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Gestational Diabetes and You

The Facts About This Misunderstood Condition

By Dorothy Nelson

The first thing you have to learn is how to determine your glucose level. You will be taught a simple procedure, which will involve pricking your finger and using a small calculator-sized monitor to assess your level.

One of the most important components in managing diabetes is controlling your diet. It's important to know that controlling your diet doesn't mean avoiding the foods you like to eat altogether. Dieticians and nurse practitioners are instrumental in establishing the parameters for your daily caloric and carbohydrate intake. There are few foods without any carbohydrates, so the key is counting the number of grams per meal. Meal planning is a good technique to assure you prepare the appropriate food choices. Using a diabetic cookbook can simplify the process, as each recipe typically lists the serving size and number of carbohydrates.

Dr. Berger recommends snacking on "free foods," such as vegetables, and high-protein foods, such as cheese and peanut butter. It's also important to know there are now lots of sugar-free foods available, which are delicious, but since they're not carbohydrate free, you'll want to limit your intake.

Carol Hughitt, a registered dietician and certified diabetes educator for Health South, offers the following advice when counseling mothers with GDM: "First, mix carbohydrate, protein and fat at each meal and most snacks. This will give a smooth rise and fall in the blood sugar level. Rather than eating three large meals, balance eating food throughout the day, as it's easier for your body to handle. Finally, blood sugars can be harder to control early in the day. Save larger, carbohydrate-containig meals for later."

Want to see more?

• Eating for Two
• Gestational Diabetes: It's Not the End of the World
• Pregnant and Diabetic: How Will Diabetes Affect Your Pregnancy?
• Talk about it!