All pregnant women are screened for gestational diabetes. It’s a simple test that involves drinking a sugary drink, waiting about an hour and having your blood drawn to test your sugar levels. If test results come up abnormal, meaning elevated results, the patient will be asked to return for a second glucose tolerance test. Not all women who have abnormal test results actually have gestational diabetes. There are other factors that may affect the test results. Eating sugary foods before the test may result in a “failed test.” Usually a second test confirms normal glucose levels. Women with abnormal test … Continue reading →

I have failed the glucose tolerance test in half of my pregnancies. In the first and fourth, I failed the one hour test and had to go for the three hour. As anyone who has gone though this can attest, it is not an enjoyable experience. The test takes three hours and you can’t eat after midnight on the night before the test. So if the lab opens at nine in the morning, you won’t eat until lunchtime. Most pregnant women don’t fare well when they skip eating for the morning. I know I didn’t. What I never realized is … Continue reading →

Yesterday I shared ways that you can alter your recipes to make them fit your gestational diabetes needs a little better. Eating a balanced diet is always important during pregnancy, but when you have gestational diabetes, it is more important than ever. Not adhering to your diet can lead to your baby gaining too much weight, which could lead to birth complications. Sticking to your diet is never easy, but you do have more control when you are eating at home. Things get complicated when you’re invited to a party and no longer have any control over the menu. Imagine … Continue reading →

A gestational diabetes diagnosis can really throw a wrench into an otherwise happy pregnancy. Suddenly you’re no longer allowed to gleefully succumb to your cravings. Instead you’re trapped by a strict diet plan. Writing up your grocery list becomes even more of a chore than it was before because you’re trying to count carbs. You doubt your usual dinner repertoire is going to work this week and you struggle to come up with a new meal plan. When your family doesn’t want to eat what’s on your menu, it becomes even more frustrating. You’re on a diet you didn’t sign … Continue reading →

Women with diabetes prior to pregnancy and those who develop the condition in pregnancy are at risk for certain complications during pregnancy. Among these complications is a risk of an excessively large baby. This is known as macrosomia. A larger baby increases the likelihood the mother will require medical interventions during the birth, including a higher risk of c section. A study published in the British Medical Journal suggests an effective way for lowering this risk is through continuous glucose monitoring. Glucose monitoring is done by all diabetic pregnant women. This can be done in two ways, intermittent monitoring throughout … Continue reading →