↑ What I’ve been eating a lot of over the past month. GREEN STUFF.
Well, the post headline pretty much sums it up – I have gestational diabetes. Apparently the third pregnancy was not the charm for this ol’ gal!
Sooo, YEAH. I have several reasons for writing this post. One, it felt like I was hiding something by not telling you. Lying by omission is still lying in my book and, well, Mama don’t get down like that. Second, my post on Living with Celiac Disease has been one of my most popular posts here on IGE because it’s real and, most importantly, helped people, which I hope to accomplish with this post. Not only by sharing some of the meals and foods I’ve been eating over the past month, but simply to give anyone struggling with gestational diabetes a virtual pat on the shoulder and say you’re not alone. We’ll get through this! Third, the word “diabetes” is a loaded word and I hope to spread some knowledge about what gestational diabetes is and who can develop it.
What is Gestational Diabetes?
Gestational diabetes affects only pregnant women – 7-9% of woman are said to develop it during pregnancy – and it goes away after delivery of the baby. Hormones from the placenta interfere with the mother’s ability to use insulin, which your body needs to turn glucose (sugar) into energy. Glucose builds up causing high blood sugar, which can have negative effects on both mom and baby. Baby can be born overly large and with low blood sugar, have breathing problems, and face potential issues with obesity and Type 2 diabetes down the road. Mom can develop preeclampsia and has a strong risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the future.
If you’ve ever been pregnant, you most likely dreaded the gestational diabetes screening test as much as I did. Generally occurring around the 24-26 week mark of pregnancy, in 5 minutes or less you must chug a drink that’s basically corn syrup, artificial flavor, and food dye (read: highly disgusting and extremely unpleasant) then your blood sugar is tested an hour later to see if your body is using the sugar properly. If it’s not then at a later date you drink an even more concentrated sugary beverage and your blood sugar is re-tested at the one, two, and three hour mark after drinking. If you fail any of those tests then you’ve earned yourself a pregnancy complication: gestational diabetes.
Risk factors for gestational diabetes include being older then 25, having a family or personal history of Type 2 or pre-diabetes, a BMI of 30 or higher, or if you are black, Hispanic, American Indian, or Asian (source). As I read in a book on the subject, unless you’re 25 or younger, white, and have no family or personal history of diabetes – there’s a chance you could develop gestational diabetes. I think there’s a stigma surrounding gestational diabetes and I’m here to tell you that it can happen to anyone. The dietitian I’ve met with through this process told me she’s seen marathoners in her office with gestational diabetes!
The risk factor I met was age. As I always tell the whipper snappers who will listen to this crotchety old bag – don’t grow up! Truthfully, the age thing was a tough pill to swallow and it hasn’t been as simple as telling myself, the only reason you got this is because you’re an old(er) mom.
Various thoughts ran through my mind when I got the call – why did I drink so many Chick-fil-A lemonades (to be fair, I didn’t drink that many!)? Why haven’t I been more active? HOW COULD I LET THIS HAPPEN?!
If getting Celiac Disease has taught me anything though, it’s that [email protected]!& happens. Some things in life can’t be prevented, helped, or predicted. This didn’t happen because of the foods I was or wasn’t eating, hormones are to blame. Thankfully in many cases, and so far in my case, gestational diabetes can be managed through diet, which is something I have a ton of experience with.
The “prescription” for gestational diabetes is not only to focus on eating healthy fats, proteins, and vegetables (so many vegetables,) but more importantly watch your total carb intake and spread them out throughout the day. The way I made sense of this for myself is that I need a slow and steady burn of the right amount and type of carbohydrate all day long. I check my blood sugar 4 times a day (finger prick) and log everything I eat in a spreadsheet for my doctor to keep tabs on. Fun!
What’s been hard:
- Eating ZERO added/processed sugar and limited fruit and berries. I have a raging sweet tooth when I’m pregnant so going cold turkey has been slightly torturous. Fruit and berries are also my summertime jam and I’ve missed them a lot.
- No more pretzels, tortilla chips, crackers – aka empty carbs I used to eat when I needed a little something to crunch on during the day. Not so mad about this as I needed a reason to ditch the junk.
- Mega meal planning. Normally I plan 3-4 dinners a week. Now I need to plan a breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks every single day x 7 days a week. There is no winging it when you’re eating to manage gestational diabetes.
- Eating for fuel vs fun.
- Measuring and tracking everything I eat. It’s as annoying as time tracking at work.
