During pregnancy, it is a given that you will make a few sacrifices over the next 9 1/2 months...and a lot of them related to food/beverages. You should avoid alcohol, deli meat, certain cheeses, unpasteurized anything, raw seafood (goodbye oysters and sushi!), certain fish and other random things. There's plenty of lists out there telling you what food to avoid while pregnant. And besides the occasional long glance at a martini and oysters, there's really not much to it. Besides, you can make up for those few things with other great things - like double fudge brownies and hot fudge sundaes! Because those are ok to eat.....until you get diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Wah-Wahh!
Gestational diabetes is the icing on the cake...and trust me, you can't have your cake and eat it too with GD.
As a pregnant woman, this diagnosis was very hard. First I failed the 1-hour glucose test. People kept assuring me that this happened regularly and that my 3-hour glucose test results would most likely be fine. I failed. One quick phone call later, I was labeled as a gestational diabetic and referred to a nutritionist who couldn't see me for 1 week. Panic set in, naturally. And so did the guilt. What did I do wrong? What do I do now?!
Concerned that I was going to do more damage to my unborn child between my diagnosis and my nutritionist appointment, I did everything I could to educate myself on what someone with gestational diabetes should do. And I was lucky to have a husband doing everything he could to help as well. But the resources just weren't out there. We did what we could with the limited information we could find. But in the end, the only thing I achieved was losing about 5 lbs in one week - and in my third trimester! I was so scared of eating the wrong things, I was barely eating anything, which I'm sure was just as bad!
Not to mention as a food blogger, this diagnosis really got me down! I have felt as if my "Search for Yum" has been so limited that I just can't write at this point. But after almost a month of living with nutrition controlled gestational diabetes - and more food sacrifices than I'd like to even say - I realize that it's just important to write about what you can't eat sometimes as a food blogger as it is to write about what you can eat. Especially when there is little written about gestational diabetes in the first place. I am still trying to figure it all out, but want to make more of an effort to share what I'm learning here on the Search for Yum. It's hard, but you can still enjoy eating during pregnancy with GD. I've even gotten to have a little cake in the process too (in pieces of about 2in x 2in., but I'll take it!) ;)
If you are looking for more information on gestational diabetes, the only reference the nurses at my doctors recommend at this point is the American Diabetes Association.
Do you have gestational diabetes? If so, I would love to hear some of your challenges and concerns. Or some things you have already learned! I know from pregnancy forums that there are countless people in the same situation I found myself in, and just as lost. Everyone's story is so different and I am interested in learning as much as I can about GD!
Gestational diabetes is the icing on the cake...and trust me, you can't have your cake and eat it too with GD.
As a pregnant woman, this diagnosis was very hard. First I failed the 1-hour glucose test. People kept assuring me that this happened regularly and that my 3-hour glucose test results would most likely be fine. I failed. One quick phone call later, I was labeled as a gestational diabetic and referred to a nutritionist who couldn't see me for 1 week. Panic set in, naturally. And so did the guilt. What did I do wrong? What do I do now?!
Concerned that I was going to do more damage to my unborn child between my diagnosis and my nutritionist appointment, I did everything I could to educate myself on what someone with gestational diabetes should do. And I was lucky to have a husband doing everything he could to help as well. But the resources just weren't out there. We did what we could with the limited information we could find. But in the end, the only thing I achieved was losing about 5 lbs in one week - and in my third trimester! I was so scared of eating the wrong things, I was barely eating anything, which I'm sure was just as bad!
Not to mention as a food blogger, this diagnosis really got me down! I have felt as if my "Search for Yum" has been so limited that I just can't write at this point. But after almost a month of living with nutrition controlled gestational diabetes - and more food sacrifices than I'd like to even say - I realize that it's just important to write about what you can't eat sometimes as a food blogger as it is to write about what you can eat. Especially when there is little written about gestational diabetes in the first place. I am still trying to figure it all out, but want to make more of an effort to share what I'm learning here on the Search for Yum. It's hard, but you can still enjoy eating during pregnancy with GD. I've even gotten to have a little cake in the process too (in pieces of about 2in x 2in., but I'll take it!) ;)
If you are looking for more information on gestational diabetes, the only reference the nurses at my doctors recommend at this point is the American Diabetes Association.
Do you have gestational diabetes? If so, I would love to hear some of your challenges and concerns. Or some things you have already learned! I know from pregnancy forums that there are countless people in the same situation I found myself in, and just as lost. Everyone's story is so different and I am interested in learning as much as I can about GD!
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