Help me with Gestational diabetes - just diagnosed

[chickenandwhat]

Hi, I've just been diagnosed with GD. I've an appointment on Friday to sort the blood monitoring. Until then I need some help. The midwife sent me some videos and it said pretty much don't eat all these things, carbs and fruit. And eat these meat & veg. Then it said you can have some low GI carbs and fruit. Now I'm not a big meat eater as an ex-vegetarian. But anyway I'm struggling to know what I can eat.

I've had some plain weetabix with milk today and some cheese and seedy brown bread. Plus some fruit (blueberries and some orange) . I had some salted popcorn. I don't know if this is too carby still. I know weetabix have added sugar in the ingredients.

Are potatoes ok ? It said not on the video, but just looking online to see if I can see a calculation for low carb and wholemeal pasta looked as bad as a potato.

So how do I calculate on processed stuff if it's low carb? Is there a rule like under so much carb per 100g is best? I obviously know processed stuff isn't ideal, and generally I cook from scratch, but snacks are the issue.

www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/

Try this website?

I don't have personal experience but a good friend of mine has had it. She followed a strict diet and it worked amazingly well, in that the baby went from measuring very large to measuring average. It means she can probably have water birth, less likely to be induced etc. Good luck with it.

Hi, I don't have GD but do have type 1 diabetes so can give a little help with carb counting.

What you are looking for with processed food is the sugar as well as carb content. So on the back of every pack will have a carb content and as of which are sugar. Try to keep the sugar as low as possible, you'll notice a lot of 'low fat products' have very high sugar content.

When eating carbs try to eat as part of a balanced meal, eating fat with your carbs will slow down their release and mean that your blood sugar spikes less quickly. i.e. don't just have mashed potato, have it with loads of veg and a some meat.

If you don't like meat, eat eggs, cheese and fish.

Essentially the less processed the food, usually the lower the GI is, i.e. brown bread over white, wholewheat pasta over white etc etc.

I find any cereals really raise my blood sugars so personally I stay away as they release really quickly. Something like scrambled eggs on toast is better for me as the fat means the carb is realised less quickly.

Potatoes aren't too bad in moderation in my opinion, but sweet potatoes are actually better.

Fruit and fruit juices really raise my blood sugars so try to combine with some slow release carb or fat i.e. don't eat as a snack eat after a meal. And don't drink juice at all!

Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great!

@Keha that's a great site. It's weird how they all say slightly different on what's ok to have. I guess it's moderation and combination like @LH1987 suggests. I never used to eat cereal and a lot of the advice is familiar from my previous years of healthier eating. I think I've let it slip a bit reverently. Things like cereal are just so easy, when I have existing children to get out the door in the mornings!

Im quite late in my pregnancy now, so it's not long to go, but obviously I want to turn this around. I had tested negative earlier on, so a bit of a shock. I'm also a big fruit eater.

please join us on GDUK on facebook / website. its amazing x