I had gestational diabetes with all my pregnancies. It can be overwhelming to manage your special diet. So today, I’m sharing a Gestational Diabetes Trackers to help you keep track of protein and carbs.
If you’ve been recently diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, I know how deflated you might feel. You might feel that is incredibly unfair and it may suck away much of the joy of the joy of being pregnant. But I think the most common feeling is that of being overwhelmed. Because you will find yourself having to test your blood several times a day and adhere to strict a diet. Geez! Talk about taking all the fun out of being prego!
Before you get down on yourself, let’s talk about what gestational diabetes is. Being overweight may increase the chances of gestational diabetes, but it is not the cause. The cause is actually a protein secreted by your placenta that can make your body resistant to insulin. Insulin is a naturally occurring chemical made by the pancreas to regulate sugar in your bloodstream. High sugar can cause serious pregnancy complications. Since I’m not a health professional, I encourage you to speak to your doctor about the specific risks involved.
Getting Started
Your doctor or nutritionist will give you specific guidelines to follow regarding the amount of carbs and protein you should have. It is important to note, you still need some amount of carbs. Ketosis is not the goal. The goal instead is to have steady, regulated blood sugar. Additionally, it is also important to note, your body is most sensitive to sugar in the morning. No more pancakes, waffles, muffins, French toast or donuts. I know! It’s no fun! Think protein heavy breakfasts like bacon and eggs.
The first few weeks living with GD can be hard. Not every pregnancy is the same. My intolerance to carbs was different with each pregnancy. The foods also vary. I was able to eat thin crust meat lovers pizza, but a salad with some tortilla chips spiked my sugar. It will be a lot of trial and error in those first few weeks. That’s why keeping track of your foods and what they contain (carbs and protein) can be extremely helpful. Writing it down will allow you to see patterns in the food you eat.
When I was pregnant with my first son, I made these spreadsheets. There were weeks where I had some high blood draws. Having a diary of what I ate was helpful to show the doctor what had caused it. Sometimes, there were sensible reasons why it was high – and that it wouldn’t be happening again.
Using the Gestational Diabetes Trackers
The Gestational Diabetes Food Log contains three meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. You will also noticed there are three snacks. Snacks are typical on a GD diet. Small snacks between meals may help stabilize your blood sugar. You are always required to have a snack before bed so your fasting blood draw isn’t high. Your health professional will tell you how many snacks you should have.
I’m also providing a Gestational Diabetes Blood Sugar Tracker. Most doctors will either provide a glucometer or provide a script for one. Some doctors may have you log your blood sugar results. That’s where a blood sugar tracker can come in handy. In my case my glucose meter stored the results and was downloaded by my doctor. Once downloaded, I couldn’t go back and look at old results. So writing it down was necessary so I could go back and remember which foods worked and which spiked my blood sugar. Either way, I know this will help you!
Gestational Diabetes Trackers
If you have Gestational Diabetes, you may be overwhelmed by tracking your blood sugar and the foods you eat. I’ve made it simple for you! These two Gestational Diabetes Trackers will help you monitor your blood sugar and your gestational diabetes diet. Tracking your food along with your blood sugar will allow you to see patterns in how certain foods affect your glucose levels. This set contains…
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