Type 2, 9 weeks pregnant, diet plan too restrictive

Diabetes and Pregnancy
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This might get moved to an old thread…
I’m 37, type 2 for 7 years, and is 9 weeks pregnant. I didn’t take a test till 30 days after my missed period because I was on levothyroxine and was told that it may stop your period by friends of mine who have under active thyroid. When I found out I was actually pregnant, I got really sad because now the doctors are going to tell me all the horrible things that can/or will happen for being a t2 mother and being 37 with my first child. I am on insulin now. For a year I was on victoza to help me lose weight (which I did) and get off of insulin. But I’m back on it now. All the literature that the nurses gave me includes a diet plan because I am diabetic. I just find it really restrictive. 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 6 crackers, etc, I’m still starving!!! I can’t have too much cheese because I also have high triglycerides but they tell me to have more cheese. I drink tons of water but my stomach can’t handle anymore liquid. At my conformation appointment, the nurse looked at me really grim and said “Since you are high risk you are prone to miscarriage” and went off on all the things that can/or will happen if I don’t get my sugars under control. (They are btw. I just started insulin 5 days ago) The diabetes program that I didn’t ask to be in are asking for numbers that can’t be above 120. Last I checked, hormones can mess up everything and more insulin is needed. More insulin, more hungry. Especially if you’re pregnant. I am very frustrated. I would have felt better if the nurse just told me to abort because I am too high risk.

End of rant. Would appreciate if other type 2’s could chime in. :frowning:

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I would suggest adding more protein to help keep you full and bonus it will help your baby. Protein shakes are a good alternative if you don’t like to eat a lot of meat and you can change up the ingredients easily to suit your diet. Lots of nutrient dense veggies.

Are your Dr.s saying to avoid cheese right now or was that before your pregnancy? Pregnancy changes Dr.s opinions about a lot of things that they may have been worried about before.

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7 years ago I was you, except I was 16 weeks along when I found out. To be fair, I underwent major surgery about two months prior to conceiving and everything was out of whack.

I’m sorry the nurse was rude to you. Unfortunately it’s not uncommon and you will get the horror speeches throughout pregnancy since you are diabetic and 37. I hated my first clinic so I switched at 24 weeks and the doctor and staff were much better. Always remember that you are an integral member of your health care time and are worthy of dignity and respect.

Most diabetic eating plans offered by your clinician often leave much to be desired for and sometimes inappropriate. You’ll be most successful with high protein, low/complex carb choices. Carbs aren’t a definitive no but choose them wisely to help minimize wide swings in your blood sugar. Here’s the gist of what I ate during pregnancy:

Breakfast: eggs made all kinds of ways-omelettes were my favorite, sometimes bacon or sausage, unsweetened Greek yogurt with 1/4 fresh or frozen berries. Occasionally I’d have some fried potatoes or whole wheat toast. For the most part I avoided cold cereal or oatmeal because it would spike my blood sugar.

Lunch: Sandwich using light bread or sandwich thins, plenty of turkey or ham, slice of real cheese, maybe a half of small apple or orange or a handful of grapes. I’d also make a nice salad making sure it had chicken, hard boiled egg, cheese and other veggies-just be mindful of salad dressings as many have added sugar.

Dinner: grilled meat and vegetables. If the weather was nice it was done on the barbecue otherwise in a grill pan on the stove. Pretty much any kind of non-starchy vegetable was fair game whether it was raw, cooked, or a salad.

Snacks: nuts, cubed cheese, jerky, peanut butter or hummus with carrots or celery, hard boiled egg, unsweetened Greek yogurt or skyr, cubed melon, berries, a few triscuit crackers, a cup of popcorn, sugar free jello or pudding cup when I was desperate for something sweet.

Try to eat at relatively the same time each day, get plenty of rest, stay hydrated. Get an app like mySugr so you can log your blood sugar readings, insulin doses, and meals so you can more readily identify patterns and which foods might give you problems.

I made it to 40 weeks, 2 days and had a healthy 7lb, 2oz baby girl with zero complications for either of us. She turns 7 next month. My A1C at the end of pregnancy was 5.4!

Wishing you all the best.

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Right on re: the fats. I am a T1 and generally have to watch my cholesterol but during pregnancy last year my endocrinologist literally declined to even order the regular blood test for that and triglycerides saying that growing the baby trumps all else for that moment.

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Very good advice all and especially worthwhile as it comes from a person with similar experience as OP.

@anon39898571 - the only additional thing I’d say is get really comfortable with adjusting your own insulin rates. More insulin does not make you more hungry by the way, not sure why you feel that. I understand you just started on it and it will take some time, but read “Thinking Like a Pancreas” and “Sugarsurfing” which should help to get you up to speed quickly. (There might be T2-specific titles I am not familiar with as well, but these are helpful for anyone who uses insulin.) And also try to factor in some exercise especially if you can do it after meals. It does wonders for the BG and in general is good for you and baby.

Sticking to the really tight ranges is a goal you should aim for and correct, correct, correct when you don’t manage. Yes, with the pregnancy hormones everything will need constant adjustment but that’s exactly why you want to be comfortable knowing what to do.

There are also a couple of books about being pregnant with diabetes, you may want to start with this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049ENHQM/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1.

Best of luck! (FWIW, I was 37 when I got pregnant too and almost 38 when at 40w5d I delivered an amazing healthy little girl who is almost 14 months now.)

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Hi Lumi, I know this is an old post but did you need any insulin or anything else to keep your blood sugars in check?

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Yes, I ended up needing insulin during the last trimester to effectively manage blood glucose levels-my A1C was consistently in the 5s. Went 40 weeks and 1 day before giving birth to a healthy 7lb 2oz girl. After my daughter was born I transitioned back to oral meds for a few years until they were no longer effective.

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Thank you for letting me know! I can keep everything in check with diet except fasting and it has forced me on insulin at 5 weeks. I’m hoping to stay healthy and not have to increase. But feel defeated already.

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Hi PurplePanda (love the name), taking insulin is not a defeat it is a need. Everybody needs insulin. Take care of yourself and your baby.

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Don’t feel defeated, you didn’t do anything wrong. Always keep in mind that the goal is a healthy mom and healthy baby. Insulin is a tool to help make that happen!

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Like others said, taking insulin is not defeat. I liked taking insulin, it’s an amazing drug that controlled my bg! If someone had thyroid issues and were on medication while pregnant, would you judge them for it? Of course not! Diabetes is the same. And I hate to tell you this but your insulin needs will likely increase as pregnancy goes on. That’s what happens in pregnancy and no way is reflection on what you did or didn’t do. Please try to feel grateful that there are tools (insulin) to deal with the problem that we have and that the disease(condition) is pretty common in pregnancy that doctors and dietitians have established plans to help keep you and the baby healthy.

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Thank you Viennetta,
I just feel tired, light headed and can feel my blood sugars fluctuate (even in the normal range) when on insulin. I wish it made me feel good. Im still on 19 units and will increase soon as it seems its needed but hope ill start to feel normal on it.