What to eat with gestational diabetes?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Nguyen Thi Minh Tuyet - Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital

1. What is gestational diabetes?

During pregnancy, a pregnant woman's blood sugar often rises, leading to gestational diabetes, this condition usually occurs at 24-28 weeks of pregnancy, adversely affecting both mother and baby. Although gestational diabetes will go into remission after giving birth, if a pregnant woman does not manage her blood sugar properly during pregnancy, it will cause many dangerous complications.
Gestational diabetes is manageable with a proper diet and regular exercise. If necessary, pregnant women can use insulin to treat the disease.

2. Dangerous complications of gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes causes many problems for both the mother and the fetus, including:
The fetus is too large: the mother's blood sugar is too high, causing the fetus to grow too large leading to problems such as: If the fetus is too large, it will be stuck during normal delivery, and the mother may have postpartum haemorrhage.

Caesarean section: Pregnant women with diabetes often have a higher risk of having a cesarean section, so recovery after giving birth also takes longer. High blood pressure: Pregnant women with gestational diabetes often have high blood pressure, leading to many complications such as preeclampsia, fetal growth retardation in the uterus. Hypoglycemia: Fetal blood sugar is unstable, which can be low after birth. Long-term effects: Women with a history of gestational diabetes are more likely to relapse in subsequent pregnancies, and they are also prone to postpartum obesity if they do not have a proper diet and exercise regimen. Miscarriage and stillbirth: Women with gestational diabetes are at increased risk of spontaneous abortion.

3. What should gestational diabetes eat?

For pregnant women with gestational diabetes, a reasonable diet will help limit the symptoms of the disease without using drugs.
“What should gestational diabetes eat?” is the top question when pregnant women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. In general, pregnant women with gestational diabetes should avoid the following foods:

3.1 Should control the amount of starch daily Eating a lot of starch causes blood sugar to rise, so diabetics need to choose a suitable source of starch to ensure the body's energy needs as well as limit reduce the risk of high blood sugar.
Limit eating white bread, white rice, foods made from refined flour, potatoes...
3.2 Limit sugary foods Sugar is a food that has an immediate effect on the body, solving problems. insulin release causes high blood sugar. Therefore, pregnant women with gestational diabetes need to minimize the intake of too much sugar into the body. Some foods are high in sugar such as: biscuits, puddings, candies, cakes, fruit juices with added sugar, bottled smoothies, dried fruits...
3.3 Don't drink a lot of coconut water, sugarcane juice Lots Pregnant women abuse drinking too much coconut water, sugarcane juice for the purpose of clear amniotic fluid, but this will lead to increased blood sugar leading to gestational diabetes.

3.4 Avoid hidden sugars and carbohydrates Carbohydrates directly affect blood sugar, so pregnant women should limit eating foods that contain too many carbohydrates such as: fast foods, alcohol, sauces tomatoes, ice cream, french fries, bbq sauce, oats, fruit juices should be consumed in moderation.
3.5 Avoid saturated fat Saturated fat is found in animal fat, animal organs, coconut oil... if used in excess, it is also harmful to gestational diabetes patients. Eggs and milk also contain saturated fat, so pregnant women need to use these foods reasonably, avoid eating too much
In addition, should limit salty and sodium intake should be less than 6g per day. day. Limit carbonated drinks, tea, coffee...
Maternity package package at Vinmec International General Hospital helps customers fulfill all necessary antenatal check-up milestones and tests during pregnancy pregnancy, including screening for gestational diabetes. Customers registered for Maternity Package are fully cared for and checked for health of mother and baby before, during and after birth.

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