Gestational Diabetes - Washington,MO

Normal blood glucose should be between 80-120, although everyone has their own "normal". (Paramedic Husband).

Below 90 first thing in the a.m.
Below 120 1 hr. after eating.

Please don't get all flustered and worked up. This can USUALLY be managed ENTIRELY by diet. Simply call your OB on Monday a.m. and THEY will schedule an appt. with a nutritionist/educator who will spend about an hour going over testing, what and what not to eat, etc. The fact that they just have you testing leads me to believe you're just being monitored and may have just been on the high end of normal. Relax and enjoy this AWESOME time! : )

I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant and they scared me at first because I was told in a class that if anyone would go on insulin it was me. I did not need insulin or meds. I was controlled by a strict diet and exercise. All the other answers are correct. You need to see a diabetes specialist and a nutritional educator. Call our doctors office and check with them. The American Diabetes Assoc. website has lots of information and there are many websites that have recipes and information for a diabetic. If you would like some of these do not hesitate to contact me and I will get the names/addresses. The one I remember offhand is Kraft foods has a section and emails just for diabetics. You will be fine. Congratulations.

Hi there! Sugars and high starch foods (or large portions of them, at least) are what to avoid, then check for a glucose level of 120 or less. Many doctors look for 120 by two hours past a meal, but mine was strict and was looking for 120 at one hour. I think that is the best way to get control of the situation. If they are high, you can eat smaller meals, more times per day. And eating protein at each sitting will help the blood sugars be more stable. I hope this helps, and I hope you have a healthy pregnancy the rest of the way! :o)

My suggestion would be to contact your doc first thing Monday morning and ask about seeing a dietician to give you diet education for GD and you need to know what your levels should be. It's not as simple as avoiding sugar and high starch. You have to learn how to count the carbs and read food labels.

You blood sugar should be under 120. You should also test first thing in the morning. Make sure you keep a log to show to your doctor.

I found my best resource for information was the nurse in the doctor's office. She took the time to answer my questions in non-medical terms.

My doctor had me meet with a nutritionist. It was a joke. She basically asked me what I liked to eat, then she told me don't eat xxx and eat this or this for breakfast, this or this for lunch, this or this for dinner. Ok I had six meals I could eat for the next 6 months. I did most of the research myself. Not all nutritionist are like this, but before meeting with one, make a list of questions you want answered.

One of the main things is to try to keep you blood sugars normal. All food breaks down into sugar, foods high in carbs and startchy foods are bad. So you'll need to avoid sugar and limit things like pasta, white rice, white bread and potatoes. No or very limited fruit juice, fresh fruit is good.

Also, you should be eating six meals a day. I know sounds like a lot, but eat a healthy breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, dinner, a evening snack.

Some good things to eat...
oatmeal (no sweatner - use cinamon) with raisins or apples
lowfat/light yogurt (yes it has sugar - stay under 15g, but lots of good stuff too)
green veggies and more green veggies and more green veggies (lettuce, brocolli, green beens, green peppers, spinish)
chicken, lean beef, lean pork (a serving is 4oz, the size of your palm)
apples
legumes (black beans, chick peas, humus)

Good luck!

First off after failing a glucose test, they should have scheduled you with a DIabetic Educator. Did they give you a number to call and you just did not realize it. They should also be trying to get you into a class. They will have you record your diet and blood sugars right now and bring that in to determine how many carbs you are allowed with each meal and your two snacks. They will then show you how to calculate carbs. Right now, just try not to eat any junk food, chips especially, no candy, icecream etc. Take your blood sugar fasting in the AM, write it down. That should be below 100. Then take your blood sugar 1 hour after meals. This number is aimed to be 100 or below but 120 and below is still respectable. They will give you range levels based on your weight and pregnancy gestation. Call on Monday and get your appointment scheduled. It is too much to go into on the boards. That is why diabetic education tends to take 2 hours or more.

time to call the doctor! Ask for full training for caring for your gestational diabetes. I was referred to a nutritionist who taught me EVERYTHING! It was a lifesaver for me, & I was able to avoid medication because of this training. (& it was quite handy when my husband was diagnosed with diabetes a few years later!) Good Luck.

I had gestational diabetes. You really need to schedule an appointment with a dietician so that she can determine the number of carbs, proteins and fats you are allowed per day. She should also give you a manual which tells you how many carbs are in different types of food, such as vegetables and fruits, the manual will also have nutritional information for many common foods. This will make meal planning a little bit easier. The dietician or nutritionist should also give you some sample menus. You can google, The American Diabetes Association and get some good recipes. Also, The American Heart Association cookbooks list the nutritional content such as amt of carb, protein and fat per serving at the bottom of the recipes. Most likely, you will be advised to eat 3 meals and a snack betweet breakfast and lunch and a snack between lunch and dinner then a snack before bedtime. The best bedtime snack is one or two crackers with peanut butter and a small glass of milk because the combination keeps your blood sugar normal over night.

Every doctor has a little bit different criteria, but blood sugar should be below 120 1-2 hours after eating. Also becareful of hypoglycemia, blood sugar that is too low. You can google The American Diabetes Association for symptoms of low blood sugar.

I am shocked that your doctor has not referred you to a dietician or nutritionist???

You will feel so much better once you get your diet under control.

Good Luck

You need to make another appointment with your doctor.
I have friends who've had gestational diabetes and some who were just "at risk". They were all referred to a nutritionist to go over sugar levels, diet, exercise, etc.
Keep a journal of your levels as you test them, document what you eat and at what time and the time you tested.
Call on Monday to follow up.

Hi J.,
Definately follow this advice and contact your dr's office to ask about a diabetic dietician. I'm sure there is one. My little town has a staff at the hosptial and at the clinic. I went to two - the second one REALLY explained everything and helped me figure out what I can eat - so I didn't feel deprived of anything. She taught me a lot. (So, if your first visit doesn't seem to answer all your questions, make an appt with another one.)

With the dietician's help, I was able to be happy during that time and never tested over my level. I never had to inject anything or take any kind of medicine. I think with some support, you will be the same.

Best of luck and don't want to make those phone calls and get yourself into the dietician/nutritionist ASAP so that you can know what to do and relax.
K.