Avoiding Gestational Diabetes?

[Pootletrinket]

I've been told, due to weight and age, that I've got to have a GTT at 28 weeks. My understanding is that, at this stage, they will tell me if I have it or not - but I'm struggling to find tips on how to proactively try and avoid it. Assume it's mostly diet related and have been trying to increase brown rice; veg and things that 'feel' healthy but it's very unscientific and I've no idea what to avoid (assume sugary, fatty foods) - any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

My thread on the same thing here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/1056446-GTT-GD-and-diet-concerns

D

white carb can be just as bad / worse than obviously sugary things. Look out for sugar in drinks, especially fruit juice or fruit flavoured waters, and generally, low fat versions of thngs like yoghurts have more sugar in than the full fat versions. Cereals are almost all high in sugar except weetabix and porridge and even granary or brown bread can be too much. Its basically the same prnciples as a low GI diet. Exercise also helps.
Have you been given a self testing kit so you can see how you are doing? If not maybe you can request one or you can buy them in boots.- you just prick your finger and measure the blood sugar before brek and after meals. The acceptable range varies from consultant to consultant but roughly below 4.9 before brek and below 7.9 an hour after eating should be about right.
good luck

At my booking appointment with DD (2 years ago), the MW told me that GD was easy to avoid by eating healthily (lots of veg to be specific). And staying away from sweets, biscuits, choccies and cake (not what you want to hear when pregnant!).

Also regular exercise would help as long as it was gentle even walking is good. Apparently exercise lowers bloodsugar and keeps it in check.

I had lots of porridge (nice if you slice some fruit into it) for breakfast.

I did ok with lunch and dinner too. Brown rice, homemade veg curries, grilled/poached fish etc etc.

But just couldn't stay away from the chocolate! I didn't get GD but I craved chocolate so so bad. And I did gain a huge amount of weight (due to choccie overload). Still trying to lose it now.

So I do recommend doing your upmost to stay away from the sweet stuff.

For what its worth, we're all different and some people will eat huge amounts of sweets and not get GD and others will eat really healthily and still get GD.

I used to see a small japanese lady who was pregnant same time as I was in my local starbucks every day. She was tiny with tiny bump and used to order 7 (yes 7) cakes and scoff them all in one go!!!

Also apparently fruit juice is bad for blood sugar spikes.

The low GI diet will stand you in good stead. And as already been said avoiding white cabs is best and the low fat version is also not always the best option. Try and up the protein and veg in your diet and eat carbs in smaller portions spread through out the day.

For me (had GD last time and bordering on it coming back now) the worst things are bread of any sort, most breakfast cereals, any take away food, old potatoes and bananas. It's something you have to play around with a certain extent as everyone is just a bit different - I can eat pear and almond cake and dark chocolate and get a much lower reading than if I ate a ham sandwich. Meat and two veg with a small portion of new potatoes is a definite winner on the low reading front every time if a bit boring.

The other thing is to not beat yourself up if you do develop GD. A low GI diet will manage the condition but not stop it from occuring. It's a myth that eating sugar will give you GD, you may be higher risk but it's a hormonal trigger that causes it.

For the record My Mum, Sister and me all have had GD and my mum has type 2 diabetes now. None of us are overweight.

Thanks everyone, will sit down later and have a proper digest of the links etc. Didn't realise it was generally carb related - will read up on low GI and keep up with the brown rice etc!

No pasta - eek!

I've eaten like a pig - cake every single day, biscuits, crisps, pasta, fizzy drinks - the lot. I've somehow still avoided it. I was sure I was a dead cert to get it, but I just couldnt give in to my strong cravings....