Ladies who had Gestational Diabetes- after birth?
I have a mild case, and don’t need medication, just cutting simple sugars out of my diet.
My question is, I’m *hoping* to have a cinnamon roll after I deliver our daughter lol! But realistically, I was wondering how long it took you to recover to the point you could eat sugars again? I’m not looking to down a box of cookies or anything, but I would like to have a couple of my fave foods I’ve been craving!
Also, how did your babies do? Were they healthy, or did they have problems regulating their blood sugars right away? Like I said, mine is a mild case, so I’m not terribly worried, but I’m still being cautious because I don’t want to risk any problems to her!
And a side question… If I’m ok to eat sugar, but baby has slight problem regulating her insulin… will the sugar i eat be secreted in breastmilk and cause her problems or prolong her inability to regulate her insulin?? Just stuff I’ve been thinking about!
Thanks everyone for your input!
Filed under: Natural cures for diabetes
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When I was pregnant with my youngest child, I, too, had gestational diabetes. My nutritionist told me that there were 2 types of moms with this condition:
1. They either had inherited the condition somewhere within their family line, or…
2. They were overweight.
With that, the nutritionist leaned over her desk to look at my pregnant figure & told me: "That’s all baby. You must have it in your family…" In truth, I’ve struggled with being underweight for most of my life. It’s only now that I’m older that I’m at more of a normal weight for my height and age, but even now I need to watch it.
Since that diagnosis long ago, I still have to watch my weight & diet–& so does my youngest. We are both at risk for developing diabetes later on in life. But it IS ok to have the occasional sweet. I have found for myself that I can’t tolerate a lot of sweets like I used to.
I was reading something online recently that states that breastfeeding actually helps to prevent diabetes.
See here:
http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20061116/breastfeeding-may-lower-diabetes-risk
http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2002/05/01/3619/diabetes-and-breastfeeding/
For me my blood sugar levels normalized after delivery. I can’t say with certainty how long it took, but I don’t recall it being very long. I’m sure your baby will be fine, but as I’m no professional, it’s best to discuss these matters with your doctor.
With my oldest, I was told I could resume my regular diet as soon as he was born. Boy, did I ever. I overdid it, really. I missed drinking Coke.
My oldest was huge (10lbs 8oz), but he didn’t have any serious health issues at birth. If you’re planning to breastfeed, I would make sure you put the baby to the breast as soon as possible, and let them nurse often and without limits. Colostrum is great for boosting blood sugar in newborns. If your newborn does have hypoglycemia, I would ask to nurse and recheck his/her blood sugar again before he/she is given any supplements.
You shouldn’t have to worry too much about your sugar intake affecting your baby through your milk. Colostrum and breastmilk are actually great for regulating blood sugar in newborns. Of course, it’s always good to keep simple sugars to minimum, but don’t beat yourself up if you want a cinnamon roll on occasion after the baby is born.