- No food-related spontaneity. Celiac Disease pretty much killed this for me already (no “ooo there’s a new restaurant in town – we should go!“) but it’s even harder now that I have to make sure a restaurant has low-carb options in addition to gluten-free ones, and the timing has to be right for a meal or snack. Heck, I can’t even eat an apple past 6pm without it effecting the next day’s blood sugar.
- Getting bored of eating a lot of the same foods over and over each day.
- Knowing my chances of developing Type 2 diabetes down the road is high.
- Playing poor me. I know – it’s childish – but when all I want is to sit down and watch trashy television at night with a glass of wine, pizza and giant brownie (dreaming big here,) the fact that I have gestational diabetes and Celiac Disease can be a bummer.
What’s been good:
- Knowing that I’m doing all I can to make sure we have a healthy baby and pregnancy.
- I get to eat A LOT. 3 meals + 2 snacks a day. Not mad about that!
- Learning about portion control. Let’s just say the amount of sweet potato fries that equals one carb choice is much smaller then I thought.
- Slower weight gain. I’ve never been one to care much about weight gain during pregnancy as long as I was in the healthy range and baby was growing at a healthy rate, but this has been a welcomed side effect.
- I’ve learned how my body processes carbs – at least during this pregnancy. Through trial, error, and testing, I’ve found my blood sugar hates white sugar, fruit in the morning and at night, super starchy vegetables, and even too many whole grain carbs. Totally changed my outlook on the (fun) foods I’ll be fueling my body with post-baby.
- I’ve never eaten healthier. My meals and snacks are filled with tons of vegetables, lean protein, nuts, and dairy – which thankfully my body handles well.
- I feel great! I was shocked to find out I had gestational diabetes in the first place because I’d felt the best this pregnancy out of all three prior to being diagnosed. Since changing my diet though, I’ve had more energy and feel better overall.
- This is temporary. Gestational diabetes ends when the gestation period ends. Yes, Type 2 diabetes is a very real risk for the future, but gestational diabetes specifically will end in a few weeks.
What I’ve Been Eating
It was a bummer to find out I had to start logging all my meals and snacks to share with my doctors and dietitian at every appointment, but it’s worked out well because now I can share some ideas with you!
NOTE: I am NOT a doctor nor dietitian so please discuss your meal plan with your care team, as I have, to identify what will work for you and your gestational diabetes care plan!
Breakfast:
- 1-2 slices peanut butter toast (I’ve been eating Canyon Bakehouse Gluten-Free 7-Grain Bread vs their Mountain White)
- 1 slice buttered toast + 2 scrambled eggs + 2 slices bacon (I like Applegate Naturals No Sugar Bacon)
- Grain-free granola + almond milk, 1 slice peanut butter toast
- Handful raw almonds or pecans, small square Maple Cinnamon Breakfast Bars
- Greek yogurt + sliced almonds or grain-free granola
- 2 scrambled eggs with shredded cheese, 1 slice toast
- 2 fried eggs, 2 slices bacon or sausage, big handful sauteed spinach
- 1 slice avocado toast + goat cheese, fried egg
- Small bowl oatmeal – 1/4 cup gluten-free oats cooked with 1/4 banana in 1/4 cup each almond milk and water. Add chia seeds, toasted unsweetened coconut chips, chopped nuts, tiiiiny drizzle maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Lunch:
- Big salads with a mix of protein (turkey, chicken, nuts, seeds, cheese, hard-boiled egg, smoked salmon,) vegetables, and carbs like blueberries, diced apples, or dried cranberries + dressing
- Peanut butter sandwich, cheese stick, baby carrots
- Cheese quesadilla (2 small corn tortillas) with guacamole + salsa, 1/2 cup fruit
- Cheese stick, a few whole grain crackers, baby carrots, 1/2 an apple
- Burger (no bun) + pickles and ketchup. Salad with lots of vegetables + sliced almonds
- Meatballs + few Tablespoons marinara sauce + shredded cheese, baby carrots, 1/2 cup fruit
- Tuna salad + a few whole grain crackers and vegetable dippers, 1/2 cup berries
- 2 hard boiled eggs, salami, cheese, a few whole grain crackers, 1/2 cup fruit
- 2 hot dogs (local brand) sliced down the center and stuffed with cheddar cheese + ketchup, baby carrots
- Chicken salad + vegetable dippers and/or a few whole grain crackers
- Egg Salad Jars
Dinner:
- Zucchini Noodle Caprese Lasagna
- Crunchy Pesto Potato Chip Salmon
- Burgers (no bun), large vegetable-based salad, 1/2 cup berries
- Vegetable Stir Fry: 1/4 cup uncooked brown rice (max) cooked then stir fried with an egg + any/all vegetables and drizzled with gluten-free Tamari
- Crock Pot White Chicken Chili + shredded cheese
- 1/2 baked spaghetti squash + 3/4 cup marinara/meat sauce + parmesan or mozzarella cheese
