What follows is a compilation of the personal experiences of some
sawnet members who
had gestational diabetes. Bear in mind that these are only a few people's
experiences and opinions; you must consult your physician on the specifics
of your case.
I had gestational diabetes in India in 1981 and 1982. Both times, my babies
were taken out by c-section in 34/35 weeks because I had gained too much
weight. I was in bed from 30 weeks. My diet was low calorie. As far as I
remember, I was allowed one cup of rice for lunch and one small chapati for
dinner. For breakfast and afternoon snack, I had up to a cup of chhana,
which is the Bengali word for paneer. It was very boring. There were little
variations, but for my children's safe delivery, I went through it. I also
had hypertension. I usually had fish with my meals, and some nights chicken.
Some vegetable made with little oil. I missed the original question, but am
wondering if this will help someone with gestational diabetes. The babies
were hairy and heavy, but they lost both weight and hair very quickly. I
thought they looked like pigs, but I also they thought they were the
perfectly beautiful babies I always dreamt I'd have. They are now both grown
into lovely, all-rounded leader-type personalities and are doing well at
great schools.
One other thing: at 34 weeks, they were fully grown, all the way to cute
fingernails, so never worry about an early delivery. Hope it helps someone.
- Indrani Dutta-Gupta
Here's my take on gest. diabetes. Sorry it's shorter than I
thought it would be. But it's amazing how quickly I've forgotten things
related to my pregnancy:
Although it may not seem so at the time, there are a lot of benefits to
having gest. diabetes detected while you're pregnant. First, you become
much more aware of the food you eat and the way it affects your body.
Second, you have a 50% chance of getting it later in life, and a much higher
percentage if there's a history of it in your family, so it's better to know
it upfront and possibly prevent it or delay its onset later in life. Third,
your child's health during the pregnancy will be improved by your improved
food habits, which might not have been the case in our mother's generation
when g.d. was not diagnosed.
As for having g.d. while eating a predominantly South Asian vegetarian diet,
it is somewhat difficult but can be done. The best way to think of it is as
an "counterintuitive diet" which essentially means that you can't eat the
things you normally think are good for you. I've put the following list
together, so it's easier to read:
1) Read labels. In general, you don't want more than I believe 40g of carbs
per two to three hours. A blueberry dannon yogurt has 55g of sugar; a bowl
of cereal approx. 40g of carbs. Compare it with a Hagen Daaz ice cream bar
which has only 25g of sugar.
2) Don't worry about the fat as much at first. Eat lots of eggs, peanut
butter, dal, plain fat yogurt, tofu, etc.
3) Monitor closely your sugar levels. After a while, you will know what
makes the sugar levels go up and what doesn't and can choose foods that you
like that don't cause the sugar levels to go up.
4) Eat every few hours (5 meals a day) and try to take a 10-minute walk
after every meal.
5) There's some Indian vegetables that are good for diabetes, like bitter
gourd.
6) Avoid rice and all rice-based items. Replace it with one chapathi or one
piece of bread and a vegetable.
7) If you're going to cheat, cheat when you know you can take a 1-hr walk
after eating. If your body uses up the sugar right away, you may be okay.
This is all I can think of right now. I'm sure there's so much more that
I'm not remembering.
Usha Narayanan
Good sources of information
First of all, there is some excellent info on GD on the web, the
best being the NIH website.
I borrowed some books from the Stanford Med Library but
essentially they said nothing new.
My opinion of tests
I had to do the GD tests a couple of times before my doctor
decided I was definitely diabetic. I haven't heard about false
positives in GD testing. I think the 3 hour test is fairly
conclusive, especially when its done between the 24th and 28th
week.
The definition of good glucose level does depend on your doctor
sometimes. Mine was pretty aggressive
about keeping the fasting glucose level below 90 and after meal
numbers below 130. There is *some* literature that indicates that
allowances be made by race, but I don't know too much about that. I had
a lot of faith in my doctor.
Risk factors for GD
No doctor told me that I had an increased risk for GD if there
was a history of type II diabetes in the family. However, I was
insistent on early glucose testing, and had high levels of
sugar as early as 22 weeks. however, I didn't start working on
a special diet/insulin until 24 weeks. I do think that people
on high carb diets (vegetarians) do have a higher risk for GD.
when you're pregnant, there is a lot of stress on your body,
and your pancreas is working way over-overtime anyway. Add to
that a diet of rice, pasta, milk etc and your poor pancreas
just about gives up :-) My father was diabetic, but apparently
GD had nothing to do with it (per my doc). IMO tho', GD may be
indicative of things to come, and the risk is compounded by a
history of diabetes in the family.
