A woman with gestational diabetes should follow a diet devised specifically for her. It is important to seek advice from a registered dietician, as several factors have to be considered in planning an appropriate diet.
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These include the gestational age at the time of diagnosis, whether the mother is slim or overweight, the rate of growth of the unborn baby over time and also the mother’s preferences for specific food.
Pregnancy is not the time to attempt to lose weight. The aim of the prescribed diet is to achieve the following four things:
provide enough calories (energy) and nutrients to take care of the needs of the mother and her growing unborn baby
maintain the blood glucose level within normal limits
prevent complications caused by either too high or too low blood glucose levels
allow for adequate weight gain
Of the total amount of calories required per day, most will be obtained from carbohydrates (bread, cereal, fruits and vegetables), between 10 and 25% from proteins (meat, fish) while the remaining 30-40% will be obtained from fats (mostly unsaturated). These will usually be divided into three meals per day and a snack at bedtime.
If maternal blood glucose levels are controlled adequately on a diet, insulin injections will not be necessary.
The dietician should again be contacted after birth to assist you to modify her diet in order to meet your nutritional needs, especially if are going to breastfeed, to reduce your weight and to lessen your chances of developing diabetes mellitus later in life.
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