Hi OP. I also have gestational diabetes so I’m very sympathetic - it’s a hard thing to deal with on top of all the regular pregnancy stress and difficulty.
There is no point beating yourself up and calling yourself a bad mum because that will only lead you to feel shame, and shame is not conducive to making good choices and succeeding. You need strategies for getting through this.
Uncontrolled blood sugar does have the potential to be harmful to your baby. You will of course have been advised of the risks, which can include an increased risk of your baby having type 2 diabetes later in life, your baby needing to spend time in hospital after birth to get their blood sugar under control, excessive weight gain for the baby (which increases the risk of complications in labour), and stillbirth. You will also severely limit your birth choices if your blood sugar isn’t under control, with induction and c-section both much more likely.
The good news is these risks can be massively mitigated by good blood sugar control, so you really do have the power to make choices which will be so good for you and your baby. I’ve got some tips which have really helped me through two pregnancies with GD (in my current pregnancy I was diagnosed at 10 weeks so I’ve been sticking to the GD friendly lifestyle for over 6 months!).
Here is what I would suggest:
- Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks so you can work out what your tolerances are. Different women tolerate different carbs better or worse than others. It’s well worth knowing where you have a bit more freedom. For instance I can eat wholewheat spaghetti in normal quantities without spiking my blood sugar and that has been a big help as it’s a comforting, familiar food I can still rely on. Some women manage baked potatoes / rice etc fine, and it’s so helpful to know what your well-tolerated carbs are.
- Work out your favourite GD friendly swaps for high carb foods. Different types of bread, rice and pasta have different amounts of carbs and it’s a big help to find brands you like for each option.
- Make low carb versions of your favourite sugary foods. If you aren’t already a member of the https://www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/ website it is so worth the money. I think it’s £5 a month and you’d only need to pay for one month if you then downloaded all the recipes you wanted. There are recipes for chocolate brownies, trifle, Yule log, cheesecake and tons of meal ideas, all of which are totally GD friendly and won’t spike your blood sugar. It’s a godsend for me and my sweet tooth.
- learn about carb pairing - there is tons of info on the website above. Pairing carbs with fat and protein means you can often have a sweet treat (for instance, I’ll often have a Freddo paired with a handful of cashews and a babybel if I’m craving chocolate and it’s fine for my blood sugar).
- I keep a list of all the foods I crave but can’t eat so I can revisit it when my baby has been born. It helps me to write them down and remember that of course I’ll be able to enjoy them again - it’s just not the season for it right now, when my baby’s safety depends on me not having them.
It isn’t at all easy but you’re strong and capable and you love your baby. You can do it! And when your baby is safely delivered you will be really proud of yourself for the sacrifices you made to keep them safe.