If you don't control your GD, minimally you are at risk of
having a very large baby (C section) and worse, it might result
in fetal death.
Controlling sugar
I had to take my blood sugar 4 times a day - fasting, after
breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also had to check for ketones in
the morning (urine test) so that I wasn't burning fat [bad for
baby's brain development].
At first, I tried the diet. the nutritionist specified 9 carb
exchanges (I don't remember the number of protein and fat). so
i tried 2 carbs in the morning (like 1 english muffin), 2
carbs for lunch (1/2 a sandwich) or 1 chapati etc. I was really
against the insulin, and really wanted the diet to work.
So and I was psyched out to the point that i would prefer to
not eat anything just to get my sugar down. started losing
weight and burning fat. It also stressed me out to no end,
whuch got my sugar up. BAD IDEA!
I started insulin once a day and it was such a relief to see
the numbers come down! I also started working from home.
finally I also experimented with a few things - like Ifound
out I was more sensitive to wheat than rice - Icould eat 2
idlis in the morning and have better sugar levels than eating 1
slice of bread. Mom came to take care of me and she was really
good about getting me eat all sorts of good stuff - she came up
with this salad with mung sprouts, a lot of veggies chopped
really fine that i would mix with sour cream and spices. it
really kept my sugars down. Cracked wheat uppuma was good too.
I also drank 1 mug of milk at the end of the day (sugars are
low at night). I also walked for a good 45 mins after every
meal and that REALLY brought the sugars down.
in the 8th month, for some mysterious reason my sugars just
came down dramatically - don't know why but it sure felt good!
As far as food goes, everyone's body reacts differently to different types
of carbohydrates, so you really need to experiment. Cheeses are
great, snacking on carrots, celery, cucumber works as well,
nuts are good too. Soy is also a great alternative. Stir fried
tofu is a low carb and very filling meal. Avocados work well
too. Mom's salad was a huge platter of many veggies chopped
really fine with some spices. I actually used to eat it in lieu
of rice. She also made all the "kootus" [esp. winter melon]
with sprouted pulses instead of daal, so they made a low carb
meal as well.
GD & labor
In the last month I had nonstress tests and ultrasounds almost
every week to make sure that baby was OK, and wasn't growing
too large. My doctor also didn't want me to go beyond my due
date bcos of the GD.
I went into labor 2 days before my due date. My sugar was
monitored every hour ( took my monitor just in case). I was in
labor for about 15 hours, I wasn't allowed to take any juice
bcos of the sugar. So that was pretty tiring.
When Ajay was born his sugar was tested right away, and it was
predictably low. so he was given some sugar water.
In conclusion
I put on about 15 pounds in my entire pregnancy, most of it in
my 1st trimester (before I had GD). I know I have an increased
risk of getting type II diabetes (at least 60%). The GD
disappeared as soon as I had the baby. of course, everybody
brought me chocolates and icecream :-)
Psychology
In all the material I read about GD, there is nothing that
talks about the stress that GD causes, the sense of failure
that you have when you cannot control your sugar with dieting.
Those numbers .... they controlled my life at one point. The
patient can actually start lying about the numbers just to get
a false sense of security, which is no good. A pregnant woman
with GD needs a LOT of encouragement and support. Not working
during this time is really the best way out, as stress
increases sugar levels as well. It takes a lot of time & pain
to monitor your sugar levels, walk after every meal, eat 6
small meals a day - there's no time for anything else. Of
course, you can't eat out, and no baby shower cake either, not
to mention that people around you are gulping down curd-rice,
or your favorite lasagne. I have no idea how I summoned up the
will to do all the things I did during my pregnancy to control
the GD, I was just immensely motivated. Friends and family
helped - they kept me company on my walks, made me salads,
read the labels on food stuffs with me ....
Enuff said.
--A member of Samnet
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DISCLAIMER:
The following are my findings, observations, and experience. Please
consult your physician and those you feel you can trust before you
embark on a course of action. If you are on medication, when you begin
any nutritional/supplemental/complementary regimen, your doctor will
need to monitor any changes to your medication. There is a good chance
that you will need lower doses as your immune system heals. Diabetics
who monitor their own blood glucose levels must be cognizant of lowered
insulin or oral medication needs. I do not claim any medical expertise,
and I am *not* dispensing medical advice.
