Well-Balanced Diet

• Diet is usually the only treatment that you will need for gestational diabetes. Monitoring blood glucose four or five times a day is necessary to ensure that your diet is working to keep your levels within normal range.
  A healthy diet that includes fruits and vegetables and avoids refined sugars should control diabetes during pregnancy. Choose foods that are high in nutrition but low in fat and excessive calories. The doctor will recommend that you visit a nutritionist to plan your pregnancy diet.
  
  

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates have the most impact on your blood glucose levels. Choose carbohydrates that are full of nutrition to make the most of this important part of your diet. Never try to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet. The sources of healthy carbohydrates are fruits and vegetables along with whole grains. Processed foods that are made from white flour and refined sugar are simple carbohydrates that are broken down into glucose quickly. Complex carbohydrates such as vegetables take longer to be broken down and have less of an effect on your sugar levels.
  Keep your meals balanced by choosing the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal. Do not skip meals or eliminate carbs from any of your meals. This will keep your blood glucose levels consistent throughout the day.
  Choose carbohydrates that are high in fiber as well. These include pasta and whole grain cereals.
  
  

Calories

• Do not skip meals or attempt to lose weight while you are pregnant. Excess weight contributes to gestational diabetes, but pregnancy is not the time to lose the pounds. Women who are overweight before becoming pregnant can gain less weight than others, but it is important that you provide your growing baby with enough nutrition and calories.
  Pregnancy in a normal weight woman only requires 300 additional calories. Overweight women should gain between fifteen and twenty five pounds during pregnancy. Obese women can safely gain fifteen pounds or less. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy can result in a difficult labor and delivery.