- Skinny Shrimp (or Scallop) Piccata with Zoodles
- Crustless quiche, 1 cup fruit
- Buffalo Chicken Salad, 1/2 cup sweet potato fries
- Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs, cauliflower rice, 1/2 cup sweet potato fries
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- BBQ, Bacon, Avocado and Cheddar Chicken, roasted vegetables
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin, grilled vegetables
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin, roasted vegetables
- Perfect Roast Chicken, roasted vegetables or side salad
- Homemade Egg Drop Soup
- Grilled or seared steak, roasted or sauteed green beans, sauteed garlic butter mushrooms
Snacks:
- Beef jerky (Nick Sticks or Duke’s – buy at Costco)
- Enjoy Life Chewy Bars (in a pinch)
- Plantain chips (OBSESSED with these BBQ ones)
- Cottage cheese + 1/2 cup fruit
- Olives + cheese cubes + a pickle
- Raw nuts + 2 Tablespoons dried fruit
- Greek yogurt + grain-free granola or nuts
- Popcorn + raw nuts or seeds
- Salami + cheese stick + plantain chips
- Raw vegetables + guacamole
- 1/2 apple + cheese cubes + prosciutto
- 1/2 apple + 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
- Homemade Egg Drop Soup
- Raw vegetables
- Raw vegetables
- Raw vegetables
#notatypo. ;) Click here for all my low-carb recipes >
Moving forward
“You have gestational diabetes” are four words that no mother on earth wants to hear, and this has made a time when I already feel out of control of my body (ie pregnancy) much more difficult. To be crystal clear, I cannot wait for this to go away. That said, I am grateful for this experience. As of 2017, it is said that 29 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes and 8 million of them are undiagnosed. I can say with 100% certainty that had I not been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, the thought of getting Type 2 diabetes would have never crossed my mind. I eat a balanced diet – no fast food and limited junk food – exercise moderately, and have no family history of diabetes, so it’s never been on my radar until now.
This experience has been a HUGE eye opener in terms of how I can make small, healthy improvements to my lifestyle moving forward though. Instead of white bread, I’ll choose whole grain. Instead of white rice, I’ll choose brown. Instead of brownies I’ll make a smoothie (ok maybe not every time!) Sit less. Move more.
I can’t pretend I don’t know I’m now at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes down the road but I’m super grateful to know how I can reduce my risk. Also grateful that I have just 5 more weeks of this “diet” left before meeting the sweet little lady who is worth every bite of carrot over cake!
Have you ever been diagnosed with gestational diabetes? What was your experience like?
Thank you so much for sharing. I recently scored 1 point below the cutoff for gestational diabetes after my first test. My doctor will not have me take the 3 hour glucose test but suggested I follow a moderate GD diet. This information is so helpful! Thank you again!
Wow, this post is super helpful! Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom + meal and snack ideas. I am going to share this with everyone I meet with a GDM diagnosis. Your positive perspective is greatly appreciated!
I realized this is an older post. I’m on my second pregnancy with GD and I am struggling so much. The first time I just don’t think I did struggle that much. I eventually needed insulin for that time, this time I am much earlier in diagnosis and already on insulin. I cannot seem to get it under control, no matter what I do.
Hey there. Thanks for sharing your experience. I was recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes myself, so I am currently looking for inspiration. Just wanted to point out though, that both, salami and beef jerky, are actually not recommended during pregnancy, because they both fall in the raw meat category and hence carry a risk of toxoplasmosis. Definitely got a bunch of good ideas from your post though, so thanks for that :)
I can relate to everything you said in this post!!! I had cancer as a kid so I have always paid a lot of attention to our diet, always ate very healthy and was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s so prior to this pregnancy I gave up gluten, dairy and soy (which I wasn’t really eating anyways). Then I get the GD kicker. It was a terrible blow! My only real risk factor was age- I’m 39 and this is my 6th pregnancy and I’ve never had GD in any of my other pregnancies. It’s definitely a challenge to stay positive and optimistic through this, but I am grateful that in general my diet hasn’t changed too much and my sugars have been well managed. My husband also has histamine related foods he can’t eat which complicates meals further as he can’t have squash and eggs (both of which we love!!!!). Thank you for sharing meal ideas!!
