When my Ob told me to do the GTT i was pretty confident that i wont have GD because i never did have it for my last 2 pregnancies.. but when i failed the 2 hr test i was so unhappy! Im blaming on myself because i used to have hot fudge from McDonald’s every day during my 24-28th week and no wonder i gained 4 kgs/8.8 lbs in 4 weeks! LOL!

ok once your told you have GD how was your reaction? mine was like this was it!! This was the end of all my favorite things i used to gobble down! Did i mention pregnancy makes me eat like a pig! All my 3 pregnancies i have eaten a lot of sweet things and i was like ohh nooo.. and i didnt have this for my last 2 pregnancies.I never did know that the third pregnancies are so very tough.. apart from my GD i had many challenges the past 7 months.

What is Gestational Diabetics?

Gestational diabetes (GD) is high blood sugar or glucose levels during pregnancy. About 4% of pregnant women will suffer from gestational diabetes. Not every mother will need to be screened using blood work, there are guidelines as to who needs to be screened with blood work. This is typically screened for in the 28th week of pregnancy, if you need additional screening with a glucose tolerance test (GTT) it will be done at this point.

What Causes Gestational Diabetics?

The absolute cause of gestational diabetes is still being researched. We do know that the hormonal involvement of the pregnancy can cause problems with the mother’s ability to block the insulin, known as insulin resistance. Therefore the your body doesn’t have its normal ability to use the insulin, this means you needs up to three times the amount of insulin as normal.

So when your body is unable to make and use the insulin in pregnancy it is called gestational diabetes. When you don’t have that ability to use insulin you cannot process glucose (sugar) in the blood. Therefore the blood has a high level of sugar.

What happens to the baby?

Gestational diabetes tends to occur in later pregnancy, meaning the types of problems associated with gestational diabetes are not major bodily malformations like you would associate with problems in early pregnancy.

The real issue is untreated or not well controlled gestational diabetes. Because your body isn’t able to process the insulin and your blood sugar goes up, your baby’s blood sugar also goes up. This forces your baby’s pancreas to work overtime to reduce his blood sugar. Because of the added energy (sugar) the baby than it needs, it is stored as fat. The extra fat can lead to macrosomia, or a large baby. This has the potential to make birth more difficult, but not always, like increasing the cesarean section rate.

A baby who is born after a pregnancy with gestational diabetes has a greater incidence of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. You may also find that these babies have more breathing difficulties at birth. Later in life these babies are at a greater risk for obesity and subsequently Type 2 Diabetes.

Treating Gestational Diabetes

Treatment for gestational diabetes will be started immediately upon diagnosis. The goal is to keep your blood sugars low. Your treatment will usually include:

• Nutritionist
  A discussion of healthy foods and how to make choices that keep your blood sugars at normal levels. This meal planning advice will include how to snack well and plan meals.
• Blood Sugar Monitoring
  How often you test your blood sugar through finger pricks will depend on the protocol used in your practice, but it is typically several times a day. You will be taught how to do this on your own.
• Insulin Injections
  Not every mother will need to use insulin. Many mothers are able to control the blood sugars by using diet and exercise alone. Your practitioner will monitor your blood sugars to allow you to know if you need additional help form insulin injections.

Courtesy : http://pregnancy.about.com/od/diabetes/a/gestdiabetes.htm

So after failing the GTT i was told to meet a dietitian which i put off for another 4 weeks but finally my OB told i have to go right away. Finally after a 12 hr fasting i went to see my dietitian. Buy hey it was not bad at all! i get to eat a lot of things but of course no sugar or any other types of sugar. I have to test my blood sugar level 7 times a day that might be a bit hectic because i have to do it in the given timings. Suitable for Indian diet too.

