Diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy is called gestational diabetes. About 7% of pregnancies will develop gestational diabetes. It usually appears in the second half of pregnancy and disappears immediately after the baby is born. However, if gestational diabetes is not treated, you may develop complications.
The first step in treating gestational diabetes is to adjust your diet to help keep blood sugar levels within a normal range while maintaining a healthy diet. Most women with good blood sugar control give birth to healthy babies without any complications.
One way to keep blood sugar levels within the normal range is to monitor the carbohydrate content of the diet. Carbohydrate food is digested and converted into blood sugar (a type of sugar). Glucose in the blood is necessary because it is your body's fuel and the nutrition your baby gets from you. However, it is important that the glucose level remains within the target range.
Carbohydrates in food
Carbohydrates are found in the following foods:
- Milk and yogurt
- Fruit and juice
- Rice, grains, grains and pasta
- Breads, tortillas, biscuits, bagels and rolls
- Dried beans, peas and lentils
- Potatoes, corn, yams, peas and winter squash
Candies and desserts, such as sugar, honey, syrup, pastries, biscuits, soda and candies, usually also contain a lot of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates in food are measured in grams. You can calculate the carbohydrate content in food by reading food labels and learning exchange lists. The two most important information on food labels for carbohydrate control diets are the serving size and total carbohydrate grams per serving.
Dietary advice
It is very important to meet with a registered dietitian to evaluate your diet. The dietitian will calculate the amount of carbohydrates you need in your meals and snacks. You will also learn how to calculate carbohydrates.
The following are dietary recommendations to help you maintain safe blood sugar levels:
Divide food between three meals and two or three snacks every day
Eating too much at once will cause your blood sugar to rise too much. Don't skip meals, this is very important. During pregnancy, your nutritional needs increase and your baby needs balanced nutrition.
Eat the right amount of starch
Starchy foods will eventually become glucose, so it is important not to overeat them. However, every meal should contain starch. A reasonable serving size is about one cup of total starch per meal, or two slices of bread.
Drink a glass of milk at a time
Milk is a healthy food and an important source of calcium. However, milk is a liquid form of carbohydrate, and drinking too much at a time can cause blood sugar to rise.
Limit the amount of fruit
Fruit is a healthy food, but its natural sugar content is high. You can eat one to three servings of fruit per day, but only one serving at a time. Part of the fruit is either a small piece of fruit, or half of a large piece of fruit, or about half a cup of mixed fruit. Don't eat fruit canned in syrup.
Breakfast is important
Due to normal fluctuations in hormone levels, blood sugar in the morning may be difficult to control.
Refined cereals, fruits or even milk may not be well tolerated in breakfast. If your blood sugar levels rise too much after eating these foods after breakfast, you should not consume them at breakfast. Breakfast consisting of starch and protein is usually the best.
Avoid juice
A glass of juice requires a few fruits. Fruit juice is a concentrated source of carbohydrates. Because it is a liquid, juice can quickly raise blood sugar.
Strictly limit sweets and desserts
Cakes, biscuits, candies and pastries often contain excess carbohydrates. These foods usually contain a lot of fat, but provide very little nutrition. In addition, avoid all ordinary sodas and sugary drinks.
Stay away from added sugar
Do not add sugar, honey or syrup to food.
Use artificial sweeteners instead of added sugar
The following sweeteners have been approved for safe consumption during pregnancy:
- Aspartame, including Equal, NutraSweet, Natra Taste
- Acesulfame K, including Sunett
- Sucralose, including Splenda
When the product says it is "sugar free", take a closer look
Products containing sugar alcohols are usually labeled as "sugar-free", but they may still contain large amounts of total carbohydrates. Check the food label to see how many grams of total carbohydrates are contained.
Sugar alcohol may have a laxative effect or cause gas and bloating. The following are examples of sugar alcohols:
- Mannitol
- Maltitol
- Sorbitol
- Xylitol
- Isomalt
- Hydrogenated starch hydrolysate
Some products with the "sugar-free" label do not contain carbohydrates and will not affect your blood sugar, including sugar-free soda and sugar-free jelly.
Keep food records
Be sure to record all the foods and the amount you eat each day, this will help you monitor your carbohydrate intake. In addition, use a measuring cup whenever possible to ensure accuracy.
