No one ever thinks they're going to develop gestational diabetes, but sometimes it's out of our control. Here's how the past month has gone after being diagnosed with gestational diabetes + meal and snack ideas.
↑ 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 sharing.
Two, 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!
Three, 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 $@!& 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 this post! I am pregnant with baby girl #2 and did the glucose tolerance test early—around 12 weeks bc my BMI is right around where the risk goes up slightly, and I literally lost my mind about it. I was so anxious I was throwing up bc associating it with an already sensitive subject (weight) coupled with the idea I could have to track my diet while working full time and taking care of a toddler just put me over the edge. I failed the 1 hr, then passed the 3 hour. I’m 20 weeks now and have to be retested around 28 weeks and I’m so dreading it, but your post definitely brought me some light and perspective on the issue.
I’m so sorry hear to hear this, Lindsey. I think so much of this is harder mentally then anything else. Sending positive thoughts your way and no matter how your test goes at 28 weeks, everything will be ok!
So glad you talked about GD being hormonally driven by the placenta. It doesn’t matter how your diet is before. I had it with both pregnancies and at age 24 and a healthy weight. Diet controlled it and I was induced at 40 weeks for both. GD has been a lifesaver for me because I was overdoing the carbs. Now I eat keto so really low carb and feel amazing!
I think that’s so important for people to understand – YOU CANNOT CONTROL YOUR HORMONES. I mean, you can to some extent in normal, everyday life, but the hormones your placenta is putting out are not in our control.
I was GD with both kids. I just rolled with it, ate healthy, pricked my finger, tracked my food and did what I had to do to have a healthy baby. It’s only for a short time!
Exactly! Not the greatest experience in the world but it is what it is!
I pinned this for the food ideas when I finally get pregnant. I’ve been dealing with infertility for almost 2 years and have been so caught up in the stress of trying to get pregnant that I haven’t even thought about things I’ll need to know when I am, but I’m 38 so even though I don’t have any of the other risk factors I know I’ll need to be careful about my diet. Thanks for sharing and for the great information!
I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve been dealing with infertility for so long, and that stress might be playing a factor in that. I had trouble getting pregnant with our second (I think stress played a big part) and found acupuncture helped tremendously – I’m convinced that’s how I got pregnant! Either way Lindsay, hang in there!
I totally agree with you, but it was out was reversed for me. My gestational diabetes diagnosis (x2) made my celiac disease diagnosis easier to handle because I knew I could control how I felt just by making smart food choices.
For sure – having food knowledge because of either diagnosis definitely makes the other one easier to take on!
Such a good post – thanks for sharing!! I started following you before your celiac diagnosis and used your recipes after when we were trying to rule out gluten sensitivity with my type 1 daughter. I do want you to be aware that as you have 1 autoimmune disease (celiac) you are at risk for others (type 1) – may want to research and be aware of/discuss with you doctor. I have researched a lot with my daughter diagnosis – she is at risk for other autoimmune disorders and has thyroid, celiac labs yearly. I pray all goes well with your pregnancy and the gestational Diabetes goes away, but also want you to be informed.
This is true! I have Hashimotos (autoimmune condition that can cause hypothyroidism) and know that I’m at much greater risk for other autoimmune conditions b/c of it. I’ve been able to reverse it (and am almost at full remission status–will hopefully be there later this year!) just by changing my diet. The Autoimmune Protocol Diet (AIP for short) has been one of the most powerful tools in reversing my autoimmune condition and it’s beneficial for all types of autoimmune conditions (thousands of ppl have done the same thing and recently there was a clinical trial proving the efficacy of it–I believe they tested it with those that have IBD). Just something to note for the future. AIP is a bit restrictive but also not meant to last forever and it’s introduced me to waaaaaay more veggies than I ate before. Just wanted to share this info in case it’s helpful for you or others. :)
Definitely on my radar!
Long time reader- first time commenter here. I’m a diabetic educator who had gestation diabetes with my first last year. I love that you are posting about this and sharing your experience! The things I like people to know is carbs are not villians- you need them for good baby development- but you need the right kinds of carbs and the right amounts at the right times. There is a learning curve to it, but managing GD is doable- and a lot of times it can be done without meds. Also as another poster mention- ask your doctor about what happens after delivery and how they monitor baby differently.
There is a link to increased type 2 diabetes down the road, but there are lots of things you can do to decrease your risk. For example: if not at a healthy weight (oops me neither), losing 5-7% of your body weight, decreases the risk. It’s not an automatic future diagnosis. Be aware of the risk and don’t assume it’s a given- you can do a lot to decrease the risk!
Good luck! Sounds like you are doing well at managing. And if you or anyone else has to be put on meds to manage- it’s not always because of something you did wrong, your body just needs a little help to use that insulin.
The biggest takeaway I’ll have from this experience is choosing the right carbs and eating them in the right amount at the right time. It’s so interesting to track my blood sugar and see how a combination of these factors leads to a normal (or not!) reading! Thanks for your input!
