Gestational diabetes - borderline GTT - due to see dietitian Friday how restrictive is diet likely to be?

[Piffle]

Told test is borderline I'm 30 wks
I already follow a low GI diet
Baby measuring a little large for dates.
Homebirth planned
So what I would like to know is what is a really restrictive diet likely to be like
I have done an archives search

Just noticed last few days (have had bit of gastric flu) and have suffered dizzy spells and acute tiredness/lethrgy - could be flu related but DP also has the gastric bit but not the dizzyness.
I really want my homebirth I really want to keep it under control by diet alone
Help!

please anyone@

No personal experience, but I think Hunker had this with her DD2.

Really hope you get your homebirth

I found Diabetes UK quite useful when I had GD.

If you've ever come across the GI diet, that's basically the one that you are advised to follow with GD. Cut out sugar, and go for plenty of carbohydrates rice, pasta, bread. Wholemeal is probably better, but white is OK. Lots of small meals a day is often better than two or three large ones.

You'll have to test your glucose several times a day, and you'll be asked to keep it within certain levels. I found that as long as I was otherwise controlling my levels, the odd treat like a piece of cake or some chocolate didn't do too much damage.

Ask to speak to a diabetes nurse as well as the dietician - I found mine to be far more clued up on diabetes than the dietician (as you'd expect, really).

Thx WWB, I already follow GI diet 90% of the time
I guess I have to really hammer home that other 10%
I have another GTT on Friday to see if anything has changed with dietary changes this week, but the m/w said that as I already followed such a good diet, chances were that I'd be more likely to end up on insulin
Am so not prepared for this

Hi

I did find the diet fairly restricting, but then i have a very sweet tooth and eat lots of fruit - so not ideal for me. Saying that i think it is probably easier since the introduction of gi diet and more sugar free sweets - DONT TRY THE WINE GUMS EWWWWW

If you are following gi mostly anyway then it shoildnt be a problem for you, have got my 1st test in 4 weeks for gd this pg, are you just controlling by diet or insulin?

I've had gd both pregnancies, and have ended up on insulin because even the strictest diet didn't control it (esp. later on).

BUT - injecting really isn't too bad. It doesn't hurt, homestly! I never thought I could do it, but it was not a problem when I tried.

My ds has just arrived back from NZ with all my favourite childhood sweets about 3kgs of them
Am gutted LOL
I am doing it by diet alone, have cut out all treats bar rich tea (treat my arse LOL)
So far today
Breakfast
muesli (no added sugar) just nuts and raisins
1 chopped tinned pear (in juice)
cup of tea (no sugar)

Morning tea
weak tea with 2 rich tea biscuits

Lunch 2 poached eggs, 1 slice unbuttered granary and 1 orange, plus about 50 mls OJ to have my spatone (iron supplement) in.
A few brazil nuts.

Afternoon tea will be banana and almonds

Dinner is prawns and with brown basmati rice and bean salad.

Will have to have the spatone again later with OJ about 50 mls

Before bed 5 small plain crackers 1 slice of hard cheese.
How does that sound?

How does fruit affect GD? I have had severe constipation and also have had to stop taking lactulose as it's pure sugar, I need the fruit/OJ!

What are birth choices if I have to go on to insulin? I have my babies really fast and have opted for homebirth as am quite a way from hospital...

so many questions!

And I don't do sugar free if it contains artificial sweeteners I'd rather go without

I kept eating fruit, I was told not to keep off it - I did question it with my diabetes midwife because I eat stacks of fruit, and she told me that plenty of fruit and veg is a vital part of a healthy GD diet and I shouldn't cut down on it.

I wasn't on insulin, but my birth choices were restricted because of the GD. I wasn't allowed a home birth, and had to be monitored throughout labour. Dd's blood sugar levels had to be tested when she was born, they were borderline so they did heel pricks every couple of hours until I told them to leave her alone because her foot was so sore. The paediatrician also wanted her force-fed formula every couple of hours, although I put my foot down very firmly about that.

Your pregnancy will probably be heavily monitored as well - I was put under the care of a diabetes nurse, midwife and specialist obstetrician, and I was seeing one or all of them every two weeks from about 20 weeks onwards. I had to have extra scans to keep an eye on the amount of amniotic fluid, the flow of the blood to the placenta, and the size of the baby, because GD can affect all of those.

I don't know what your choices are if you become insulin dependant; I have a diabetic friend though who needed to be on an insulin drip throughout her labour because her blood sugar levels went completely haywire. You may find it hard to get the birth you want.

I'm not that bothered about being in hospital obviously baby comes first BUT
With dd I woke up 5.15am with contractions bang bang bang and 62 minutes later dd was born.
To get the babysitter round here and drive to the hospital which in the middle of the night is 40 mins away - daytime it would be HELL.
I just don't know...
Well another GTT on friday and if any of these changes I've made since yesterday have helped it should bring my results under the borderline...
I am having reg scans anyway as under consultant due to dd have rare genetic syndrome... due for another in 2 wks.

i have just had a call from the hospital as my blood test results for glucose tolerance were abnormal so have to have more tests on monday, what do these involve? i know i have not been eating right as i have lost my appetite these days and cannot eat a great deal. bad enough that i hae recently been diagnosed with Strep B. something else for me to worry about! i am surprised at the results though as i am measuring small (about a week behind according to fundal height) and my bump is still small!
what is the diet like if i do have gd?

Piffle, I too have gd, and am tryiong to control it through diet as I want a homebirth too.

I have been testing my blood sugars very regularly now for a week or so, and have found that bananas and bread really send my sugar rocketing.

Bethoo - I am eating lots of protein and fruit/veg and minimising the amount of carbohydrates that I eat after breakfast. I think this is the opposite of what the diabetes nurse said , but my Mum is Type 2 diabetic and she has problems with bread/bananas as well, and this diet seems to work for us.

I eat every two hours throughout the day, and split my food intake into six mini-meals rather than three large meals and snacks. I do feel that I am constantly eating though, and am always thinking about what to eat/how much to eat/when to eat etc so it does rather take over your life .

I have to say that as time goes by I'm getting used to it, and if I can control it through diet I am going to really push for my home birth, so I have a strong motivation (I hate hospitals), although I do know that I might not be able to achieve control through diet alone, I intend to give it my best shot!

I'm doing the small balanced meals too, about 4-5 a day plus two snacks one of nuts/rich tea biscuit and one of an orange and a kiwifruit.
I eat only rye bread anyway - one slice a day with a poached egg
I've not been given advice about blood although the nurse did say that my npon fasting sample had been writtend down as a fastign sample FFS and it was only borderline so she thinks I might be ok.
About to ring and find out after the other GTT on Friday...

WigwamBam, I have borderline GD, and my doctor gave me different advice to what you mention. He told me to stay away from white rice, pasta, potato and white bread.
For my carb intake I eat brown rice, brown bread.
Now I am totally confused... (I don't live in the UK)

Piffle, I think raisins are a no no for GD. Bananas also have lots of sugar, and pears in juice I think are not a good idea either.

just got my results back
5.5 I'm fine
Very confused....