Avoiding Gestational Diabetes?

[Mum2Many]

I was undiagnosed in my 5th and 6th pregnancies and finally diagnosed and required insulin. I had so many complications they ended up having to induce me at 36 weeks.

I'm now pregnant again and looking to try and avoid getting GD again (or at least as badly)... Is there anything I can do? I can't really remember what I did or didn't do last time as it was over 4 years ago now.

 

[fao]

I don't know if you can avoid it if it is going to happen, but I would suggest that you alter your diet now in the hope that it could be diet controlled and therefore not a problem for you. From my reading (when I had my GTT test and stressing out about it), you should cut out simple carbs (white bread, pasta and rice and all things sugary), have only wholewheat carbs in small amounts (if any), and loads of green veg and protein, basically like Atkins.

The GD thread on this forum is useful but very very long!

There are also some diabetic recipe websites you can find. Also exercise and trying to reduce your bmi (if it is high) might help too, as exercise burns off extra energy and metabolises sugars in a similar way that insulin does (I think). I am no expert though and you should really find out more.

 

[Kiagirl]

I had it when I was having Lucie, I am going to try and slim down a bit as I was only 0.25 in the risk bracket. I will also change my diet but I was amazed what I couldn't eat. My diet is crap anyway and I always skip breakfast so when I got my bfp, I started to eat loads of fruit, drank fruit juice instead of coke, made myself have toast or cereal for breakfast so just filled myself full of the stuff that contributes to gd ��. I needed tablets toward the end of my pg so hopefully next time I will do without.

 

[Ella1979]

I think it really depends on why the GD started in the first place. I got it with my second pregnancy, but my only risk factor was my dad being a type 2 diabetic. I have a normal BMI of 21 and had been craving salads and fresh veg throughout my pregnancy (crazy I know! I had a massive tomato craving at around 16 weeks!!). Consequently I remember the nurse saying that it was probably going to be impossible to control the GD with diet. My fasting sugars were 9.2 and my 2 hour result was 10.4, so not even borderline GD. I checked my blood sugars for a week but unless I avoided breakfast altogether I wasn't able to keep the morning result within the limits so had to go on metformin. Luckily this did make things better and I didn't have to go on insulin.

 

[Mum2Many]

Thanks girls!

I eat relatively healthily already and I exercise regularly... I suspect my risk factors are just too high and I can't avoid it. Most of my family is diabetic, on both sides. Unfortunately I can't have the pills due to a kidney issue so either I control it with diet or I have insulin and there's nothing in between. :/

I'm going to go check out the GD thread mentioned! I did see it down there but it was pages and pages long and I was being lazy! LOL

 

[Michell]

I was amazed at the fruits I had to cut out when I was diagnosed, you try to stick to your five a day then you're basically told no you can't have that that or that. I am able to control mine with diet, meals are easy to do, snacks are what I struggle with. But I find that if you are able to have a quick half hour walk if you feel you've had something that might give you a high reading then it tends to bring it back down again.

As for avoiding it, I don't think you can, if it's in you then it's in you. As others have said above it's just more a case of controlling it.

 

[sozzy]

I'm interested to see if I get it again in this pregnancy as my dad (type2) for over 10 years has just been told he's now free from it after losing 4stone and taking regular exercise daily! Doctors are amazed!! So I'm watching what I eat..and walking close to 3miles a day.. GTT is in 3 weeks! Fingers crossed x

 

[roundabout]

I had it with my last and am just going through the monitoring on this one. Bloods seem ok at the moment. Diabetic nurse said because its caused by a hormone in the placenta then not a lot can be done to avoid it. It doesn't harm to eat well though! I think it is 80% chance of getting it once you have had it in another pregnancy.

 

[sozzy]

Ohh I wasn't aware it was due to hormone in the placenta. :-/ so I guess I'm due it again.. But a plus to all the monitoring/ finger pricking and diet control is a baby that won't go over due date! I was given sweeps at 39 weeks last time x