Diet SamplesGestational Diabetes- An Introduction
Gestational Diabetes affects approximately 25% of pregnant women and it is a condition in which a pregnant woman’s blood glucose levels are too high. It is manageable and does not mean that once the baby is born, the diabetes will stay. It occurs because of hormones in the placenta block the mother from either producing enough insulin or using the insulin she produces. The insulin allows the glucose to be used by the body as energy. It usually shows up past 24 weeks of pregnancy. Doctors generally want a test between 24-28 weeks gestation.
Glucose passes across the placenta to the baby. In turn, the baby’s pancreas will try and produce more insulin. When the baby gets more energy than it needs to complete the growing journey, the baby stores the insulin as fat. Babies that are born fat are more at risk for breathing problems, hurt shoulders during birth, and have a greater chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes as a child or adult.
The best thing that an expectant mother can eat if need be before the test is protein. Because protein has a low sugar count it is what to eat before gestational diabetes test, as it will not raise your sugar levels to be a false positive. Also, do not eat high sugar foods before the test. If at all possible the mother should try not to eat 3 hours before the test. However, it is not required that the mother fasts for the test to be administered.
When the mother arrives at the testing center, they will take a blood glucose test to determine pre test levels. Then she drinks a liquid with a controlled amount of glucose in it. Approximately an hour later, another blood glucose test is given to determine post test levels. During this window of time, the mother is not permitted to eat anything and to only drink water in a small quantity, if needed. This process is called a 3 hour glucose tolerance test in pregnancy.
It is important that if the mother is diagnosed with it, that she follows the doctor’s protocol to treat the condition. Many times mothers are put on special exercise regimens and a Gestational Diabetes diet. Many times the mother can monitor her sugar with a blood glucose machine. Depending on the doctor, insulin shots may also be included in the treatment. Ideally, the mother should have 6 small nutritious meals throughout the day and walking is the best exercise. Always follow your doctor’s recommendations and continue with pre-natal care.