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I have just been recently diagnosed with GD. It was a real slap in the face….I have been eating healthy and exercising daily throughout my pregnancy. But my mom was diabetic and I am old (36) so I know that raises my risks. I am diet controlled but I am really mindful of the carbs I eat. Plus I try to walk after supper and do a prenatal workout routine in the morning. I just want to have a healthy baby.
Seriously can’t tell you how much it means to me to find this blog. I was diagnosed with Celiac disease after my second pregnancy (along with Hashimotos). Have been navigating the change well, but now two years later, and 10 weeks into pregnancy number 3, I’m showing signs already of gestational diabetes. I’ve just started tracking my diet and blood sugar and will consult with my doctor in a week. But my numbers aren’t looking good. It’s been an emotional few days to say the least. Doesn’t seem fair that after 2 years of having to make drastic diet changes, that I’m now going to have to modify even more. But reading your blog, I feel like I’m not alone in this and that I can do this!! So thank you for sharing!!
I’m totally with you! After giving up so much to try to naturally treat my Hashimoto’s I found out I had GD this pregnancy (never had it before) and I cried!! I think I told my husband your words ” it doesn’t seem fair to modify my diet to treat the thyroid and now I have to change even more.” After testing my sugars with what I typically ate I realized that the changes weren’t as drastic as I thought they would be. I hope the same is true of your pregnancy and dietary changes. On top of that we get to deal with all the COVID related stuff which is overwhelming in itself! Hang in there!
Thank you for your blog! I had gestational diabetes and know first hand how hard it is to find items you can eat that won’t spike your blood sugar. I created Bella Bars and named it after my daughter Bella
They are specifically for women who have gestational diabetes. 1g of sugar and 10g of protein plus they taste great! Check us out!
Thank you for this post! I was completely at a loss and ate the same five things all week and just couldn’t look at another baby carrot. All the medical sites about GD had just lists of random ingredients or recipes that would take a ton of time and effort to make. I was dealing with other pregnancy complications before the diagnosis and need to rest most of the time, so complicated meal prep just isn’t possible for me right now. Reading through your lists has given me so many ideas! I was able to make a long grocery list and there are several easy options to make or snack on in my house now, so there is always something I can eat besides just cheese and baby carrots! I am loving Johnny Pops as my one treat (especially with the sore throats I’ve been getting thanks to pregnancy induced GERD). The chicken salad on your list inspired me to make my favorite Greek pasta salad with chicken instead of noodles. I think I might make it this way even after baby comes! I’m still mad craving french toast and pie, but when there are things I can eat that I’m excited about, those craving lose a lot of their power. Now I feel like I can do this. I just need to be prepared!
Your story of GD mirrors mine, down to already being gluten free, the annoyance of meal planning, and the BOREDOM of eating the same foods over and over! I am going to try some of your recipes on here to mix things up.
Thanks for sharing your meal/snack ideas. I get tired of eating the same things over and over. Lots of great ideas here. Thanks again
Hi Kristin! This is an amazing post. I don’t think anyone who hasn’t had GD can really understand the depth of suffering you go through – which is why I think this post is so great. You did a great job at telling the good and bad about the diagnosis. I had it 3 years ago and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. It was my first pregnancy and I was going through a lot. Funny though, being pregnant was the easiest part of my life at that time, until the diagnosis. Anyway, I gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl who is my absolute favorite thing in life. I got pregnant again when she was 4 months but didn’t have GD the second time! Funny how things work.
This was the most relieving information I’ve found. I am also pretty health conscious and active so finding out I had it made zero sense and was really troubling! Thank you for this info.
My pleasure, Erica! It’s so frustrating but you are not alone!
I cannot tell you how badly I needed this at this very moment. I was told I would most likely never get pregnant, and I’m now 27 weeks with the best surprise of my life (without fertility treatments even…huge blessing!)
I just got the call that I have gestational diabetes. I already don’t like sweets, eat healthy, and have tried so hard to do what this little babe needs to grow big and strong. I feel like such a failure, but this gives me hope and great ideas. Thank you so much for sharing your story. It truly means more than you know.
Thank you for this resource. I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago and this page has been very helpful.