gestational diabetes diet plan

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that may occur only in pregnant woman. The risk of being diagnosed with gestational diabetes is higher in women, who present with risk factors that include:

- Obesity - especially if the woman's pre-pregnancy BMI is 30 and higher

- Family history of type 2 diabetes

- Maternal age of 35 years and higher

- Ethnicity

- Previous history of gestational diabetes

If your midwife or your GP recognises that you might be at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes, you will be offered a Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT), which can diagnose gestational diabetes.

The Glucose Tolerance Test is usually carried out during the second trimester, typically between 24th and 28th week of pregnancy, which is the time when gestational diabetes usually arises. Though, if you had gestational diabetes before, the GTT will usually be performed earlier on in the second trimester.

What does GTT involve and what to expect?

The Glucose Tolerance Test can be described in 6 stages:

1/ when booking your GTT - you will be asked to eat a normal diet, as you would normally do, without any alterations.

2/ the evening before the test - you will be asked to stop eating before 10pm and have nothing to eat or drink after that time, with the exception of water that you can drink freely at any time as required. (If you take any regular medications, check with your GP, who will advise you which are safe to take.)

3/ in the morning of the test - you will arrive in the special clinic where the test will be carried out. On arrival, the nurse will checked that you haven't eaten since last night and then will take a blood test.

4/ after the first blood test - you will be asked to drink a measured amount of a sugary drink.

5/ you will then be asked to wait in the clinic for two hours (usually in a quiet sitting room). You should spend the two hours resting, sitting quietly, reading a magazine or a book, as any physical activity may have an impact on the test results.

6/ after the two hours - the nurse will take the second blood test, and you will be offered a drink and a sandwich or a toast (depending on the clinic). Once you are ready you can go home and the clinic will phone you with the results in the afternoon.

Most midwives recommend that you relax and rest for the rest of your day, as the glucose tolerance test is starving your body and is quite demanding on your body and your growing baby.

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