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Diabetic Diet for a Pregnant Women

Living with diabetes is difficult enough, but attempting to balance diabetes with pregnancy is another matter altogether. You will be asked to balance your own health against the health of your developing child, which is a heavy burden to bear. Fortunately, that situation can be made somewhat easier with adherence to a targeted dietary approach to ensure that both parties thrive in optimal conditions.

  1. Diabetes and Diet

    • Although low carb approaches for managing diabetes were traditionally eschewed by physicians, they are now almost universally accepted for helping patients live with diabetes while reducing their dependence on prescription medications. A low carb diet can help you manage your weight while controlling insulin and blood sugar levels--the two main triggers of diabetes.

    Low Carb and Pregnancy

    • However, extremely low carb diets do not reconcile well with pregnancy. There is an ongoing debate over whether ketones (byproducts of the body being in ketosis--a fat burning state brought on by low levels of dietary carbohydrates) are harmful to your developing child. Thus, for safety's sake, you should not follow a ketogenic low carb diet while pregnant. A ketogenic low carb diet is one where daily carb totals are kept under 20 to 30 g.

    Recommended Approach

    • A better approach to diabetic dieting while pregnant is to reach a happy medium between low carb (which is good for the diabetic mother) and higher carb (which is not dangerous for the child). A good middle ground is to eat a diet that is a "higher low carb diet"--roughly 100 to 125 g of carbs a day should split the difference nicely.

    Carb Considerations

    • The quality of your carb intake is just as important as the quantity, so do not think that a higher carb allowance means you can sneak in a bagel or two. The bulk of your carb intake should come from nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, and some whole grains--this will provide maximal nutrients for your child while minimizing hazardous blood sugar spikes.

    Calorie Considerations

    • Also remember that weight loss is not the goal on a pregnancy diet. You must eat a sufficient quantity of food to allow your child the best possible chance for normal development. Thus, do not count calories--eat whenever you are hungry. Do not obsess over the scale as you might during an ordinary diet. Just aim to keep your daily carb intake under the recommended amount and consume a variety of healthy, natural foods.

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