Hi Everyone,

I got my thyroid test results a few days back and I was so happy that it is under control now. But I went for the 3-hr glucose tolerance test today and to my surprise, it was on the higher side and I have been advised a strict sugar free diet. The doctor says that since I am still in the 27th week, its showing less values but it increases with pregnancy. I am very very worried about my baby now. I hope and pray that my glocose levels come under control just by proper diet. I do not want to go for insulin injections. I would appriciate any suggestions on diet. My sugar level while empty stomach was 115 and after 60 min it was 177. They had given me a drink after taking the first sample.

Please pray for my baby and I wish all of you a very healthy pregnancy. hopingfortejas replied. Hey ,

Also this is one mail from the Nov board from Anu to Uma ...this is very very informative ...

THANKS ANU, I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF POSTING IT HERE ALSO , I AM HOPING U WILL NOT MIND IT ......

I am in my 33 week of pregnancy now and have been following this diet since the end of 27th week.

morning: 2 slices of bread with 2 tbs of cream cheese and peanut butter

mid morning: 1 cup of yogurt or 1 small orange

lunch: 2 chapathis with dhal or some other subzi

evening snack: 1 cup of 1% milk with brittania marie biscuits or milk with weight watcher's lemon cake (1 cake)

dinner: cracked wheat uppuma (godumai ravai uppuma) with butter milk for sides

late night snack: 1 slice of bread with cheese and peanut butter (folded) and 1 cup of yogurt

Now for the portion sizes:

this is something u need to understand perfectly. i am telling u the sizes that my doc recommended to me which shd be good for u too. first i will tell u how to understand portion sizes. when u buy something always look for the nutrition facts lable in the backside. since u r in the US this shd not be a problem. at the top most left hand side end of the lable, u will find 'serving size'. keep this in mind. then go down straight to the amt of carbohydrates mentioned. now it means that in so much of serving size, there is so much of carbs. for example, in the milk container, if it is mentioned as serving size 240 ml, and carb amt as 12g, then it means 240 ml contains 12g of carbs. always ignore the sugar content. that is not essential. this is how u count the carbs in ur diet. i will tell u the total amt of carbs u can have for each meal.
morning: 30 carbs ( if u get a bread that contains 14g carbs per slice, it will be perfect since u can have 2 slices in the morning. i usually get country kitchen giant bread. eat it with cheese and peanut butter)
mid morning: 15 carbs. ( u can but small cups of dannon plain yogurt which is exactly 12g carb per cup or u can have a small orange which is around 15g carb per fruit)
lunch: 60 carbs ( usually 2 chapthis and dhal totals up to these many carbs)
evening snack: 30 carbs ( 240 ml of milk with 4 marie biscuits will total up to the exact 30 carbs or instead of marie biscuits u can also have weight watchers lemon cream cake which is 14g per cake)
dinner: 60 carbs ( 1.75 ounces of cracked wheat is around 50g of carbs. so coupled with a few ounces of yogurt or butter milk for sides..it is perfect. buy a measuring cup with units in ounces to measure cracked wheat. u can make more than 1.75 ounces if u r preparing for 2 ppl, then u shd see how much is 1.75 ounces and have an idea and eat only that much or slightly more when u divide it among 2 ppl)
late night snack: 30 carbs ( 1 slice of bread with cheese and peanut butter and then a cup of dannon yogurt will total up perfectly)

so, this is the plan that i follow, and my doc is very happy with the results. let me tell u a few facts abt the foods that i have mentioned:
1. try and include atleast 3 tbs of peanut butter and cheese everyday as these foods have so less carbs and they conribute to a healthy weight and peanut butter is a very gud protein source.
2. never skip yogurt and milk. 2 servings of yogurt and 1 serving of milk spread throughout the day as i have mentioned will serve as a good total for ur calcium requirement. cup of yogurt gives u around 450mg of calcium and cup of milk gives u around 305 mg of calcium, and ur daily intake of calcium during preg shd be around 1000. yogurt is also a good source of protein.
3. include a lot of veggies like greens as sides for chapathis if u like them. it is very gud. otherwise dhal shd be gud.
4. cracked wheat uppuma is very gud for diabetes patients. so try and include it every night. it helps a lot in maintaing blood sugar levels and is also stomach filling even with small quantities.
before meeting ur doc, write down the number of carbs u r consuming and ur diet plan and see if he/she is ok with that. usually at ur first appt ur doc will tell give u a home sugar monitor and strips to test sugar. but in my case, even before i met with the doc, i bought the meter and strips and began the diet and went to the doc with one weeks results of my sugar levels after meals. he was very impressed and helped me from that point. then he called up the pharmacy where we bought the meter and ordered strips which was partly paid by our insurance plan. since u have 2 weeks before u meet doc, start with diet. buying a sugar meter now itself is upto u.
hopingfortejas replied. Hi Poppins,

i know how u feel, i also had higher levels in 1 hour test(142) and will be repeating again in my 32nd week visit ...

dont worry too much, this is quite common , ithink we are 3-4 of us in dec board itself.... though we will be better off without it :) ...

do exercise(walking) and try to limit your carbs ... i have reduced my rice intake and i am eating more of chapathis, oats, bread , etc ..... also stay away from desserts etc. ... and dont worry if you follow the diet/exercise properly, hopefully u will nto need insulin injections ...

and ur baby wil be fine .... sugar at the later stage of pregnancy does not cause any major problems in the baby .....

take care,
-P pinki replied. HI Poppins,
I am from Jan Board. My throid Free T4 level is on lower side. I have to repeat blood test to check the current levels and doc will give me medication accordingly.
Did u take any medicine to control ur throid level? I am worried. Please reply as soon as u can.
take care
lov
pinki