Thank you!! I was diagnosed with GD this pregnancy (due next week, eek), and I remember feeling completely blindsided when first diagnosed. Thank god for Cobb salads (my jam this pregnancy) and ALL the nut butters. I’ve found my fat intake def has needed to increase to fill caloric void from processed carbs, which made me realize how many carbs I was consuming!! I’m on insulin as well, which was so terrifying, but gets easier as time goes on.
Ahh – 1 week out – so exciting! I relate to your story. I wasn’t eating a TON of carbs prior to diagnosis, but they weren’t the best (crackers, brownies, lemonade,) and totally at the wrong time of day (usually at night.) Like I said, this really has been a blessing in disguise. Sending happy thoughts to you for a healthy, happy delivery!
I had GD with my little girl, which was controlled with diet. I found it super interesting, as I’d always suspected I had weird blood sugar, and sure enough!
I still test periodically when I’m feeling “off”.
2 things to have on your radar as a GD momma…
1. When Baby Girl is born, they will test and retest her blood sugar. Our Ivy’s was low ~ which I’ve been told is not unusual for a newborn before they are 8 hours old, as it takes that long for their bs to self-regulate after birth ~ but b/c of this, they gave her a big syringe of formula. This was sooo hard for me… not b/c I believe formula is evil, but b/c it stretched her little tummy, and made it so difficult to keep her full for a long time afterward. I wish I’d known this was a possibility beforehand, so it wouldn’t have been sprung on me 6 hours postpartum (and post-manual-placenta-extraction-with-no-epidural). So just be aware. ?
2. On a happier note, have you tried Plain Chicken’s “Where Is The Crust?” pizza? I would think it would work for Celiacs (cream cheese, egg, Parmesan, &a garlic powder), and it was GREAT for GD. ?
Good to know about the syringe of formula – I knew that her blood sugar could be low but haven’t yet asked what they do about that. Thank you – I will definitely discuss with my dr to make sure we’re on the same page (since I’m a scheduled C-section I get to have my beloved doc do it – praise the lord!) I will also check out Plain Chicken’s pizza crust – sounds DIVINE!!
Having your doctor makes all the difference, doesn’t it?! I was a high-risk pregnancy with Ivy (before GD…and it turned out I had a Placenta Increta, so we’re just all super grateful to be alive!), but the silver lining was that I knew my OB would show up for her birth, no matter what.
Thanks for sharing your journey…and all the yummy recipes that result from its twists and turns. You are by far one of my favorite food bloggers out there (and I’m not even GF! ?).
Well dang. CD and GD for an amazing Foodie blog writer??? That’s a lot of irony! I really hate it for you. That said – you got thrown the CD curveball very shortly after I did and you managed to become an even more mazing and creative chef with delicious recipes that I am grateful for! You have also introduced me to products I would not have found on my own. I am now insulin resistant and have been looking for ways to cut back on sugar. I know you will create more recipes with tons of flavor and not a lot of carbs and sugar and I look forward to even greater things from you! Hang in there. Its not easy, but its yet another challenge that will keep your work in the kitchen fresh and exciting. We are sometime forced to become uber healthy! Our bodies just demand it. :)
Such a nice comment all around, Paige – thank you for your encouragement! And yes, totally agree – sometimes our bodies demand action we don’t necessarily want to take, but I know it’s for the best. :)
Hate hearing this news, hang in there and hope in time it’ll go away! Thoughts and prayers are with you through this new journey.
I’m so glad that a friend of mine sent me a link to your website with myself being borderline Celiac. Your recipes have given me a 2nd chance at eating things that I love just in a different way.
Oh I’m so glad to hear that, Stacie! Let me know if you ever have a recipe request! :)
I just failed my one hour test yesterday and have my 3 hour scheduled. This is baby #5 and I failed the one hour with #4 (but passed the 3), interestingly I was under 25 with my first 3…
If I do get diagnosed, I’ll definitely be back to check out the meal ideas closer. I found I feel better limiting my gluten consumption so the gluten free ideas will be great! Thank you for writing about this. I feel like there is a storage of good, non-scary information out there. After failing the 1 hour with my last pregnancy, I made the mistake of doing some research and just freaked myself out.
Blessings on the last weeks of your pregnancy!
Google can be a scary place for sure!! Sending good vibes and positive thoughts your way. Congrats on baby number FIVE, too! Woo!
Umm totally get you on the age thing. We’ve been thinking about a third but then I’m faced with a “geriatric pregnancy” — umm, I’m in my mid-30’s?!? This is so incredible to share and I’ll be sending good vibes your way. I didn’t have gestational diabetes with my two, but I did have to do the double screen with both. Pregnancy is already so hard because every day is a weird day (or at least my symptoms were that way!) so that’s hard to learn an complete new lifestyle when you have two little ones too. Good for you for embracing it and being honest — I know this article is going to give someone some amazing ideas.
What a word. ;) I feel 16 yet am considered geriatric when it comes to being a Mom. Lovely!