So here is my Meal Plan : 1800 calories/day

Breakfast

Wholemeal bread – 2 slices  (SEE LIST A for ALTERNATIVES)

Egg – 1 (SEE LIST C for ALTERNATIVES)

Milk – 1 cup (240ml) (SEE LIST D for ALTERNATIVES)

Margarine – 2 tsp

Mid-Morning

Snack – 1 (SEE LIST B for ALTERNATIVES)

Milk – 1 cup (SEE LIST D for ALTERNATIVES)

Lunch

Rice – 1 bowl or 12 tablespoons (SEE LIST A for ALTERNATIVES)

Meat/chicken/fish – 100 grms or a palm size (SEE LIST C for ALTERNATIVES)

Large portion of vegetables

Fruit – 1 (SEE LIST E for ALTERNATIVES)

Oil in cooking – 2 tsp per person

Mid-Afternoon

Snack – 1 (SEE LIST B for ALTERNATIVES)

Milk – 1 cup (SEE LIST D for ALTERNATIVES)

Dinner

Rice – 1 bowl or 12 tablespoons (SEE LIST A for ALTERNATIVES)

Meat/chicken/fish – 100 grms or a palm size (SEE LIST C for ALTERNATIVES)

Large portion of vegetables

Fruit – 1 (SEE LIST E for ALTERNATIVES)

Oil in cooking – 2 tsp per person

Supper

Snack – 1 (SEE LIST B for ALTERNATIVES)

Milk – 1 cup (SEE LIST D for ALTERNATIVES)

ALTERNATIVES

List A

2 slices of wholemeal bread is equivalent to :

2 small saucer sized chapatis

2 idlies

1 plain disa

6 tbsp of oats (measured before cooking)

1 medium bowl plain cornflakes or plain  bran flakes

6 whole wheat crackers

I medium bowl of rice id equivalent to

12 tbsp of rice

3 slices of bread

3 small chapatis

11/2 plain dosa

3 idlis

1 medium bowl pasta

1/3 medium bowl or 4 tbsp of rice can be substituted with :

1 egg size potato, sweet potato,yam,tapiocapumpkin ot 1/2 steamed.boiled corn cob

LIST B – SNACKS

1 slice wholemeal bread

1 small chapati

1/2 plain dosa

3 whole wheat crackers

1/2 steamed/boiled corn cob

3 tbsps red or green bean boiledand unsweetened

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas

1 small vada

3 tabsps oats measured before cooking

1/2 medium bowl corn flakes or bran flakes

LIST C – PROTEIN FOODS

1 egg is equal to

1 slice cheese

1 slice ham

1 small sardine fish

2 tbaps canned tuna in water or brine

100grm or meat/chicken/fish  is equal to

1 palm sized 4 dessert sized of meat chicken ,fish

1 chicken drumstick

1 medium fish

6 medium prawns

3 dessert spoons of cooked pulses

tofu 11/2 block + 3 dessert spoons of cooked pulses

Meat/chicken/fish 50 grms + 3 dessert spoons of cooked pulses

LIST D -  MILK

1 cup milk 240 ml is equle to

200grm plain yogurt

1 cup high calcium soyamilk unsweetened

LIST E – FRUITS

1 piece of fruit is equal to any 1 of the following fruits

1 small apple, pear, orange, banana, star friut, chiku, peach

1 slice papaya, honey dew, watermelon, pineapple, rock melon

1 small or 1/2 medium mango

1/2 medium grapr fruit,persimmon or guava

4 small jack fruits

2 mall or 1 medium plum

4 small mangosteens

6 lychees or rambutans

10 longans

10 small or 8 large grapes

12 charries

10 strawberries

1/4 dragon fruit.

Notes

• If your drinking soup no cream soup please only clear soup.
• No fried meat/chicken/fish. Grilled and baked is allowed
• No coconut or coconut milk substitute with low fat yogurt or low fat/skim milk
• No fruit juice

So this is it! im on a healthy diet now! Sure miss my cakes and cookies and puddings but 6 more weeks now insha allah im hoping to get rid of this GD thing and get my sweet tooth back!

If you have any doubts on this please feel free to contact me.