Gestational Diabetes Nutritionist Dietitian in the St. Louis Area, Missouri, and Illinois
Get Prenatal Medical Nutrition Therapy and Dietary Interventions to Manage Your Blood Sugar Levels - Reduce Risks During Pregnancy and Labor
What is gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. All pregnant women experience some level of insulin resistance in late pregnancy. This is because of hormone changes, weight gain, and a number of factors. Gestational diabetes develops when a woman's body cannot process blood sugar efficiently. It usually disappears after giving birth.
What causes gestational diabetes?
While it’s not fully understood, it's believed to result from a combination of hormonal changes, metabolic factors, and a genetic predisposition.
It is important to understand that there are no "symptoms" to gestational diabetes. Most Ob/Gyns test for gestational diabetes between weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy. If you have risk factors, your physician might want to test earlier.
Risk Factors of Gestational Diabetes:
-
Having gestational diabetes diagnosis during a previous pregnancy.
-
Having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes.
-
Beginning your pregnancy with a diagnosis of pre-diabetes.
-
Being African American, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latina, or Pacific Islander American.
How can I prevent gestational diabetes?
While there is no guarantee of prevention, you can reduce your risk of developing it. Here's how:
-
Eat a balanced diet
-
Swap sodas and sugary drinks for water
-
Stay hydrated
-
Maintain an intuitive weight
-
Stay active
-
Manage stress
-
Avoid alcohol and smoking
-
Monitor blood sugar levels under supervised care
What does a dietitian do for gestational diabetes?
A dietitian is a key component of your prenatal healthcare team. Together, we can work to help you manage your gestational diabetes and reduce risks during pregnancy and labor. This is what your maternity nutritionist will do:
-
Personalized Meal Planning: We provide dietary interventions to help you manage and stabilize blood glucose levels. Meal plans and snack recommendations include your favorite flavors and family traditions.
-
Portion Guidance: Intuitive eating practices, mindful eating, and strategies to ensure you get the right portions and nutrients. This can help maintain healthy blood glucose levels.
-
Blood Glucose Monitoring: We can provide you with guidance and education on how to monitor and record your blood glucose levels. This can help you track how your body reacts to dietary changes.
-
Intuitive Weight Gain: Every woman's body is different, and every woman's body reacts differently to pregnancy. Intuitive weight gain helps you manage appropriate weight gain during pregnancy, ensuring you receive adequate nutrition, for you and your developing baby, and reducing risks associated with gestational diabetes.
-
Education: Nutrition education, label reading, and education on the potential complications of gestational diabetes are integral to our holistic nutrition counseling for pregnancy.
-
Get Active: We can support you with resources to incorporate safe and effective physical activity. An active lifestyle is key to managing gestational diabetes.
One of the dietitians on our team can provide you with online or in-person nutrition counseling, to help manage gestational diabetes by recommending a diet that supports the mom and baby with a variety of nutritious and fun foods, making recommendations on foods that may spike blood sugar levels and creating a movement plan that is safe during pregnancy.
Can diet fix gestational diabetes?
Diet plays a crucial part in managing gestational diabetes and can help effectively control blood sugar levels while reducing the need for medication and insulin, however it will not completely “fix” the problem, but can significantly improve the outcomes.
Does insurance cover medical nutrition therapy for GDM?
We accept most major insurance companies and the majority of our clients pay little to nothing outside of copays or deductibles to meet with a member of our team. We also offer military discounts as we are not in network with Tricare. We always recommend checking your insurance benefits regarding nutrition coverage as coverage depends on the patient's individual insurance plan.