A good, balanced diabetes pregnancy diet is important to maintaining the mother’s health and helping to insure a complication free pregnancy. This diet by itself is usually enough to control blood sugar, but sometimes insulin injection becomes necessary. Being mindful of the total daily calorie intake, avoiding foods that increase blood sugar, and eating more of the foods which aid in the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels are the backbone of a good diabetes pregnancy diet.

The carbohydrates in the food you eat become glucose in your body. Glucose is a major source of energy. Carbohydrates come from starchy foods such as pasta, bread, potatoes, rice, and other grains. They are also found in fruit, dairy foods, vegetables, and sugar. Eating the right balance of carbohydrates, fat and protein is an essential part of the diet.

Women who are pregnant should get about 45 to 60 percent of their calories from carbohydrates, 15 to 25 percent from protein, and 20 to 30 percent from fat. They also require about 300 extra calories daily in the second and third trimesters to ensure proper weight gain. An additional 10 to 12 grams of protein per day is also required to help the baby grow normally.

For some women they will see some of the classic symptoms that all diabetics are familiar with. These include:

• Frequent urination – Caused by high blood glucose which increases blood flow to the kidneys.
• Excessive thirst – Results from dehydration from the increased urinary output.
• Extreme hunger – Because glucose is unable to get into the body’s cells from the lack of insulin the body suffers from an energy deficit, causing hunger.
• Unusual weight loss – Despite eating more the body actually loses weight as it breaks down proteins and fats to make up for the perceived energy deficit.
• Increased fatigue – Caused by the decrease in energy.
• Irritability
• Blurry vision – Caused by the increased blood volume that causes a swelling of the lens of the eye.

For many women the first symptom of gestational diabetes is not passing the oral glucose tolerance test.