Gestational Diabetes Diet Plan during Pregnancy

What Is Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes which is characterized by high blood glucose during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is the result of hormonal changes that occur in all women during pregnancy. Pregnancy diabetes symptoms usually start halfway through the pregnancy. Gestational diabetes does not cause your baby to have diabetes. However, if your diabetes was not well-controlled during pregnancy, it can cause your baby to produce too much insulin and gain too much weight. Then, the risk of premature delivery may increase.

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What are the Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes?

For most women, diabetes during pregnancy doesn't cause noticeable signs or symptoms. Usually the symptoms of diabetes in pregnant women are mild and not life threatening to the pregnant woman. Gestational diabetes symptoms and signs can include:
1. Signs of diabetes in pregnant women are represented by thirst, excessive and frequent urination, unusual hunger sensation, blurred vision.
2. Sugar in urine is a symptom of pregnancy diabetes.
3. For some pregnant women, nausea is a sign of gestational diabetes.
4. An increased appetite can indicate diabetes during pregnancy, but despite this symptom, a pregnant woman may also lose weight.

Symptoms for gestation diabetes are similar to symptoms for other forms of diabetes. Symptoms of gestational diabetes during pregnancy generally resolve after childbirth. However, women who have had symptoms of pregnancy diabetes, have an increased risk of developing type2 diabetes later in life.

What is Gestational Diabetes Test?

A gestational diabetes test (also known as an oral glucose tolerance test or OGTT) is done as a routine screening for all pregnant women. It is important for you to have glucose test during pregnancy, because high blood sugar can cause problems for both you and your baby. All expectant mothers will have gestational diabetes testing at some point during their pregnancy. It is routinely done between weeks 24 and 28 of your pregnancy. A doctor can evaluate your risk factors, and help you decide if you will benefit from early diabetes test. If you have signs of gestational diabetes, early testing for pregnancy diabetes can help both the mother and child. So, during pregnancy, it is necessary to have diabetes test done if symptoms of diabetes during pregnancy start to occur.

Diabetic Diet Plan for Diabetes during Pregnancy

Gestational diabetes meal plan is especially important if you have diabetes during pregnancy. Pregnancy diabetes diet menu is an eating plan to help control blood sugar levels during pregnancy.

Tips for Managing Your Pregnancy Diabetes diet Plan

Pregnant women with diabetes should follow gestational diabetes recipes to help control diabetes in pregnancy. Following are some sample diet tips for managing diabetes in pregnancy.
1. Women with diabetic pregnancy should eat small meals at regular intervals throughout the day.
2. Your gestational diabetic diet should have 3 meals and 3 snacks. Be sure not to ever skip meals or snacks.
3. Controlling your carbohydrate intake is the first key to a healthy diet for pregnancy diabetes.
4. Choosing high fiber foods in your diabetic diet will help control your blood sugar and have regular bowel movements.
5. It will greatly help if you include foods with low amounts of fat or refined sugar in your diabetic diet to help you balance your glucose levels.
6. Drink at least 8 cups (or 64 ounces) of liquids per day as a part of your diet for gestational diabetes.
7. In your pregnancy diabetes diet, make sure to get the 1200 mg calcium needed by your body and baby.

By following gestational diabetes diet tips, make sure that you get suitable amount of calories and nutrients for the mother and child, while also keeping blood glucose amounts beneath manage. With these tips for your healthy diabetic diet during pregnancy, make sure you exercise, get enough rest, and constantly consult your doctor to ensure a healthy delivery of your baby