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THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
Diabetes is a auto-immune disorder: the body attacks itself, destroying
healthy organ tissue and other cells, such as insulin receptor cells.
Insulin-independent diabetics (Type II, or adult-onset) are given oral
medication to enhance the performance of insulin receptor cells.
Insulin-dependent diabetics (Type I or juvenile) produce less insulin
from their pancreas, and therefore require an outside dose. However,
both types may well be reversed through meticulous attention to
repairing the body's immune system.
Every major "health care/preventive care" system such as Ayurvedic,
Chinese medicine, and Native American "earth medicine" system, for
example, addresses the immune system, and maintain that the liver or
digestive system is the "seat" of disease. It is widely understood
among "complementary care/alternative care" practitioners that our
"modern" lifestyle fraught with stress and fast foods, and even if we
eat fresh produce, result in malnourishment. Seemingly "healthy,"
athletic individuals suddenly experience stroke, heart attack, or many
of us succumb to cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes,
arthritis, obesity, etc. Research scientists, biochemists, biologists
have successfully created high-potency nutritional products to counter
the ill effects of our yo-yo diets. The Native American healer who has
helped me overcome my insulin dependency has done so by helping me
rebuild my immune system.
DIABETES
You will find many answers, one-on-one, from medical care professionals
at this site
for your own particular needs:
They provide a team of doctors and nurses to work with you, addressing
your needs, and they do this online, being accessible all the time.
Exercise is extremely important. Avoid sugary foods, very sweet fruits
and fruit juices. Eat grapefruits rather than juice. Those with any
allergies or respiratory ailments like asthma should avoid orange juice
and dairy products.
GESTATIONAL DIABETES
Women experiencing gestational diabetes should be working with a
nutritionist and a team of specialists so that both mother and baby
maintain good health throughout the pregnancy. It may also be that a
pregnant woman who experiences gestational diabetes may have a
pre-disposition to the disease. I've heard that it does go away after
the birth of the baby. If you maintain a strong nutritional regimen that
supplies all the essential nutrients for a strong immune system, with a
reasonable weight for your body type, you should be fine.
However, it takes effort and considerable knowledge about nutrition, the
stress factor (lifestyle issues...your coping mechanisms). If you have
a nutritionist, find out about foods that will not raise your blood sugar.
The main thing is that you keep your sugars between 70 and 120. This is
easy to do if you are eating the right foods. Dairy products contain a
lot of sugar, as do fruit juices. Your nutritionist can help you eat for
your health and your baby's health. Certain "green" foods supply
calcium.
If after the birth of the baby, any mother is still concerned about
blood glucose levels being high, I can send you a nutrional regimen that
can help you lose/maintain your weight as well as perhaps reverse your
diabetes and eliminate the need for insulin and/or oral medication.
COMMITMENT TO HEALTH
As I mentioned, all this requires a lot of effort, but if you have a
good support system of family, friends, and health practitioners
(including complementary care professionals), you will succeed. I have
gone from 2 doses of insulin per day to just one, and I don't require
even that one dose every day. I have, in fact, been able to increase
days without insulin to a week. I have also not only lost 30+ lbs. in
the past year, but have kept the weight off quite successfully and
without counting calories. My energy level is such that, although I'm
not a jogger, I'm jogging!
However, again, what is needed is a basic understanding of nutrition and
how it helps to strengthen your immune system. I would encourage you to
read the book by Dr. Julian Whitaker, "Reversing Diabetes." I would
also encourage you to see your nutrionist. Further, I'd enourage you to
contact the online diabetes web site where you can find answers to
questions that pertain only to you, and not generic answers that may or
may not address your needs.
Finally, the Native American "Earth Medicine" that I'm talking about is
very similar to Ayurvedic practice, and is applicable to any individual,
not just diabetics. Given the pollution in our foods, water, soil, air,
and the presence of yeast and fungus in our bodies, every individual can
benefit from a healthy immune system. This regimen is not about
dieting. It is a lifestyle change.
READING LIST
"Your Body's Many Cries for Water" by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.
"The Healing Clay" by Michel Abehsera
"Probiotics" by Leon Chaitow and Natasha Trenev
"Green Leaves of Barley" by Mary Ruth Swope
"Healthy Healing" by Linda Rector Page
Wishing everyone peace and good health,
-Manjusree Sen