Gestational Diabetes - The Art of Balance

What happens when you are pregnant and you have too much sugar in your blood???

This condition is called Gestational diabetes.

It happens even to a Mother who does not have a history of diabetes.

There are 2 types.

Type A1: Can be managed through diet and exercise.

Type A2: Require Insulin and medication to manage the condition.

So, what do you do if you have Gestational Diabetes?

Despite having Gestational diabetes, your baby will likely be healthy.

If you have been diagnosed, you and your doctor will have to focus on managing your blood sugar level.

Right after birth, your doctor will check on your condition. Although Gestational diabetes can go away for the Mother after giving birth. There are records of it possibly affecting the baby’s health with getting Type II Diabetes later in life.

There are steps that you can take to ensure that you and your baby remain healthy.

1. Work to improve your diet and eat healthy foods.

2. Establish a regular workout routine.

3. Consider weight loss.

You may consult professionals such as your gynecologist or a nutritionist to help.

There are also lots of reading material from well-published websites that can help ease your journey.

Generally, gestational diabetes may not have any symptoms. Some may experience mild symptoms such as:

i. Easily fatigue

ii. Excessive thirst

iii. Increased frequency in urinary urgency

iv. Snoring

v. Increased weight gain

But as you can see, these are fairly generic, so just be aware of the changes in your body.

While we are at the topic of nutrition. Here are a few general rules that you can pay more attention to whether or not you have Gestational diabetes:

· Have a healthy, low-sugar diet.

· Focus on natural sugar like fruits, carrots, and raisin.

Trade away sugary snacks like cookies, candy, and ice cream.

· Add vegetables and whole grains.

Watch your portion sizes.

· Have three small meals along with two / three snacks about the same times every day.

· Get 40% of your daily calories from carbs and 20% from protein. 50% of the carbs should be complex, high-fiber carbs, with fat being between 25% and 30%.

· Aim for 20-35 grams of fiber a day. Use food like whole-grain, cereals, brown rice, oatmeal, and vegetables and fruits.

· Limit your total fat to less than 40% of your daily calories (less than 10% of it to be saturated fat)

· Don’t stick to only a single type of food. A variety can help nourish with different vitamins and minerals.

· If your diet lacks certain vitamins, be sure to consult your doctor before taking supplements.

Do

1. (Do) See a Nutritionist

2. (Do) Have a diet plan

3. (Do) Snack when you are hungry

4. (Do) Understand other important factor affecting your diet

Don't

1. (Don't) Get your advice only from Google.

2. (Don't) Cut off all carbs

3. (Don't) Stop snacking

4. (Don't) Stress and blame yourself if you have a high BGLs