4 dietary changes to help control gestational diabetes during pregnancy

If you've developed gestational diabetes during your pregnancy, planning a healthy menu can help control the condition. Find out more with this handy guide.

For many pregnant women, nesting, nurseries and showers can take a backseat to health issues that surface during the nine months of gestation.

• Gestational diabetes can occur in women who have never had diabetes but who have a high blood glucose level during pregnancy, and it can result in significant health issues for the expectant mother and baby.
• Expecting mothers with gestational diabetes need to be physically active, test blood glucose levels and plan a menu that is healthy for all.

With gestational diabetes, it is important to keep blood sugar levels stable, and spacing out meals keeps those levels from spiking.

• Consider planning for three meals and two snacks each day, making sure not to skip any meals.

Almonds, celery sticks, raisins and saltine crackers are great snack options. Balanced nutrition is a key part of keeping diabetes in check.

• It is paramount for mothers and growing babies not to skip breakfast.

Because blood sugar can be more tricky to control early in the day, choosing a breakfast that contains starch and protein is typically the safest bet.

• Be wary of too much fruit, which is high in natural sugars, or too much milk, which is essentially a liquid carbohydrate.

• The best way to keep track of your food intake and the times of day you tend to eat meals or snack is to create a food diary.
• Jotting down what you ate, how much you ate and at what point during the day you ate it will help you and your doctor or other medical professionals track any issues and find any patterns.

Many pregnant women feel hungry all the time, and a gestational diabetic diet just doesn't seem to cut it. Fortunately, there are some tricks to keep your body full, but still stay healthy.

• Consuming non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, peppers and tomatoes, helps you to feel full while not adding carbohydrates or sugar to your diet.
• Drinking your daily recommended amount of water, or an occasional glass of low-fat milk, can help tide you over until the next meal or snack.

Gestational diabetes is a temporary diagnosis, but treating it seriously ensures the health of the expectant mother and the baby and reduces the risk of cesarean section.