It Is Possible to Manage Gestational Diabetes

Cravings during pregnancy need to be monitored if you develop gestational diabetes

Pregnancy is a time when most women really love to eat. They may get a craving in the middle of the night for ice cream or want to eat pickles for breakfast. It is important to the baby's health and development that the mother is eating enough protein and a balanced diet. If she is diagnosed with gestational diabetes, she will probably need to change those eating habits that might be contributing to the problem.

Skip the cookies and reach for proteins and whole grain products

Gestational diabetes requires careful monitoring of blood sugar levels. Not following the doctor's orders or the diabetes diet plans that your nutritionist provides can be dangerous to both mother and child. Most women need to eat a protein-based breakfast such as eggs with a slice of whole grain toast. Other days, they may have peanut butter on whole wheat toast. There are many diabetic meal plans that are not boring. The pregnant woman may need to snack on apple slices and peanut butter or carrots and celery with hummus rather than on cookies or sweets.

There are many ready to eat diabetic foods available

It is possible to control diabetes during pregnancy with careful monitoring of glucose levels. Most women are told to test their level when they wake up in the morning and after eating each meal. Diabetic cookie recipes are available online if you really need to have some sweets. Keep in mind that most doctors recommend that only a certain number of carbohydrates are eaten every day. Unfortunately, diabetic cookies, cake, and other sweet treats still contain carbs. The mother will need to keep careful track of how many carbohydrates are in each cookie before eating five or six of them and causing her blood sugar to spike.

Controlling diet is important, but other factors also make a difference

Some pregnant women develop diabetes during pregnancy even if they carefully monitor their diet and don't binge on a pint of ice cream each night. They may have been at their optimal weight before conceiving and they may have had a regular exercise routine. Despite these things, they still have a chance of developing this disease. A website project by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health, women's health.gov, estimates that around 1 in 20 women develop diabetes during pregnancy.

Eat about 3 small meals plus snacks each day

There are many delicious foods that you can eat even if you are diabetic during pregnancy. Increase the amount of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that you eat each day, and be sure to follow the recommended number of carbs that your diabetes educator or nutritionist tells you to eat. The spacing of these carbs throughout the day is very important so that your system does not need to accommodate too many at once.

Stay active and walk every day

Exercise has been shown to lower blood glucose levels, and it is very important to stay active during pregnancy if you have diabetes. Walking 15 minutes at a slow pace can lower your glucose level, and if you work up to a little longer at a medium pace, many diabetes professionals say that this is even better. During pregnancy, it is always important to check with your doctor before you begin any exercise plan.