gestational diabetes

[jifnif]

I have just recently been diagnosed w/ gestational diabetes.  I know its only temporary but I have some questions while I am dealing w/ this.  My heart goes out to all that have it.  Although it runs in my family and I watch my grandma taking care of it I never realized how serious it can be and how hard to maintain til it came to be my illness.  I am having trouble w/ the eating part.  To start off my dr has ordered me no pasta, bread, fruit, potatoes, or sweetened drinks including fruit juices.  I am tired if I dont eat and I am tired if I do eat.  I cannot find a combination where I feel ok.  No matter how I do it I feel like I am doing it wrong.  The thing that tastes the best is sugar free popsicles!!  And I know this cant be the greatest for the baby!!  Has anyone found a good combination of foods.  The dr also wants me to eat 3 meals a day and no snacks.  Not an option being pregnant and working 10hr days.  I really need some educated information.  Thanks.

[vettsi]

i am a 25 year old type 1 diabetic and am currently pregnant for the 4th time i have a 4 1/2 year old daughter and have had 2 mis carriges. i have no medical training and can only speak from experiance. my first preganacy was perfect no problems at all. i didnt find out i was preganat untill i was already 21 weeks along and although my daughter was born 7 weeks early at a mere 4pounds 9oz she had no health problems and has never suffered any side effects of her early birth. however that was before i was diagnosed with diabeties. when she was six months old i went to the doc with all the classic symptoms. massive wait loss, peeing all the time, thrush, muscle cramping and i could never get enough sleep after the tests were run i was rushed to hosptal with a BSL of 39.6 ans was diagnosed type 1. it was daunting to say the least what with injections to have, levels to watch and a whole new life style and not to mention diet to get used to as well as my new baby (thank god for family support).my lost preganacy were caused becouse at the time my body had stopped absorbing what it needed from my food and meds wich eventually led to glucose poisoning. This time its very diffrent however iv been in and out of hospital a few times had lots of hypos and even ended up un-consious a few times it has not been easy iv had steroid injections to help bubs lungs develop more blood and urine tests then i can count. not long to go now only 5 weeks and on aug 14 2006 and my baby will be here a whole month before her actual september due date

[JDRF-Team-cg]

Hi Jifnif,
The first thing I want to do is applaud your effort in doing all you can to make this work for your life style. That is what controlling it is all about. I am a Type 1 diabetic who has 1 daughter so I know exactly what you are going through. While I was pregnant the most difficult part was getting an understanding of the food that worked best for me and pretty much sticking with those combinations for the 9 months. But I worked very closely with my doctor to develop a menu that worked best for me. So the first thing I would do is have a detailed discussion with your doctor about your work habits. There is no reason why you cannot put together an eating schedule that will work for you and the baby. Also I think a nutritionist can help you understand the impact of certain foods on your body as a diabetic. What foods to stay away from and how to manage foods that are high in carbs or fat. The higher the carb count the more insulin it takes to control your blood sugar. That is probably why your doctor suggested you stay away from pasta and bread. But not all breads are high in carbs there are so many low carb bread products out there as well as crackers. These may be other options for you. But definitely talk to your doctor first before trying any of these things, there may be other reasons for you not to eat them right now. As far as being tired, part of this may simply due to the fact that you are pregnant but again discussing your fatigue with your doctor is best. Many woman suffer from iron deficiencies during pregnancy which can cause fatigue. Again I am only speaking from experience I have no medical training.
I know with some additional information you will be able to manage this. You have already taken the first step by asking questions to help you understand all aspects of your condition. Good luck with your pregnancy. Please contact us again should you want additional information.