Gestational Diabetes Menu

A gestational diabetes menu described here to make your life simpler. My friend, Wilma, was 24 weeks pregnant and diagnosed with gestational diabetes. She had a glucose meter and kept meticulous blood glucose records. She had a chart for her numbers and the time of day.

That is what her obstetrician recommended. She called me to see if I knew anything about a gestational diabetes menu.

My mother had type 2 diabetes, so I was familiar with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines. I told Wilma that I would e-mail her with some links to the web. First, I checked out gestational diabetes. I found that:

• Gestational diabetes occurs only during pregnancy. Just like other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes affects the way your body uses sugar. It is unlikely that it will cause problems for you, but it can threaten the health of your unborn baby.

You can manage gestational diabetes by:

• Eating healthy foods
• Exercising regularly
• Taking medication, if necessary

What is gestational diabetes? The bottom line is too much sugar in your blood stream.

Causes of Gestational Diabetes

Researchers do not know exactly what causes pregnancy-related diabetes. It has something to do with the hormones that the placenta produces. In gestational diabetes, the placenta hormones provoke a rise in blood sugar to an unsafe level.

It usually develops during the third trimester of pregnancy. It doesn’t occur before the 20th week. Usually the mother’s body is able to produce more insulin to overcome the effect of pregnancy hormones. If the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin, blood sugar levels will rise and you have gestational diabetes.

ADA Food Pyramid

This diabetes food pyramid divides food into six groups:

• Grains and starches
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Milk and dairy
• Meat and meat substitutes
• Fats, Sweets, and Alcohol

These groups or sections on the pyramid vary in size. The largest group – grains, beans, and starchy vegetables – is on the bottom of the food pyramid. This means you should eat more of these than the other groups.

The smallest group – fats, sweets, and alcohol – is at the top of food pyramid. This means eat very few servings of this group.

Consistent eating habits can help you control your blood sugar levels. Try every day to eat about the same amount of food at about the same time. Six small meals are better than three big meals.

Plan a program that follows these guidelines:

Limit saturated and trans-fats. Curb dietary cholesterol. Eat fish twice a week. Try to get 25 grams of fiber.

I sent all of this information to Wilma. I told her there was a detailed description of this gestational diabetes menu on this web site under “Diabetes Food Guide”.

Wilma found it hard to believe there were no symptoms or signs of gestational diabetes. Unlike type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes has no symptoms. Only a blood test can verify the diagnosis. Wilma had an automatic blood test at 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Wilma was also concerned about the baby. She didn’t want the baby producing so much insulin that the baby would be hypoglycemic after birth. (Low blood sugar because of so much insulin.) That could lead to seizures. Whatever Wilma’s sugar levels, so would be the baby. Wilma’s incentive was great to eat right, and test her blood sugar levels before and after she ate.

Conclusion

I hope you have learned something from the story about Wilma and gestational diabetes. If you have any questions, let us know. We are happy to help you.

Margaret Stenerson
March 8, 2010