Gestational diabetes occurs when a woman develops abnormally high blood sugar during pregnancy due to a decrease in the body's ability to utilize insulin. Untreated, this disease can cause problems for both mother and baby, but managing gestational diabetes through diet is usually possible. Most moms-to-be with gestational diabetes don't need insulin to control their condition and blood sugar levels typically return to normal after the baby is born.
Importance
Uncontrolled diabetes during pregnancy can cause the baby to grow larger than he should, a condition called macrosomia. A baby born to a mother with uncontrolled gestational diabetes at the time of birth may also need special care. The baby's body may be unable to adapt to the sudden drop in blood glucose and may need an injection or IV of glucose solution to prevent diabetic shock. A mother with poorly controlled gestational diabetes is also more prone to developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Goal
The goal of a gestational diabetes diet is to maintain blood sugar levels throughout the day and avoid spikes or drops in blood glucose. Eating large meals that are high in carbohydrates tend to raise blood glucose. This may also cause a rapid drop when the body produces insulin in response. Home monitoring of blood sugar levels throughout the day can help you determine whether your dietary changes are working.
Food Choices
In addition to eating an overall healthy diet that is high in fruits and vegetables and low in unhealthy saturated fat, trans fats and sugar, a woman with gestational diabetes should also pay careful attention to her carbohydrate intake. If you have gestational diabetes, you should monitor the amount and type of carbohydrates you eat and try to consume carbohydrates only in meals that also include protein and a little healthy monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat. Cutting carbohydrates completely out of the diet is potentially dangerous, since the fetus needs some carbohydrates to grow and thrive.
Glycemic Index
Women with gestational diabetes sometimes use the glycemic index and glycemic load of food as a guide to control blood sugar level during pregnancy. The glycemix index measures how much a fixed portion of a particular food's carbohydrates will raise blood sugar in relation to the rise seen by pure glucose. Foods with a high glycemic index, such as white bread and sugary sodas, raise blood sugar more rapidly than foods with a low glycemic index, such as whole-wheat pasta and most vegetables. Glycemic load takes into account the serving size of a given food and the actual amount of carbohydrates contained in a serving of the food in relation to its glycemic index.
Meals and Snacks
Eating three to four small meals and two to four snacks that are spread throughout the day is ideal for a gestational diabetes diet. Many women with gestational diabetes find that their blood sugar rises rapidly after breakfast. If this occurs, you should try to include less carbohydrates and more protein in your morning meal. Eating a bedtime snack with healthy carbohydrates and a small amount of protein or fat can help modulate blood sugar during the night. Examples include an apple and piece of cheese or a tbsp. of peanut butter spread on a slice of whole wheat toast.
References
- Drugs.com: Gestational Diabetes Diet
- BabyCenter: What type of pregnancy diet should I follow if I have gestational diabetes?
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Managing Gestational Diabetes
- Diabetes Care: Can a low-glycemic index diet reduce the need for insulin in gestational diabetes mellitus? A randomized trial
