will be carb nazis.

midori1999 · 02/07/2013 10:00

Newmum, it's not a diet as such. How much you eat isn't controlled, how many carbs you eat is, as eating carbs increases your blood sugar.

wispa31 · 02/07/2013 10:03

stick to low gi carbs, esp at breky, if you can, have some protein and fats first then wait an hr or so and have a bowl of porridge, put a bit of cinamon in it if you have it. grapefruit is also very good first thing as it helps control insulin levels. (the whole fruit not the juice). all i wanted when in early pg was starchy carbs too, esp bread and potatoes.

Mummysaysno · 02/07/2013 13:40

I had GD in my last pregnancy...I found the cutting down on carbs tough at the start, and at one point wasn't eating enough at all as was going to bed extremely hungry. I saw a dietician privately which helped a great deal, particularly for breakfast and snacks.
Yes, remember you can have carbs, but to combine them with fat/protein.
Now baby is born, I'm choosing a low carb diet as I feel much healthier as a result...so it's been a positive experience over all!

Squidwoman · 02/07/2013 18:09

Today I've had more low gi carbs and left out fruit and sugar and have had masses of protein/veg/cheese and feel a bit better. Was definitely too hungry before.

I guess this is just a warm up for the post-birth diet. I'll be weaned off sugary stuff already!

Just don't want to be induced. Any chance they will let me go to 40 weeks?

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Mummysaysno · 03/07/2013 05:58

I was induced at 38.5. My ob would have let me go to 40 weeks if I wanted, however, even though it was now what I would have chosen, I did decide induction was what I felt safest doing...the placenta 'ages' faster in GD.
I have to say the induction was absolutely fine...I just needed the pessary, my waters broke within 2 hours of pessary.
Ask plenty of questions to your midwives/consultant etc, and ultimately you have to do what you feel happy with. For me, fourth baby, I've had two labours which were as I had planned/hoped, so felt lucky to have had that, and was more relaxed about having to go a different route for number four.

rubyanddiamond · 03/07/2013 09:48

I have GD, and the advice I got was to eat low-GI carbs spread out through the day, with lots of protein, but that I wasn't to go hungry. If I'm still hungry and can't keep my sugar under the levels they ask, then they'll give me insulin (actually not as bad as it sounds - happened last pg but fingers crossed it's diet controlled this time round).

I started eating smaller portions, but more substantial snacks through the day. And always combine carbs with protein. It's impossible to do properly without the monitoring kit though as you can't tell what effect anything has on your sugar level otherwise!

I was induced at 38 weeks last time due to needing insulin, but they did offer that I could be monitored daily instead - that's something you can ask about if they recommend early induction.

Squidwoman · 03/07/2013 18:27

Mummysaysno why would you go to 40 weeks in retrospect? Just curious. This is my fourth baby too. The other three were fine- no GD and not induced normal deliveries. I'm also very close to the aug/sep cut off (due sept 5th) but don't know if I want to try and hang on for sept....
At the end of the day a healthy baby is most important. Just worried doctors may be overly cautious unnecessarily.

OP posts:

Squidwoman · 03/07/2013 18:27

Mummysaysno why would you go to 40 weeks in retrospect? Just curious. This is my fourth baby too. The other three were fine- no GD and not induced normal deliveries. I'm also very close to the aug/sep cut off (due sept 5th) but don't know if I want to try and hang on for sept....
At the end of the day a healthy baby is most important. Just worried doctors may be overly cautious unnecessarily.

OP posts:

Mummysaysno · 03/07/2013 19:42

Sorry...it was a typo! 'Now' should have read 'not' as in I would never have chosen an induction and was initially very disappointed that the dr was recommending it.
Also, if you do decide to go down induction route, there are positives...you can plan childcare for your other children being the main one!!!
And congratulations on being about to become a family of six!!

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