Gestational diabetes and suspected gallstones... what can I eat?!?! Help!

[Smicha]

I've just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and I'm awaiting a scan to check for gallstones as the GP suspects that what's causing a pain in my abdomen but I can't get booked in until 10 August for that.

Has anyone else suffered from both of these and what did you eat?! I know I'm to cut out sugars for GD and fats for gallstones, but for GD it's recommended that I fill up on things like cheese, eggs and meat but they're the things that are bad for gallstones, for example I'm aware already that the pain gets worse when I eat cheese! Feeling a little bit lost to say the least...!

I feel your pain Smicha. I don't have GD but I do have gall stones. I have had them for years and the pain has become slowly worse in recent years. When I fell pregnant I had an attack every week for about 5 weeks, I thought I was going to die from the pain! I ended up in A&E twice. It is excruciating. I was told to cut out sugar and fatty food. I very slowly discovered it was in fact red meat that caused an attack. I have cut red meat out completely and now only each chicken, fish and very occasionally pork. I have not had an attack since about 8 weeks (am 26 weeks now). Your body may not react the same way as mine with red meat but definitely worth seeing if it does affect you.

Good luck :)

Know nothing about gall stones but based on gardens response, you can get away with eating similar for diabetes. I am Type 1 and just because it's easier, I have reduced high fat, high sugar, high carb foods.

The reason is that a high fat and high sugar is bad for sugar levels in that the spike drags out for longer and higher. So eat normal chocolate means my spike is slightly delayed and it lasts longer.

Stick to fresh food - sweet potatoes instead of potatoes, reduce carbs, cut out high fat such as pizzas and pastries, eat more salads, fresh white meat (healthier than red anyway) and cut out rubbishy food.

The potentially good thing about being diabetic is that you DO have to follow a much healthier diet - cheese is quite high in fat anyway so you're not missing out on much.

Surprisingly, just because some is low GI doesn't make it healthy.

Good luck. At least your diabetes will disappear when your baby is born. Although, be careful because gestational diabetes can be a bit of a warning bell for a later developed Type 2 diabetes so maybe worth making the changes now anyway?

Thanks for the advice. It does seem that the diet for the two might just be similar. Basically cut out sugar and fat, which is no bad thing at all.

I actually do eat a relatively low sugar, low fat diet (I'm certainly not perfect and love the odd bit of cake or chocolate... and cheese!) and I eat virtually no processed food, so upon reflection might not need to change as much as I initially thought. I have a low BMI and prior to this week, was considered a low risk pregnancy. Just goes to show you can never tell what will bring on these things!

I think I'm coming to terms with it, but it's frightening at first when wanting to do everything just right for the baby! Thanks again.

The BEST thing you can do for ANY diabetes is to get out and go for a walk or do some exercise. Not sure if you've managed to fit any of that in but even a walk after eating with help - I take insulin and the heat made it impossible to inject enough. It does something weird to how it works - or doesn't work - when it gets hot. But the funny thing is that I just need to get up and move about for 20 minutes and the spike that the insulin battles to bring down comes right down with exercise.

So go for a swim as well. It will help with the gestational diabetes and potentially ward of type 2 (if there is any threat!)

Cut out carbs as well - sugar and carbs are "bad" for diabetes. Fat in moderation isn't a bad thing if it's not saturated fat.

Thanks kick, this is all great advice. I have been trying to walk as much as I can and get out each lunchtime while at work. And at the weekend DH and I have kept up our walking in the countryside as much as we can... although I can now only manage a couple of miles max! So I'll definitely keep that up. I was going to an aquanatal class but it finished for the summer, so I've found a pregnancy pilates class to start next week in its place.
As for the fats, they'll have to be out if the gallstones turn out to be there but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
Mumsnet is such a better source of advice than some other sites... I should not have looked at the NHS pages on GD - I think they're what sent me into my initial panic!!

I was diagnosed with type 1 nearly 7 weeks ago and the diabetes forums terrified me. I have got control and am happy with my Management.

People often give bad advice while trying to be nice. Only by making you panic.

The best control ia to not panic. Approach with caution and be calm.